500zl banknote returns to Poland

The link below (in Polish, so I'll summarise) reports the return of the 500zl note. It's expected to depict Jan III Sobieski. It'll be in circulation in 2017. Plus they're changing the 200l to make it safer.

pieniadze.gazeta.pl/pieniadz/1,136200,18195887,Bedzie_nowy_banknot_500_zlotych__NBP__Rozpoczynamy.html

I can see already the expression on the face of the bouffant-ed Pani in the shop when she sees one: "A nie 499.95 zl, Prosze Pana?"

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This is good news for those who carry a lot of cash. I like your 499,95 example. Either last weekend or the one before I was at a cemetery, and I went to the candle/flower vendor at the entrance to buy a couple of candles. Some person was there, asking for 1 candle worth 1,50 zl and holding a 200 zl note in her hand. I could practically see the steam coming from the vendor's ears... Now make that a 500 note :)

I don't think most people can be concerned. I very rarely see even 200 ZL notes. A few weeks ago, I received a few of them from PKO Bank and I stared at them for a few seconds. Even sometimes when we pay with a 100 ZL bill, stores have a hell of time to return cash...

I tend to get quite a bit from the machine at a time, to keep transaction fees low (plus I like to pay for things in cash) and my heart sinks if 200s come out. Same with €50s in Berlin. 500s will be a nuisance if bankomats start giving them.


Yes - they often don't like it.

@Jon: I can count how many times per year I get 200 ZL bills on the fingers on one hand. How many times I want to pay with a 100 ZL bill and it bothers them. When early in the morning, we buy something for let's say 17.50 and we only have a 100 ZL bill, they don't like ot....

500zl bills are ok when paying huge purchases but useless for daily buying...

Same here - though I've noticed it getting more over the years. One tip with bankomaty is to use ones that have smaller notes and deliberately choose an odd amount so at least there are some 20s.


Absolutely. I wonder who will use them the most?


Some (most?) places, even in the city centre don't start the day with any sort of float of change. Makes no sense, really.

The question that springs to mind is whether intoroducing a new banknote in 2017 is a clear signal against the Euro?

I agree, an Interesting point, but lets not deviate from the topic too much

Most of the globe is going the opposite way. The 500 euro note is to be abolished as is the 50 pound note in the UK. However, in order to help criminals, the 500 zloty note is a good idea. I suppose Poles are still very cash orientated and do make large purchases using cash, not trusting the counterparty (hence za pobraniem deliveries and lack of cheques in banking system). But really the criminals will be popping champagne corks on hearing about this.

With the 500zl note people just wouldn't like it and I think shops would hate to have to change it. There's problem enough with smaller notes, though this is getting slowly better.

Sterling 50s are a drag - I used to get paid in them and so many places don't accept them. The €500 is the Russian mafia's favourite, no bad thing to see it go.


You'd be surprised - card payments are getting more and more common, both for large and often rather small transactions. Poles (the younger generation at any rate) seem to really like it. And queues at cash machines have shrunk over the last couple of years. Hopefully Apple Pay will come sometime soon.

It's good news that they still print paper money in Poland (unlike in other 'modern' countries where cash payments is pretty much banned by now because everything, including the air we breath, must be taxed, unless you're a big corporation).