BLIK Editor: Przelewy24 is a brand known to everyone who has bought something online in Poland at least once. Today, we open a new chapter in the history of this platform. We are joined by Michał Hull, the new CEO of Przelewy24, who has been with the company since 2020 and is responsible for its further development in one of the most competitive markets in Europe.

       

Michał Hull: Good morning.

BLIK Editor: In that case, Mr. President, you are taking office at an exceptional time. The online payments market is growing, but also changing significantly. What priorities are you setting for Przelewy24 today?

Michał Hull: The priorities I set for the company are based on its past success. Przelewy24 has always focused on providing optimal service to merchants, full availability of payment methods, and business scalability. These goals will continue to guide us. We will respond to the needs of merchants and the market, remaining the number one trusted partner for Polish e-commerce.

BLIK Editor: Speaking of e-commerce and mobile payments, it's hard not to mention BLIK. What changes are you observing in BLIK user behavior, and how does Przelewy24 intend to respond to them in its offer?

Michał Hull: The growing popularity of mobile payments is undeniable and we have been observing it for many years. Przelewy24 has always met the expectations of the market, both payers and merchants. As long as mobile solutions – or any other – are required and expected by the market, Przelewy24 will provide them to ensure business development and transaction certainty and security for the payer.

BLIK Editor: On one hand, we mention security, on the other, convenience. Looking at it locally, regionally, and globally, I would like to ask what place local payment methods occupy today in the strategy of large e-commerce platforms?

Michał Hull: Local payment methods in the Polish market are very strong. The Polish market is specific compared to Western Europe, where methods based on *account-to-account* transactions dominate, and their popularity in Poland is constantly growing. Interestingly, Poles have always been more open to sharing information about their bank account than about their payment card. In this aspect, we are very similar to, for example, Finland, which was a big surprise for me. However, we are extremely different from other countries. For platforms, independent stores, and payers, it is critical that the most popular local payment methods are available at the same level as global, recognizable methods. The Polish market is constantly opening up to other payers, and Poles are very keen to buy in foreign stores, where these local payment methods, from the perspective of the store's location, must also be available.

BLIK Editor: So, availability is key. And is the integration of payment services with other tools, such as BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later), e-wallets, or loyalty programs, a direction you are also developing?

Michał Hull: This is a direction we are developing because it is, again, a direction expected by the market and our merchants. From the merchants' perspective, it provides the opportunity to increase sales, and from the payer's perspective – the ability to choose any method that is most convenient at a given moment. Sometimes we need additional financing to spread the purchase into installments, sometimes a very fast, convenient, mobile method, or a wallet-based method. This availability of methods must be ensured by entities operating in the market, such as Przelewy24, of course in cooperation with all providers of these payment methods, including BLIK.

BLIK Editor: That's needed here and now. And looking ahead, what markets or online sales segments do you see as most promising for the further development of Przelewy24?

Michał Hull: We cannot forget about the Polish market and the fact that the Polish economy, or rather most of it, is based on small and medium-sized enterprises. The Polish market is, of course, affected by globalization – large international entities that appear are very strong and increasingly stronger in the market. However, locally we still have a lot of online stores launching every year. Last year, there were about 80,000 of them. Forecasts from many years ago, talking about market consolidation and a decreasing number of stores, simply do not materialize. Therefore, these small stores that appear on the market want access to effective, optimal distribution solutions. Hence, for example, the popularity of marketplace solutions – not only the entry of foreign marketplaces, but also those that grew in Poland and are expanding abroad, such as our partner.

BLIK Editor: So, it seems there's room for everyone in the market. Thank you very much for this conversation, especially about a market that operates in milliseconds but requires a long-term strategy. Thank you very much for the conversation.

Read the interview article:The Future of Online Payments - Michał Hull (CEO Przelewy24) on e-commerce