Breakthrough year for BLIK: more than one billion transactions and nearly 13 million active users at the end of 2022
BLIK turns eight years old. It is one of the most popular payment methods in Poland. During this time, its users have carried out almost 2.8 bn transactions totalling PLN 371.4 bn. In 2022, more than 1.2 bn operations worth PLN 163.9 bn were carried out. BLIK is most eagerly used in e-commerce: as many as 714,200,00 payments were made through BLIK last year. Over the past 12 months, the number of BLIK phone transfers and POS payments has grown very dynamically: in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 110% and 162% was recorded in these channels, respectively. At the end of December 2022, the number of registered mobile apps with access to BLIK was 25.9 million, while the number of active users was almost 13 million.
High growth rate in the last quarter: 4,000,000 transactions every day
From January to December 2022, BLIK was used very actively – and the record-breaking volume of transactions was carried out: throughout the year, there were more than 1.2 bn of them. As many as 371 m were completed in Q4 2022. During this time, Poles used BLIK to make an average of 4,000,000 transactions every day.
The record-breaking daily number of transactions (5,900,000) was noted on 09 December 2022. The average value of a BLIK transaction in Q4 2022 was PLN 134. Meanwhile, the value of all transactions made with BLIK in the same period amounted to nearly PLN 50 bn – it is 53% more than a year earlier.
The landmark year is behind us. During these intensive twelve months, we strengthened the position of BLIK on the Polish market, and increased its visibility abroad. Thanks to the planned acquisition of the Slovakian company, VIAMO, today we can think about further development outside Poland. Our ambition is for BLIK to become accessible to users of European banking apps – such a system that provides them with a unique shopping experience. We will be able to say a little more about the progress of our work in this area soon
- says Dariusz Mazurkiewicz, CEO of Polski Standard Płatności, the operator of the BLIK mobile payment system.
Dominant position of BLIK in e-commerce
BLIK is used very frequently in e-commerce: it covers nearly 60% of all transactions. Between October and December 2022 (i.e. the busiest sales period of the year), the number of BLIK payments in e-commerce exceeded 212,000,000. This is 32% more compared to the same period in 2021. Throughout the whole 2022, Poles made as many as 714,200,000 BLIK transactions totalling PLN 89.2 bn. A year earlier, the equivalent volume was lower (less 37%; there were 522,500,000 transactions), and the total value at that time was PLN 61.6 bn.
Consumers are choosing to shop online more and more. Our transaction data show that they use BLIK most frequently on marketplace platforms and to pay their bills. Last year, due to the World Cup, they used BLIK more frequently on betting websites. However, other shopping categories such as fashion and pharmacies also grow quarter-on-quarter. These increases are due to the wide availability and popularity of BLIK. They are also the consequence of the unique user experience, which is based on the speed and security of BLIK transactions in e-commerce
- says Monika Król, Vice President of the Board of Polski Standard Płatności, the operator of the BLIK mobile payment system.
BLIK's strong position in e-commerce is also confirmed by cyclic data from the National Bank of Poland. Starting from Q4 2018, BLIK has been more popular than bank cards in terms of the number of transactions carried out in domestic e-commerce. Polish e-commerce users pay with BLIK far more often than with cards. When we look at the H1 2022 results, we can see that the number of BLIK transactions was higher than the number of card transactions by as much as 215%.
One in five BLIK transactions is a transfer to a phone number
The number of BLIK phone transfers also grows rapidly from quarter to quarter. Between October and December 2022, there were as many as 76,600,000 such transactions: it was 94% more than a year earlier. Please note that P2P payments now account for nearly one-fifth of all BLIK transactions. Their value in Q4 2022 reached PLN 9.7 bn (115% more than a year earlier), while the average value of a BLIK phone transfer is PLN 126. Throughout the whole year 2022, Poles settled their accounts that way approx. 243 million times. The value of all BLIK phone transfers made by the users in 2022 was PLN 29.7 bn compared to PLN 13 bn the year before.
