Blik

{{Infobox software

| title = Blik

| name = Blik

| logo = Blik logo.svg

| logo size = 200px

| developer = Polski Standard Płatności S. A.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blik.com/kontakt|title=Kontakt|access-date=2025-05-16|website=BLIK|language=pl}}

| released = {{Start date|2015|02|09}}{{Citation needed|date=May 2025}}

| language = Polish, English

| genre = Mobile payment

| website = {{URL|http://blik.com}}

}}

BLIK is a Polish mobile payment system launched in 2015. It is operated by Polski Standard Płatności (PSP).{{Cite news |date=2015-02-10 |title=Polish banks launch mobile payments solution Blik |url=https://ecommercenews.eu/polish-banks-launch-mobile-payments-solution-blik/ |access-date=2021-03-25 |work=ecommercenews |language=en}}

Blik enables users to make instant payments online and in retail stores, withdraw cash from ATMs, and transfer money, primarily using their bank's mobile application.{{Cite web|url=https://www.blik.com/jak-korzystac-z-blika|title=Jak korzystać z BLIKA|access-date=2025-05-16|website=BLIK|language=pl}}

As of June 2024, Blik reported nearly 17 million active users.{{Cite web |last=Hinton |first=Lauren |date=2024-08-22 |title=H1 2024: Over One Billion BLIK Transactions in Six Months |url=https://ffnews.com/newsarticle/paytech/h1-2024-over-one-billion-blik-transactions-in-six-months/ |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=Fintech Finance |language=en}} For the full year 2024, it processed 2.4 billion transactions, amounting to a total value of approximately 350 billion Polish złoty (PLN).{{Cite web |last=Wilkowicz |first=Lukasz |date=2025-02-18 |title=Blik coraz mocniej podgryza karty. Wkrótce zapłacisz nim za Netflix czy Spotify |url=https://finanse.gazetaprawna.pl/artykuly/9741195,blik-coraz-mocniej-podgryza-karty-wkrotce-zaplacisz-nim-za-netflix-cz.html |access-date=2025-02-27 |website=Dziennik Gazeta Prawna |language=pl}}

History

Polski Standard Płatności (PSP), a company established by an alliance of six Polish banks, launched Blik in February 2015. PSP is a member of the European Mobile Payment Systems Association.{{Cite web|url=https://empsa.org/|title=EMPSA - European Mobile Payment Systems Association|access-date=2025-05-16|language=en|website=European Mobile Payment Systems Association}}

Between 2019 and 2020, Polish Police reported fraud incidents involving Blik ATM withdrawals. These typically occurred when perpetrators gained access to a victim's social media account, requested Blik codes from the victim's contacts under false pretenses for a loan, and then used these codes for cash withdrawals.{{Cite web |last=Policja |first=Polska |title=Oszustwa metodą na BLIK – policjanci ostrzegają |url=https://www.policja.pl/pol/aktualnosci/188493,Oszustwa-metoda-na-BLIK-policjanci-ostrzegaja.html |access-date=2021-07-07 |website=Policja.pl |language=pl}}

In 2021, Blik introduced contactless payments, enabling users with NFC-equipped Android devices to make payments at POS terminals using Mastercard virtual tokens.{{Cite news |date=2021-07-14 |title=BLIK provides consumers with best-in-class experience in mobile contactless payments thanks to the partnership with Mastercard |url=https://blik.com/en/blik-provides-consumers-with-best-in-class-experience-in-mobile-contactless-payments-thanks-to-the-partnership-with-mastercard |access-date=2022-01-24 |work=blik.com |language=en}} This functionality also extends to Polish users traveling abroad{{cite web |title=Blik i jest! |url=https://www.blik.com/zblizeniowo |website=www.blik.com |language=pl}} and has been noted as a potential alternative to Google Pay on rooted smartphones.{{citation needed|date=May 2025}}

Revolut became the first foreign financial institution to integrate Blik in early 2025. While Revolut users in the EU with a PLN account can access Blik, its use is currently restricted to transactions with Polish businesses, limiting its practical application outside Poland.{{cite web |title=What is BLIK and how can I use it? |url=https://help.revolut.com/pl-PL/help/card-payments-withdrawals/blik/ |access-date=18 January 2025 |website=Revolut |language=en-EN}}

Services

The system allows users to make online and in-store purchases and to transfer money in real time between bank accounts and ATMs,{{Cite news|date=2021-02-11|title=BLIK payment method|language=en|work=adyen.com|url=https://www.adyen.com/payment-methods/blik|access-date=2021-03-25}}{{Cite news|date=2020-01-31|title=Why BLIK is so popular and how we deployed it in mobile banking?|language=en|work=Finanteq|url=https://finanteq.com/why-blik-is-so-popular-and-how-we-deployed-it-in-mobile-banking/|access-date=2021-03-25}} including cash withdrawal from ATMs, without the need of a payment card.

Transactions are uniquely identified by 6-digit one-time codes, each time valid for up to 2 minutes, which the user obtains using their mobile banking app. The code can then be typed in online, entered on the ATM screen, or on compatible contactless payment terminals. The payment requires final authentification of the vendor and transaction amount in the app and is instantaneous.

Blik allows instant transfers between users by binding phone numbers to bank accounts.{{Cite web|last=QUERCUS|title=Przelewy na numer telefonu w aplikacji mobilnej mBanku{{!}} mBank.pl|url=https://www.mbank.pl/indywidualny/aplikacja-i-serwis/platnosci/przelewy-na-numer-telefonu/|access-date=2021-07-07|website=www.mbank.pl|language=pl}} These transfers are similarly free and instantaneous, even between accounts from different banks. Some online shopping platforms, like Allegro, are able to connect a customer account to a Blik-compatible app instance allowing for payment confirmation with just a notification prompt and pin code or biometric login.