Banks Tighten Daily Transfer Limits in Poland

26 September 2026 Poland Radar 0 Comments

Banks in Poland enforce stricter bank transfer limits, affecting property buyers and businesses. Check your daily limit before large payments.

You might have half a million zloty in your account, yet the bank can block a large outgoing payment due to daily bank transfer limits. Many Polish banks set default daily ceilings, often thousands or tens of thousands of złoty.

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How bank transfer limits work in Poland

Each bank sets its own default and maximum limits. PKO Bank Polski sets a default iPKO limit at 10,000 zł for złoty accounts. With SMS authorisation the cap rises to 50,000 zł. Mobile authorisation allows up to 200,000 zł. Additional login security can raise that to 300,000 zł. If you need more, the bank asks you to arrange it in a branch.

mBank changed its default to 30,000 zł in the transactional service from 14 January 2026. Mobile banking has a separate cap of 50,000 zł. Bank Pekao starts with 1,000 zł for individuals and 10,000 zł for companies. Its monthly limits are 5,000 zł and 100,000 zł respectively. Bank Millennium lets you set up to 200,000 zł daily with mobile authorisation. SMS confirmation limits at Millennium and other banks often stay much lower, at 50,000 zł.

These rules mean two customers with the same balance can have very different ability to send money. The limit depends on login method, authorisation type, account type, and how the account was opened. SORBNET can handle high-value transfers between banks. Still, each institution controls access, cut-off times, and fees.

Why this matters in Warsaw and for big purchases

In Warsaw, property prices make the issue immediate. NBP data for Q2 2026 shows average transaction prices at 16,783 zł per sqm on the primary market and 16,723 zł per sqm on the secondary market. A modest flat can easily require a payment far above typical online limits. Buyers paying a large deposit or part of the price from personal funds may discover the app blocks the transfer.

Businesses face the same trap. Company accounts often carry daily caps. mBank lists 30,000 zł by default for firm accounts. A firm can spend the morning on a few invoices and then hit the daily limit when tax, VAT, or social security (ZUS) payments fall due. ING Bank Śląski exempts transfers to ZUS and the tax office (urzędu skarbowego) from personal daily limits for retail clients. Still, rules differ across banks and account types.

Banks allow many customers to raise limits online and confirm by SMS or mobile authorisation. Yet a sudden jump to a very high amount can trigger extra verification. Some banks put a temporary two-hour protection or ask you to visit a branch. Raising limits minutes before a deadline can therefore fail to help.

💡 GOOD TO KNOW: Check your daily limit, the maximum you can set yourself, and the authorisation method well before a large payment. For property deals, sort limits the day before signing the notarial deed. For taxes and ZUS (social security) payments check whether your bank excludes those transfers from the daily cap. After a large transfer, lower your limit again to reduce fraud risk.

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