Contactless payments gain momentum
Last year, transactions at traditional payment terminals were also quite popular among BLIK users. In 2022, as many as 228,000,000 payments were made that way (up by 162% for the whole 2021). As many as 68,200,000 of these transactions were registered between October and December (up by 133% compared to Q4 2021).
In that period, Poles increasingly turned to convenient and secure BLIK contactless payments, too. In 2022 (please note it was the first full year since the launch of this service) they used the functionality to make nearly 70,000,000 transactions (total value: PLN 2.7 bn). One third of this figure was accounted for by payments made in Q4 2022. From October to December 2022, the registered users (now there are 1.8 million of them), made as many as 23,400,000 payments totalling nearly PLN 1 bn. Since the launch of contactless BLIK, it was used to carry out payments in 117 countries on six continents.
Last year was another one when we focused on a strategy of educating and encouraging users to make their first transaction as well as to establish the habit of using contactless BLIK payments. To this end, we implemented several engaging and smart campaigns, which allowed us to reach more people who want to make payments quickly, simply, and securely. The growing popularity of contactless BLIK translates into an overall interest in this payment method at brick-and-mortar shops and service outlets. The POS channel currently accounts for one fifth of all BLIK transactions. We assume that in the perspective of the next quarters we will observe further growth and new distribution of power between the individual BLIK services
- concludes Monika Król.
In Q4 2022 we also witnessed steady growth in ATM cash withdrawals. During this period, 13,600,000 transactions were made at ATMs. The number of deposits and withdrawals increased year-on-year by 29%. Their value reached PLN 8.9 bn, and the average single transaction was PLN 655. The share of operations performed with BLIK in ATMs in relation to their total volume at the end of December 2022 was 3.7%. As many as 49,700,000 such transactions were recorded in the system during the twelve months of last year.
Brand loved by millions
Over the eight years of its presence on the market, BLIK has managed to gather a large group of active and loyal users. From 2015 to the end of 2022, nearly 2.8 billion transactions totalling PLN 371.4 bn were registered in the system. These figures include 1.8 bn operations that were carried out in e-commerce; 382,000,000 in payment terminals; 427,000,000 instant transfers were made on smartphones; and on 165 million occasions, cash was deposited or withdrawn from ATMs.
BLIK's astonishing popularity among various user groups is confirmed both by transaction data as well as by cyclical measurements conducted by KANTAR, a data analytics and brand consulting company. According to their surveys, BLIK is the best-known cashless payment brand in Poland. In general, the BLIK brand is highly familiar to people – and it is a large advantage over the competition. At the end of December 2022, as many as 96% of banking app users admitted that they were aware of BLIK, with 49% choosing it most often as a payment form. Last year, BLIK recorded the highest Brand Power Index at 44% – this value is twice as high as other well-known companies in the payments category. All the activities in popularising and nurturing a positive BLIK user experience also resulted in a high brand recommendation rate among users. In 2022, BLIK's NPS reached 64 points, while the average score for the financial industry is 34 points.
BLIK users point out that it is a solution that makes their lives a lot easier. It also helps with everyday payments, plus it is a simple and secure option that does not require them to enter any private details. But above all, it is a payment method that, thanks to its versatility, significantly simplifies everyday financial management and provides Poles with many options. Our services are currently used by 13 million individuals. It is with them in mind that we want to develop our system and ensure a new quality of payment. There are further implementations and changes ahead of us – they will really change the payment market in Poland, but also, we hope, in the whole of Europe
- concludes Dariusz Mazurkiewicz.
BLIK is a common standard for mobile payments. Currently, virtually every customer of domestic payment institutions offering a mobile application has the option of using BLIK in mobile banking applications. Polish Payment Standard (Polski Standard Płatności, PSP) is responsible for the development of the system. PSP constantly develops BLIK's capabilities so that the system is as functional as possible. The shareholders of PSP are: Alior Bank, Bank Millennium, Santander Bank Polska, ING Bank Śląski, mBank, PKO Bank Polski, and Mastercard.
For further information, please contact:
Klaudia Rombalska
BLIK Press Office
