KConsumers expect a highly personalized, intuitive and hassle-free payment experience – one that allows them to manage their finances in a way that best suits their individual needs, whether they’re buying a coffee or booking a holiday. Poles who want to pay by card abroad appreciate this payment method above all for its convenience (70%), speed (56%) and perceived security as the absence of the risk of losing money (51%). With physical and tokenized Visa cards accepted at over 100 million locations and in over 200 countries and territories around the world, paying for even the smallest pleasures is no longer a problem. Simply take your Visa card on your holiday abroad or store it in your digital wallet.
Secure payment at your fingertips
Visa research shows that payments using a smartphone or smartwatch are especially popular among young Poles – 29% of respondents aged 18 to 25 plan to pay this way.
–As technology transforms our world, so do consumer needs and behaviors. Secure, intuitive and convenient payment methods must keep pace with these changes. As our research shows, we use smartphones and smartwatches every day to make payments seamlessly, even when abroad, bypassing physical boundaries. Digital wallets, which are so popular among young travelers in Central and Eastern Europe (aged 18-25), are based on Visa systems and technologies. Thanks to them, we replace card details with a unique sequence of numbers. This solution, called tokenization, provides an additional layer of security. This way, your payments are protected no matter where you spend your vacation. – said Adrian Kurowski, General Manager of Visa in Poland.
The token in payments replaces the card details, transforming them into a complex cipher. Each token is unique. That is why your card data is protected. Tokens are created automatically, for example, when a user enters their card details into a streaming service, online store or in a digital wallet on a smartphone. Multiple tokens can be created for each Visa card, and each token is unique and can only be used in the application or device on which it is saved.
E-commerce on the move
More than half of the trips planned by Poles this year will be organized independently. When planning such trips, the e-commerce channel is used with enthusiasm – Visa research shows that in the case of independent trips, services such as accommodation (70%) or transport (43%) will be purchased in this way. In the case of both elements, the most popular payment method turned out to be the payment card.
In turn, 39% of trips planned by Poles will take the form of a package holiday, with 56% of these trips purchased online through a travel agency website or via online aggregation platforms, and 44% in stationery stores. As in the case of self-organised trips, when purchasing holiday packages online, card is the most frequently chosen payment method.
When paying for goods or services with Visa, consumers are also protected against fraud and loss or theft of their card. In addition, if they make an online payment with a Visa card and something goes wrong, for example if they become a victim of online fraud, they have the opportunity to get their money back (detailed rules are set out in the service regulations of a particular bank). Interestingly, about 15% of Polish travelers who book accommodation or transport services indicated that in the last 12 months a foreign entity refunded their payment card at least once due to cancellation, delay or non-use of the service. This means that money circulates around the world along with people and that the digital revolution is changing cash flows, the sources of which are increasing.
Case descriptions, comparisons, analysis statistics and recommendations are as-is. They are published for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as operational, marketing, legal, technical, tax, financial or other advice. Visa Inc. does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the information contained herein. Visa Inc. also accepts no liability whatsoever arising from your reliance on such information. The information contained herein does not constitute investment or legal advice and readers are encouraged to seek advice from a competent professional if necessary.
1 Unless otherwise indicated, the data cited in the above material comes from the Visa CEE Travel and Payment Intentions Study 2024. The study covered Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Slovakia, and was conducted by the research company GfK Polonia – NIQ company in April 2024 on a representative sample of 1,000 respondents (18-65 years old) in each of these countries.
