mBank Launches BLIK Recurring Payments to Streamline Subscription Management

mBank has launched BLIK Recurring Payments, allowing its customers to automate subscriptions and bills directly through their banking app. As Poland’s second-largest group of active BLIK users, mBank’s adoption of the service significantly expands the reach of cardless recurring billing in the Polish market, offering a streamlined alternative to traditional direct debits and card-on-file transactions.

What was announced

mBank becomes the ninth financial institution to integrate BLIK Recurring Payments into its mobile ecosystem. This feature is designed for users managing cyclical obligations such as utility bills, digital subscriptions, and highway tolls. It operates by allowing users to set up automatic payments or opt for manual confirmation within the mBank app for each transaction. Activation occurs on a merchant's website where the user selects the BLIK Recurring option, enters a standard BLIK code, and approves the terms in their banking application. Subsequent transactions are then processed automatically according to the established terms.

Crucially, this system removes the need for customers to share sensitive debit or credit card details with third-party merchants, as the payment is tied to the banking app itself. The service is already live with several high-profile digital providers, including OpenAI for ChatGPT subscriptions, CANAL+, Onet Premium, and Canva. It also extends to physical infrastructure services like highway travel fees via Autopay. At the end of March 2024, mBank reported nearly 2.7 million active BLIK users, making its customer base a critical driver for the adoption of this specific recurring payment model. Users maintain full control over these obligations, with the ability to monitor, manage, or cancel consents directly from the mBank mobile interface at any time.

"Płatności powtarzalne BLIK są obecnie najszybciej rosnącą usługą w naszym systemie. Spodziewamy się, że udostępnienie funkcji również użytkownikom mBanku, co znacznie rozszerzy grupę osób mających możliwość skorzystania z Płatności powtarzalnych BLIK, będzie dodatkowym impulsem do przyspieszenia tempa wzrostu tej usługi"

Marcin Waldowski, director of the product development department at BLIK.

The companies involved

mBank is one of the largest banking institutions in Poland and serves as a primary shareholder in Polski Standard Płatności (PSP), the operator of the BLIK system. Other major shareholders include Alior Bank, Bank Millennium, Erste Bank Polska, ING Bank Śląski, PKO Bank Polski, and Mastercard. mBank has established itself as a digital-forward institution, with its customers consistently ranking among the most active participants in Poland’s mobile payment ecosystem.

BLIK itself is a universal mobile payment standard that has become the dominant method for e-commerce and peer-to-peer transfers in Poland. Developed by PSP, the system allows users to pay using six-digit codes generated in their banking apps. Since its inception, BLIK has expanded from simple point-of-sale and online transactions to include ATM withdrawals, P2P phone transfers, and now, sophisticated recurring billing. The system's growth is underpinned by the collaboration of Poland’s largest banks, creating a unified standard that bypasses traditional card networks for many domestic transactions. This bank-led model has allowed BLIK to achieve high penetration across the Polish population.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has tracked the rapid scaling of the Polish payment standard, recently noting that BLIK Hits 1.6 Billion Transactions in H1 2026 as Active User Base Surges to 21.6 Million. The system's technological evolution was highlighted when an AI Agent Completed its First Independent BLIK Purchase, marking a milestone in agentic commerce. Furthermore, the infrastructure for recurring payments has been broadening through third-party integrations, as seen when Solidgate Expands Polish Payment Capabilities with BLIK Recurring and BLIK Pay Later. Beyond its domestic borders, the system is gaining international traction, particularly after the BLIK Goes Global: Stripe Integration Expands Polish Payment Method to 30+ Countries announcement.

What this means

This move places significant pressure on traditional card schemes like Visa and Mastercard within the Polish market. By moving recurring payments—traditionally the stronghold of credit cards and direct debits—into the BLIK ecosystem, PSP is effectively closing the loop on a cardless economy. For fintechs and merchants, the challenge now lies in integration; as more major banks like mBank sign on, the expectation for BLIK as a default subscription option will become standard. It raises a broader question for the European sector: can localized, bank-led payment standards successfully challenge the global duopoly on a regional scale by prioritizing user experience and mobile-first security over legacy card infrastructure?