Do people in Poland still pay in cash?

Short answer

Yes, but less and less. Cash covered 40.2% of in-person payments in the 2023 NBP payment diary, against 81.8% in 2012. Most shops that take cards must also accept cash under the Payment Services Act.

In detail

Yes, but less and less. In the latest payment diary survey by Narodowy Bank Polski (NBP), covering 2023, cash accounted for 40.2% of payments in stores, offices and between people, against 81.8% in 2012, and 28.1% of their value. A 2025 survey for NBP found that 28% of Poles still pay more often in cash than by card, mostly because cash is accepted everywhere.

The law protects cash

Since an amendment to the Payment Services Act in late 2021, merchants that accept card payments must also accept cash from consumers and cannot charge more for it. Exemptions cover online sales, unattended outlets and large one-off purchases.

Cash online

Cash on delivery, still used by many shoppers.
Vouchers or barcodes paid at convenience stores.
BLIK also links cash and accounts, with 35.5 million BLIK ATM withdrawals in the first half of 2026.

What it means for payment operators

For operators serving Polish merchants, cash matters mostly in stores, where acceptance rules apply. Online, BLIK and pay-by-link cover most shoppers, and cash on delivery remains an option for some merchants. Reconciling cash collected at delivery with card and BLIK payments keeps merchant reporting complete.

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