Poles don't like to use credit cards when buying online?

There's something 'wrong' in Poland as far as using credit cards online. When people in Poland buy online, do most of them still send the money FIRST (by bank transfer or cash) and only after the merchant gets the money they send the product?

It is strange, I have a person from Poland who is supposed to pay me some money, but he won't use a credit card or Paypal to do it, he prefers bank transfer (or Western Union). Why is that? Do people in Poland trust merchants so much? (they should be aware that if they send the money, it could be lost without any protection if the merchant decides not to send the product). Or it's so difficult or costly to have a credit card in Poland? I read that also on ebay or allegro Poles prefer bank transfer (and there there are many scammers).

Yes, the norm is to do a bank transfer up front or pay the postman on delivery.

I have a UK internet site where I sell goods to people. I get charged around 2 - 3% of the purchase price to handle credit cards. There is also a similar fee for receiving payments with PayPal. I simply price my products accordingly so that this cost is absorbed as is the standard practice in the UK or US.

But in Poland credit cards are not so commonly used so merchants have a cash price and then often charge you extra if you say you want to use a credit card - a bit like what the no-frills airlines do. Therefore there is no incentive to pay for anything with a credit card.

Furthermore, when you pay with a credit card your credit card company gives you some protection in the UK if the merchant doesn't deliver or there are problems. There is no such protection in Poland (that I know of), so again, less incentive to use the card...

Aha! So here is the trick: merchant tells you you will pay 3% less if you pay by cash (ie. by bank transfer or postman delivery), and Poles (not to say they are stupid) trust the merchant and send the full amount? I hope Nigerian and other scammers don't read this thread because it would be a heaven for criminals. All they have to do is to create a nice and legitimate-looking website and offer products for 30% less than the competition. Then Poles would just be sending them cash because they would be "saving money." In the last few months I read at least two big online stores in Poland defrauded people this way (clients were sending thousands - IN CASH - for high-ticketed items like TV sets, washing machines, etc.). How more stupid can you go?

And you say there is no protection when you buy using a credit card and the merchant doesn't send you the product (or sends you defective)? That would be like Poland is still living in communism! Who agrees to this, I don't really know.

Poles should really know better....

I'd just like to say that many things can still be paid for... cash on delivery.

Dealing within Polish borders, I don't see a problem with this. Even things (not all) bought on-line can be cash on delivery.

I would say they don't trust systems responsible for security of transaction.

Well I won't comment on that. In my opinion things aren't as progressive as in the UK but then I am not sure that is such a bad thing.

Don't forget that Polish people don't buy stuff online as much as in the UK, Germany or the US. Internet use hasn't caught up to those countries yet.

Personally I use the pay-on-delivery option for merchants I haven't used before or don't trust, and after that I do a bank transfer in advance.

Maybe its a case that Polish people are actually very intelligent thats why many of them dont use credit cards, I mean look how many people are in debt because they spend and spend and spend on there plastic.

To be fare if somebody were not to send the product after its been paid for, it would most probley still be cheaper than the annual rates on these cards.

Of course there is (or at least with non-delivery). If the merchant doesn't deliver, you just tell the credit card company you will not pay the bill unless they show you your signature confirming that you authorise the transaction: no signature = no legal obligation to pay. The card company might try to tell you that you must pay but at the end of the day, they will back down because they know that if it goes to court, they will lose.

This whole 'credit card payment protection' stuff in the UK is nothing but advertising. The credit card companies are generously giving you what you already have and telling you that they are really nice people for doing it! The only better scam was in Poland when credit cards first came out: back then you had to pay extra monthly fees if you wanted to have 'insurance' on your card. This insurance meant that from the moment you notified the card company that your card was lost, you were not liable to pay for anything charged to your card. If you didn’t have insurance, you were supposedly liable for what was charged to your card for the five days after notifying the card company because it took them five days to cancel your card! Of course the reality was that you were legally liable for nothing charged to your card if you hadn’t signed to authorise it but card companies were simply taking advantage of people who knew no better.

well, let me explain...
first, wht kind of amounts we are talking about? 100zl? 1000zl?

if we are talking about small amount of cash:
every time you enter your card details on website you dont know (ie:not amazon), you have to trust them: "We dont store your details". What if they do? What if it's "not obvious" scam site? I mean they will send you goods, and then after 6 months they will use your details again? dont forget that in most cases we dont have savings - it's just our current account, where we get out salary etc.

another thing may be that we dont trust credit cards - I think many people had bad history with them (I did). so I think we learned a bit. And there are always problems with polish debit cards....

so, it may be worth risking small amount (if something goes wrong, you wont buy there anymore) than risking giving away full(?) access to you money

if we are talkinga bout large amounts of mony, then I cannot explain it. Be aware that "small/big" amount is a bit relative term in pl - we can buy jakcets for 1000zl. Would you spend 1000 pound in uk for a jacket? I doubt (unless you are rich)

Yes. I think one huge difference with the UK is that in the UK the credit card company is just as liable as the shop/website if something goes wrong. This in my opinion is a brilliant system and comes under the 1974 Credit Act. So if you are scammed or your goods don't arrive you can get your money back from the credit card company. It is then their problem to get their money back from the shop.

For this reason I only use my UK credit card online and never my UK debit card. I don't use any Polish cards (debit or credit) anywhere (online or offline).