Why This Matters
BLIK now accounts for over 52% of all online payments in Poland. If your store doesn't accept BLIK, you're losing more than half of potential mobile transactions. Przelewy24 (fast bank transfers) covers most of the rest.
But here's the catch: neither Shopify Payments nor Stripe directly supports these methods in the way Polish customers expect. Both require workarounds — and both come with different fee structures.
The Quick Comparison
| Payment Method | Stripe | Shopify + P24 | Przelewy24 Direct |
|---|---|---|---|
| BLIK | 1.6% + 1 zl | 1.29% + 0.30 zl + Shopify fee* | 1.29% + 0.30 zl Lowest |
| Przelewy24 | 1.9% + 1 zl | 1.29% + 0.30 zl + Shopify fee* | 1.29% + 0.30 zl Lowest |
| Cards (Visa/MC) | 1.5% + 1 zl | 1.29% + 0.30 zl + Shopify fee* | 1.29% + 0.30 zl |
| Monthly fee | 0 zl | From $29/month | 0 zl |
| Activation fee | 0 zl | 0 zl | 59 zl (refunded after 10 transactions) |
* Shopify charges an additional 0.5% to 2% when using third-party payment gateways like Przelewy24, depending on your plan.
The Hidden Cost: Shopify's Third-Party Fee
This is where things get expensive. Shopify Payments is not available for Polish local payment methods. To accept BLIK or Przelewy24, you must use a third-party gateway — and Shopify charges you extra for that privilege:
| Shopify Plan | Third-Party Gateway Fee |
|---|---|
| Basic ($29/month) | +2.0% per transaction |
| Shopify ($79/month) | +1.0% per transaction |
| Advanced ($299/month) | +0.6% per transaction |
| Plus ($2,300+/month) | +0.2% per transaction |
So if you're on the Basic plan and use Przelewy24 for BLIK payments, your actual cost is:
1.29% + 0.30 zl (Przelewy24) + 2.0% (Shopify) = 3.29% + 0.30 zl per transaction
That's more than double what you'd pay with Stripe or going direct to Przelewy24.
Real Cost Example: 100 zl Transaction
| Solution | Fee on 100 zl BLIK |
|---|---|
| Przelewy24 Direct | 1.59 zl Lowest |
| Stripe (BLIK) | 2.60 zl |
| Shopify Basic + P24 | 3.59 zl |
| Shopify Advanced + P24 | 1.89 zl |
What About PayU?
PayU is another major Polish payment gateway worth considering:
- BLIK: 1.19% + 0.09 zl — the lowest BLIK fee on the market
- Cards: 1.9% + 0.25 zl
- Activation: 199 zl (one-time, non-refundable)
For high-volume stores with lots of BLIK transactions, PayU can be the cheapest option overall.
Our Recommendation
For Poland-focused stores:
Skip both Shopify and Stripe and integrate directly with Przelewy24 or PayU. You'll get:
- Lower transaction fees (1.19–1.29% vs 1.6–3.29%)
- Native BLIK experience (faster checkout)
- Polish-language support
- No platform fees eating into margins
For international stores with Polish customers:
Use Stripe + Przelewy24. Stripe now offers Przelewy24 as a payment method, giving you one dashboard for all countries. Yes, you pay 1.9% + 1 zl instead of 1.29% + 0.30 zl, but you get unified reporting and simpler operations.
For Shopify stores:
If you're committed to Shopify, upgrade to at least the Shopify plan ($79/month) to reduce the third-party gateway fee from 2% to 1%. The math works out better once you're doing more than ~$5,000/month in Polish payment volume.
The bottom line: For Polish payments, Shopify is the most expensive option unless you're on Advanced or Plus. Stripe is a solid middle ground for international businesses. Local gateways (Przelewy24, PayU, Tpay) are cheapest for Poland-only operations.
Need Help Setting This Up?
We build e-commerce stores optimised for the Polish market — with the right payment gateway configuration from day one. Whether you're on Medusa.js, WooCommerce, or considering a migration from Shopify, we can help you choose and integrate the most cost-effective payment solution.
Get a free consultation and let's figure out what makes sense for your business.