My Experience with Bank Millennium in Poland: A Cautionary Tale

Hello!

Today I want to share my experience with Bank Millennium in Poland. I've been a client for three years, but my recent encounter with their customer support left a bad taste in my mouth.

If you're interested, I also wrote a review about my experience working abroad, including how to find a job agency overseas.

On my first day in Poland, I headed to the bank to open an account and get a debit card - how else would I receive my pay? I chose Bank Millennium (my friend was already a client, so I followed her lead). They opened my account within an hour, asked for all my details, and handed me a folder with the contract terms. Now I just had to wait for my debit card, which arrived before two weeks were up.

Bank Millennium was founded in 1989 and is a modern, nationwide bank offering services to all market segments through its network of branches, individual consultants, and e-banking. Its registered office is in Warsaw. The bank's capital is 1 213 116 777.00 PLN.

So, what did I choose, and what does the bank offer? I opted for the "Konto 360°" account, which comes with free account maintenance, debit card support, and cash withdrawals at ATMs if you deposit at least 1000 PLN from external sources and make at least one card payment or BLIK transaction per month.

If you don't provide a receipt and don't make one card payment or BLIK transaction, the monthly management fee for the '360°' account and debit card is 15 PLN.

I've gotta say, BLIK is a super convenient and secure mobile payment system that's available right in the Bank Millennium app. With it, I can make purchases both online and offline, as well as withdraw cash from ATMs without needing my card.

And as part of my package, I got:

0 - for account management.

0 - for managing my debit card and withdrawing cash from all ATMs.

0 - for easy BLIK transfers to phone numbers.

0 - for internal transfers in Polish zlotys within online banking and mobile apps.

I'd like to give a heads-up to anyone planning to open a bank account in European banks - be sure to read the fine print carefully. I didn't, firstly because I didn't know any Polish at the time, and secondly because my friend didn't delve into the details.

Make sure to ask someone to explain it to you in a way that makes sense! After I became a bank client, I immediately downloaded the official app from Google Play, and since then, I've forgotten what it's like to carry cash around - I've been using my card exclusively. The app is super user-friendly and intuitive, with all the info about your income, expenses, and more.

Cash was deposited into my account every month, so it took me a while to realize that a small amount was being deducted from my account each month. It wasn't a huge deal, but it was still annoying. Apparently, as soon as you become a bank client, they automatically connect you to several services, which come with a monthly fee - my bank rep didn't mention this to me!

What services were they charging me for? Service #1: "Pakiet Bardzo Pomocny" - a medical at-home assistance service (2-in-1 medical and home assistance) that costs 4.98 zlotys per month (around 100 rubles). Honestly, I've been paying for this service for three years, but I only used it 7 times in total. I lost 180 zlotys (around 3,320 rubles) due to my own ignorance and stupidity.

I highly recommend canceling this service right away!

Here's why: 1. You can only use this service 7 times a year, but you have to pay for 12 months. 2. If you're a Polish resident, you'll get free assistance, but only if you call them from within Poland.

To cancel: you can do it at any time by submitting a termination request at a Bank Millennium branch or through TeleMillennium (over the phone).

Service #2: I encountered this issue when I was leaving the country, and I hadn't closed my bank account because my salary was supposed to come in a month later.

Apparently, if you don't use your account for a month, they'll deduct 5 zlotys (around 100 rubles) from your account. I knew about this, so I left some money on my account to cover the fee. By the way, I used to transfer money from my Polish card to my Ukrainian card using the TransferWise app (the money arrives within a day, and the commission was reasonable back in 2017-2019 - I'm not sure about the current rates).

And there's no way to cancel this: once you're charged, you're stuck with it.

So, why won't I be returning to Bank Millennium?

I had a nasty experience recently. I was no longer in Poland when I tried to pay for an online purchase using the bank's app. I planned to spend my 360 zlotys (around 6,640 rubles) and close my bank account. But one day, I tried to pay for a product, and I got a rejection message once, twice, and I had no idea what was going on. I opened the app, checked my account, and the money was still there. I checked again, and nothing was being processed.

I sent a message to the bank's customer support about my issue, and I got a response saying that my account was blocked! I was panicking - what was going on? I had no issues with my account for three years, and suddenly it's blocked, by whom and why? The bank worker replied, 'Wait, let's figure out the reason.' And then later, they said, 'Write to us tomorrow.' I could have just called, but international calls aren't free, and I get charged per minute, so I didn't call and wrote to them the next day instead. They told me that my account was ACCIDENTALLY BLOCKED BY A BANK WORKER, sorry! And they wanted to call me on a Polish number, but it was disconnected, and they decided not to unblock my account (although the bank has my email address, why not send me a message?). Their response really threw me off. I explained that I'm not in Poland right now and my number is no longer active. The situation was only resolved when I actually called the hotline and closed my bank account. They gave me a month to do this, as you can probably guess, and they charged me again for their services. I had to painfully transfer the remaining money on my account to WebMoney with a 'nice' commission. My nerves were shot.

Takeaway: As I mentioned earlier, read the bank's conditions carefully, and if you don't speak the language, definitely ask about any additional services that are not mentioned when you open your account. Also, keep an eye on your expenses through the app to avoid any mistakes like mine. And be prepared for the possibility of being 'accidentally' blocked. Thanks for your attention!