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LOT Airlines & Banking
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ccoll



Joined: 16 Oct 2014
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 4:49 pm    Post subject: LOT Airlines & Banking Reply with quote

I recently moved to Poland and as I'm likely to fly with LOT in future, was wondering if there are any banks who offer visa cards that are linked to LOT, earning a flyer point for every zloty spent, etc?
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 6:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's the same scheme as Lufthansa, although beware, as the industry gossip is that LOT will leave Star Alliance and thus leave Lufthansa's scheme.

http://www.miles-and-more.com/online/portal/mam/pl/earn/credit_card/offer?nodeid=1894560038&l=pl&cid=1000340
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ccoll



Joined: 16 Oct 2014
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 7:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks for the info. I actually have an American Express credit card, but haven't actually found anywhere that accepts it so far. Is that common in Poland?
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ccoll wrote:
Thanks for the info. I actually have an American Express credit card, but haven't actually found anywhere that accepts it so far. Is that common in Poland?


Not just Poland, but Europe as a whole. I seem to recall that the reason was that American Express had fairly high transaction costs for retailers compared to Visa and Mastercard.
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ecocks



Joined: 06 Nov 2007
Posts: 899
Location: Gdansk, Poland

PostPosted: Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ccoll wrote:
Thanks for the info. I actually have an American Express credit card, but haven't actually found anywhere that accepts it so far. Is that common in Poland?


Yes and don't waste your money on AE Traveler's Cheques either...
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 12:47 pm    Post subject: and Reply with quote

You can scratch Diners Club too.

Banking is so much more civilized and non-racist in the Gulf.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Mon Apr 13, 2015 2:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dunno about you, but I've never had any problems here.

Polish banks are quite conservative in their security outlook, but that's why identity theft and fraud are rare here.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:49 am    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

How so conservative?

They will lend someone who earns 4000 Zl a month 330, 000 PLN to buy a house. That's almost 7 x annual salary. Try finding a UK bank which would do that and I'm talking pre-crisis.

They just make it very difficult for people who don't fit in certain boxes. It's not enough to remit a salary there but it has to be in the 'right' currency. Pounds, not OK but Euros are and in some cases Dollars.

Even if you make over a grand a day Wink, you still won't get a credit card.
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 3:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dragonpiwo wrote:
They will lend someone who earns 4000 Zl a month 330, 000 PLN to buy a house. That's almost 7 x annual salary. Try finding a UK bank which would do that and I'm talking pre-crisis.


You're forgetting that bankruptcy laws in Poland effectively mean that the bank will get their cash one way or another. The Polish system is fantastic for lenders - not only do they get the house back, but they also get to chase you for the debts - there's no such thing as them being wiped clean.

And of course, if you don't pay but do a runner to the UK, they'll just get you there. My współnota is in the process of taking someone's flat off him - if the sale of the flat doesn't cover his debt, then he'll be forced to pay it one way or another.

As for getting a credit card - turn up with umowa o prace for more than 2 years and you'll get anything you want Wink I got a card from Plusbank with a 5 minute authorisation based on my personal evidence and my indefinite contract.

I suspect the real reason they're funny about non-Polish residents is that they might find it difficult to make a court order stick. A Polish resident can be hounded, even if they become later non-tax resident.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:32 am    Post subject: erm Reply with quote

Banks are a hassle there for sure. Sometimes you can borrow more money by being financially divorced-it's bizarre.

Which reminds me. Does anyone know anything about Empik's Twojstartup? Not only do Empik take your tax but this Twojstartup thing they put you into demands a monthly fee even after you've quit Empik. Apparently though you sign all the docs at Empik with an Empik employee, legally it's a different firm. So even if you quit Empik you have to quit this Twojstartup in writing or you'll get a bill out of the blue for services not-rendered, several months down the line of course! There's so much shady zus and tax fiddling going on out there.
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sparks



Joined: 20 Feb 2008
Posts: 632

PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm not sure what you mean about the credit cards. I have never had an umowa o praca but easily got a credit card from Mbank. I assume that as long as you have a decent amount of money coming in every month, it's not a problem.
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dragonpiwo



Joined: 04 Mar 2013
Posts: 1650
Location: Berlin

PostPosted: Wed Apr 15, 2015 3:20 pm    Post subject: nope Reply with quote

Nope. Ain't the case at all. It has to be in the right currency and they want a work contract.
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ccoll



Joined: 16 Oct 2014
Posts: 19

PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it possible to open a new bank account at a Polish bank with only a passport?

I will most likely be waiting a while before my residence card arrives, and don't want the inconvenience of having to pay rent with cash every month.
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Master Shake



Joined: 03 Nov 2006
Posts: 1202
Location: Colorado, USA

PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 2:56 pm    Post subject: Try it Reply with quote

ccoll wrote:
Is it possible to open a new bank account at a Polish bank with only a passport?

I will most likely be waiting a while before my residence card arrives, and don't want the inconvenience of having to pay rent with cash every month.
I believe it is. I don't remember Millennium Bank or ING Bank asking to see my work papers when I started accounts there. Times may well have changed, however, as that was 4-8 years ago.

Go and try it out. What's the worst that could happen? If they tell you no, just go to another branch and try again: you may get a different answer. This is Poland.

I've been using ING Bank for 5+ years now and am happy with them. Too bad interest rates are absolute crap now...
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delphian-domine



Joined: 11 Mar 2011
Posts: 674

PostPosted: Thu Apr 16, 2015 8:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ccoll wrote:
Is it possible to open a new bank account at a Polish bank with only a passport?

I will most likely be waiting a while before my residence card arrives, and don't want the inconvenience of having to pay rent with cash every month.


Sure, most banks are quite happy provided you can give them some proof of actually living here. The zameldowanie (address registration) should be more than enough for them.

Another satisfied customer of ING here. I've got my own bank account with them, a mortgage with them and they've always been good to me. But I guess it goes back to having uncomplicated affairs - I earn in PLN, my mortgage is PLN, I live in Poland, I work in Poland, so they treat me like a Pole.
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