Poland ranks first in the European Union in terms of the number of mobile and online transactions. It is also one of Europe’s leading financial innovation markets. Combined with the size of the domestic economy, this makes Poland an attractive destination for foreign banks. Erste Bank Polska, which replaced Santander Bank Polska on 24 April, sees strong potential in the market. The bank is preparing new products for retail and business customers and plans to support the international expansion of Polish companies in Central and Eastern Europe.
According to Deloitte’s “EU Financial Centres Power Index”, Poland ranked sixth in Europe in 2024 in terms of financial innovation, behind only Germany, France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Italy. The country also leads the European Union in the number of mobile and online transactions. In 2024 alone, the BLIK payment system processed 2.4 billion such operations.
“Poland’s financial market is the most digitalised market in the world. This is where banks offer new opportunities for their customers. At the same time, the Polish economy is now the 20th largest economy in the world and the sixth largest in Europe. This is a huge market for Erste Group, which has always wanted to be present in Poland,” says Lech Gałkowski, Vice-President of the Management Board of Erste Bank Polska, in an interview with Newseria.
“Santander Bank Polska has become Erste Bank Polska. We have completed the rebranding weekend, during which many teams across our bank worked on the change so that it would be virtually unnoticeable for customers. We changed the colours, logos and all the visual attributes of the new brand,” says Magdalena Proga-Stępień, Vice-President of the Management Board of Erste Bank Polska.
In January 2026, Erste Group acquired a controlling 49% stake in Santander Bank Polska and became its main shareholder. On 24 April, the registry court entered the change of name to Erste Bank Polska in the National Court Register. According to the bank’s representatives, customers do not need to take any action as a result of the rebranding. Existing agreements remain valid, while account numbers, payment cards and even the hotline remain unchanged.
The most visible changes include the new name of the mobile application and a new blue logo, which has already appeared in branches, on the bank’s website, across the ATM network and in online and mobile banking services. The name change is accompanied by an image campaign under the slogan “Believe in yourself”.
“For customers of Erste Bank Polska, the rebranding primarily means new products in the offer. We are combining the strength of more than 200 years of tradition and experience of Erste Group, which above all offers broad access to financial solutions for every customer and practical support for their financial health,” says Magdalena Proga-Stępień.
In 2025, Santander Bank Polska had 5.4 million retail customers, of whom 3.5 million were digitally active.
“We continue to focus on individual customers: young people, including children, mature customers, affluent clients and people who have been banking with us for years,” says the bank’s Vice-President. “Very soon, our customers will see a range of new products, including a pro-savings account with an interest rate of 4.5%. There will also be a ‘Currencies Without Borders’ package. We want the mobility of our customers, who often travel abroad, shop in stores outside Poland or exchange currencies, to be simple and transparent.”
The bank is also announcing changes to its investment offer and new solutions for entrepreneurs. In 2025, it had 564,000 SME customers, of whom 410,000 used digital services. The number of business and corporate banking customers stood at 27,700.
“The small and medium-sized enterprise segment has always been strategic for us. We believe these companies are responsible for the very dynamic growth of the Polish economy. We want to be their bank of first choice and a partner they turn to whenever they have an idea for further development, a new project or another business need,” says Magdalena Proga-Stępień.
Services for large companies are expected to remain largely unchanged. Erste Bank Polska plans to continue offering the same established solutions that were previously available, while also adding support for companies expanding in Central and Eastern Europe.
“Services for large companies will not change. We will continue to offer the same solid solutions we have provided for years. In addition, we will be able to help Polish entrepreneurs expand in Central and Eastern Europe. Erste is the largest banking group in this part of the world, and we want to support our entrepreneurs in their expansion across the region,” says Lech Gałkowski.
Erste Group operates in eight countries in Central and Eastern Europe. In addition to Poland, these are Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Croatia and Serbia. Apart from serving retail customers, the group’s core activities include advisory and support services for corporate clients in financing, investment and access to international capital markets, supported by its strong regional presence.
“More than 2,100 Polish companies are already present in the so-called old Erste Group countries. We want to help them expand further. These are companies that will acquire further businesses in the region. We can advise them from an investment banking perspective, arrange financing for such acquisitions and then help them with day-to-day banking services in those countries,” explains the Vice-President of Erste Bank Polska.
“At the same time, more than 800 companies from the old Erste Group countries are already present in Poland, and we will also be able to support them,” he adds.
