🇵🇱 This is the brand hub for Bank Pekao. For the bigger picture on the Polish złoty, the surcharge-free bank ATMs, the orange-Euronet trap, and the no-Bank-of-America-Alliance gap, see the Poland Money Guide. For exact ATM areas, see the Warsaw ATM Guide. For card-acceptance and the ZTM transit detail, see the Warsaw Money Guide. For the largest network, see the PKO Bank Polski guide. Flying in? Warsaw Chopin (WAW) airport guide.
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Order PLN → CEI Currency ExchangeWhat Bank Pekao is, in one paragraph
Bank Pekao (Bank Polska Kasa Opieki SA, usually written Pekao and pronounced "peh-COW") is one of Poland's largest banks and one of its oldest, founded in 1929 to serve the Polish diaspora. Its bison logo is one of the most recognizable corporate marks in the country. For nearly two decades Pekao sat under the Italian group UniCredit, but in 2017 control passed to PZU, Poland's largest insurer, alongside the state development fund PFR, returning the bank to Polish, state-linked hands. It is headquartered in Warsaw and listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange. For US travelers the practical points are simple: Pekao runs one of the widest ATM and branch networks in Poland, and it adds no operator surcharge on foreign-card withdrawals, so you get złoty at the interbank rate. Its PeoPay app and BLIK participation are part of the wider Polish payments ecosystem that makes a contactless card go a long way here, though as a tourist you will rely on the card and the occasional cash top-up rather than the local apps.
What Bank Pekao charges foreign cards
| Fee component | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Pekao operator fee (foreign card) | 0 zł | Pekao adds no operator surcharge |
| Exchange rate | Mid-market (interbank) | Visa or Mastercard network |
| Visa / Mastercard network fee | ~1% | Card network, baked into total |
| Your home bank's foreign ATM fee | $2-5 | Your home bank, unless waived (Schwab, Wise) |
| Your home bank's FX conversion fee | 1-3% | Your home bank, unless 0% FX card |
| DCC markup (if accepted) | +5-12% | Always decline. Pick złoty every time the screen offers your home currency. |
Pekao machines carry the bison logo in red-and-white; per-withdrawal caps run ~1,000–2,000 zł. Poland has no BoA Alliance partner, so BoA debit pays BoA's 3% anywhere. Avoid the orange Euronet units.
The bison bank, and why any Polish bank ATM beats Euronet
What matters most in Poland is not which bank you pick but that you pick a real bank at all. The tourist cores of Warsaw and Kraków and both airports are dense with bright-orange Euronet machines that add a per-withdrawal operator fee and push dynamic currency conversion, a combination that can quietly cost 8–15 percent. A Bank Pekao bankomat does neither: złoty at the interbank rate, no surcharge of its own, so the only cost is your home bank's. On the ground, look for the red-and-white bison, or any of the other big Polish bank logos (PKO BP, mBank, Santander, ING), and walk past any machine that doesn't carry one.
Bank of America customers should note there is no fee-free ATM in Poland at all: with no Polish BoA Alliance partner, a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at Pekao. That is one more reason to bring a Wise or Schwab card and keep cash withdrawals modest, since a card covers most spending here anyway.
Where to find Bank Pekao in Warsaw and beyond
Śródmieście & Rondo ONZ
Pekao branches and bankomaty around the central business district, Rondo ONZ, and the main shopping streets. An easy place to find a surcharge-free machine. Covered in the Warsaw ATM Guide.
Near Stare Miasto
Look for the red-and-white bison a block off the tourist core rather than the orange Euronet units around Castle Square and Nowy Świat.
Centralna & metro
Pekao ATMs around Warszawa Centralna station and major metro interchanges, handy on arrival from the airport train.
Old Town & Kazimierz
Pekao branches near the Rynek Główny edge and in Kazimierz; the same zero operator-fee structure as in Warsaw. See our Poland Money Guide.
Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań
Pekao has wide coverage across the country, with branches and ATMs in Gdańsk, Wrocław, Poznań, Łódź, and the regional centres.
WAW Chopin arrivals
Pekao bankomaty in the Chopin arrivals hall, surcharge-free on foreign cards. Avoid the orange Euronet machines and the Travelex counters nearby. See the WAW airport guide.
Bank Pekao vs PKO Bank Polski: the actual decision
| Bank Pekao | PKO Bank Polski | |
|---|---|---|
| Foreign-card operator fee | 0 zł | 0 zł |
| BoA Global ATM Alliance partner | No (none in Poland) | No (none in Poland) |
| Network size | Among the largest | Largest in Poland |
| Ownership | PZU + PFR (state-linked) controlled | State Treasury largest shareholder (~29%) |
| Mobile app | PeoPay, BLIK participant | IKO, BLIK co-founder |
| Heritage | Founded 1929, the bison logo | Founded 1919, postal-savings roots |
Decision tree: for cost they are identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA Alliance partner), so use whichever machine is nearest. PKO BP has the densest network, so it is the one you will spot first; Pekao is close behind and just as cheap. The rule that actually saves money in Poland is bank-vs-Euronet, not Pekao-vs-PKO.
Best card pairing with Bank Pekao
Wise is the workhorse, Pekao is the cash backup
Because you will pay for most things by card in Poland, the card matters more than the ATM. A Wise debit card gives zero FX markup and the real interbank złoty rate at every terminal, and when you want cash, a Bank Pekao bankomat dispenses it surcharge-free. Poland has no BoA Alliance partner, so a no-FX-fee card is clearly the best tool here.
Get the Wise Card →Charles Schwab Investor Checking
Schwab adds zero foreign-transaction fee and refunds ATM operator fees worldwide, so even if you are forced to use an orange Euronet machine, Schwab rebates the operator fee. Combined with Pekao's zero, Schwab + Pekao is an effectively free Polish withdrawal. Still decline DCC and choose złoty.
Bank of America debit (no Alliance waiver in Poland)
Poland has no BoA Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA card pays its 3 percent non-network fee even at Pekao. There is no fee-free Polish ATM for BoA cards; a no-FX-fee card is the better option.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Bank Pekao charge foreign cards at ATMs?
No operator surcharge, at the interbank rate. You pay only your home-bank fees, which are zero on a Wise or Schwab card. Caps run ~1,000-2,000 zł. The orange Euronet machines, not Pekao, are the ones that charge.
Is Bank Pekao in the Global ATM Alliance?
No, and no Polish bank is. A BoA card pays its 3% non-network fee at Pekao. A no-FX-fee card is the better tool.
What is Bank Pekao, and who owns it?
One of Poland's largest banks, founded 1929, the bison logo. Controlled since 2017 by the Polish insurer PZU and the state fund PFR.
Do I need cash in Poland?
Not much. Cards and locals' BLIK cover most spending and transit. Keep a small złoty float from a Pekao bankomat for markets, milk bars, and tips.
Will my US debit card work at Pekao ATMs?
Yes, with a Visa, Mastercard, Plus, or Cirrus logo. English option, 4-digit PINs. Decline DCC and choose złoty.
How does Pekao compare with PKO BP?
Cost-identical (both surcharge-free, neither a BoA partner). PKO BP has the densest network; Pekao is close behind. The real rule is bank-vs-Euronet.
The Pekao + Wise Combo
Surcharge-free Pekao bankomaty plus Wise zero FX markup, in a card-friendly country where you will mostly just tap.
Get the Wise Card →