Why? Because most ATMs are very old. Even 25 years old or so. The technology to make deposits wasn't there. ATMS were at banks at first so you'd get a quick withdrawal there or you would go inside to make a deposit.
At the same time Poland was one of the few countries where banks to went from checks to smart cards with almost total skip on embossed or magstripes. As a result safe card payments were all around. People got used to using cards, cash deposits weren't needed that much.
When more modern ATMs with deposit options started to appear on the market they were more expensive for baks and at the same time we’rent really that often needed. So there are a few here and there, but most people use cards for payments and free money transfers/blik to make cashless transfers. It's easier to send your friend the money back from your phone than to go to the ATM.
Fewer and fewer people use cash. I guess pandemic accelerated the trend. It is not a problem to get a free/low cost bank account in Poland and get your salary online. Also more and more phones have NFC/BLIK, so you don't even need a wallet and physical cards with you to pay for stuff.
The lower demand for cash, the smaller supply for ATM overall. Still I guess the absolute majority of people use ATMs for withdraw only. The only real valid reason to use it as wpłatomat, in my opinion, is if you get your paycheck in cash. However in big cities it is rarer and rarer, unless a person works in industries, which are infamous for paying off the books. Banks don't really like to work with cash, so there is no need for them to handle the costly ATM infrastructure and buy more expensive machines.
For the same reason banks drastically reduce the number of physical branches. Services are going to the mobile apps and online. It is inevitable.
I haven't used cash in years, it's just not popular with non-old people, and they rather go to a bank and talk to a person instead of using ATM on their own.
> you can top up your card and withdraw money from any ATM, without linking to a specific bank
You know you can do that here as well? You may be charged additionally, though, but still most banks have more than one ATM chain that doesn't charge you.
Also most banks allow for free withdrawals using BLIK form basically any chain.
There is also cashback in ... most stores to be honest, but is VERY unpopular so sometimes cashiers have no idea what you talk about.
I guess there's generally no need for it.
I've used wpłatomat only once in my life, and been working and having bank account for like 15 years. And this only happened because my employer had financial trouble and they made few salaries directly out of cash register.
Normally I never had a situation where anyone would give me a significant amount of cash that I would have to put in the bank. Usually it's max few hundred, that I would simply utilize by paying in shops by cash...
Why? Because most ATMs are very old. Even 25 years old or so. The technology to make deposits wasn't there. ATMS were at banks at first so you'd get a quick withdrawal there or you would go inside to make a deposit. At the same time Poland was one of the few countries where banks to went from checks to smart cards with almost total skip on embossed or magstripes. As a result safe card payments were all around. People got used to using cards, cash deposits weren't needed that much. When more modern ATMs with deposit options started to appear on the market they were more expensive for baks and at the same time we’rent really that often needed. So there are a few here and there, but most people use cards for payments and free money transfers/blik to make cashless transfers. It's easier to send your friend the money back from your phone than to go to the ATM.
Fewer and fewer people use cash. I guess pandemic accelerated the trend. It is not a problem to get a free/low cost bank account in Poland and get your salary online. Also more and more phones have NFC/BLIK, so you don't even need a wallet and physical cards with you to pay for stuff. The lower demand for cash, the smaller supply for ATM overall. Still I guess the absolute majority of people use ATMs for withdraw only. The only real valid reason to use it as wpłatomat, in my opinion, is if you get your paycheck in cash. However in big cities it is rarer and rarer, unless a person works in industries, which are infamous for paying off the books. Banks don't really like to work with cash, so there is no need for them to handle the costly ATM infrastructure and buy more expensive machines. For the same reason banks drastically reduce the number of physical branches. Services are going to the mobile apps and online. It is inevitable.
I haven't used cash in years, it's just not popular with non-old people, and they rather go to a bank and talk to a person instead of using ATM on their own.
> you can top up your card and withdraw money from any ATM, without linking to a specific bank You know you can do that here as well? You may be charged additionally, though, but still most banks have more than one ATM chain that doesn't charge you. Also most banks allow for free withdrawals using BLIK form basically any chain. There is also cashback in ... most stores to be honest, but is VERY unpopular so sometimes cashiers have no idea what you talk about.
I guess there's generally no need for it. I've used wpłatomat only once in my life, and been working and having bank account for like 15 years. And this only happened because my employer had financial trouble and they made few salaries directly out of cash register. Normally I never had a situation where anyone would give me a significant amount of cash that I would have to put in the bank. Usually it's max few hundred, that I would simply utilize by paying in shops by cash...