At the ATM (dmitrimaruta (123RF))
Getting an account through a local bank or international banking mobile app will eliminate headaches when paying bills, transferring money, making purchases, getting cash and managing funds between U.S. dollars and Polish zloty. Poland is a member of the European Union; however, it has not yet adopted the Euro. The Polish currency is the zloty (PLN). A single zloty is equal to 100 of the coin currency, Grosz. The cost of living is generally lower in Poland than in the U.S. However, you should be aware that you will have upfront expenses as part of your in-processing and establishing yourself in Poland. Discuss your entitlements and allowances with your current finance office for your respective location.
You can change money in banks or Kantors (exchange offices). Banks will likely charge a commission/currency exchange fee, whereas the Kantors (found in malls, rest stops and at the airports) usually provide better exchange rates and don’t charge a commission. It is recommended to avoid exchanges located in airports, as they provide less advantageous rates.
ATMs are widely available throughout Poland. Check with your CONUS bank or credit union for currency conversion fees and daily limits (some banks, such as USAA, will waive international ATM fees), also consider not accepting conversion offers which increases the ATM fee/cost. When using a debit/credit card, it’s generally better to charge the purchase in the local currency. Not using the local currency may increase your purchase by eight percent.
• Some Polish businesses accept debit and credit cards, but some may not.
• It’s always best to carry Polish Zloty when off installation.
• There might be transaction fees when using debit cards, so using cash is often the most efficient option.
• mBank: mbank.pl/en
• ING: ing.pl
• Millennium: bankmillennium.pl/en
These “portable” international banks are a great tool to get local bills paid in zloty, and often with competitive exchange rates and low fees.
• Wise: wise.com
• N26: n26.com/en
• You can use a local MoneyGram vendor for money transfers.
• Mobile apps like TransferGo, Wise and N26 facilitate money transfers as well. You will need the recipient’s local bank account number or their International Bank Account Number (IBAN) to complete a transfer.
ATMs may require transaction fees depending on your account services. Be aware of these charges prior to withdrawing money and compare the conversion rate. While the exchange rate of currency changes daily, here is a rough estimate for these European currency values. You will use Euros in many of the other EU countries outside of Poland.
1 USD = 4 Polish złoty (PLN)
1 Polish złoty (PLN) = 1 U.S. quarter
What it is: Eagle Cash Card is a card that can be used to exchange funds at our disbursing offices. The card would be linked to your bank account, allowing you to be able to pull funds from your bank account and exchange them for foreign currency. Some AAFES sites only accept the Eagle Cash card.
Where you can get it: There are three sites within Poland that conduct disbursing operations. Poznan, Powidz, and Zagan are the three sites to obtain an Eagle Cash Card.
Poznan: Camp Kosciuszko, Bldg. 28 room 33.
Hours of operation:
Monday to Wednesday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. (Closed Thursdays).
How you get an Eagle Cash Card: Show up in person at one of our locations and fill out an FS Form 2887. You’ll need to bring a CAC issued by military/federal government, and a cellphone with access to your banking information. As we will confirm that the routing and checking account number match to prevent any potential issues when withdrawing funds.
How to use it: After you are issued an Eagle Cash Card (ECC), you will come into one of our disbursing offices and request to pull funds for either Zloty or Euros. You’ll need a CAC/photo ID and the Eagle Cash Card to pull out funds.
Daily load limit: A total of $350 worth of Zloty/Euros.
Rent: You must have a memorandum on file indicating the rent amount, and the duration of the lease signed by their supervisor. Once a lease has been signed, you must also bring in a copy of a signed lease agreement to withdraw funds for rent. (A lease draft is acceptable on first rent withdrawal) Limits of withdrawal depend on what the memorandum states and the lease agreement.
