PeoPay

Opening the PeoPay app for the first time is a moment of truth. The login screen asks for a client number, not just an email or phone number. That detail immediately signals this is a banking app built for existing Bank Pekao S.A. customers, not a generic fintech experiment. The biometric login option — fingerprint, FaceID, or PIN — is the first choice you make, and it sets the tone for how the app expects you to interact with it.

Once you're in, the home screen shows a balance preview that you can actually see before logging in. That feature is unusual for a banking app. It lets you check if you have enough funds to cover an upcoming payment without committing to a full session. But the real test comes when you try to use BLIK. The BLIK code generation requires biometric authorization, which means you are authenticated twice — once to see the balance, and once to generate the code. This two-step security layer is what separates PeoPay from simpler payment apps.

The menu just changed — and it matters

The latest version of PeoPay moved the profile access to the logout area. The offers and applications section now sits where the profile used to be. That shift tells you something about how Bank Pekao thinks about this app. They want you to see offers and apply for products more easily, not just manage your settings. The "For You" widget still shows bonuses and loyalty programs, which in Poland means Okazje z Żubrem discounts. The logout button is now inside the profile, which is a small but notable change in the navigation flow.

This menu restructuring is not cosmetic. It changes the muscle memory of anyone who has used the app for years. If you are used to tapping the profile icon to adjust limits or check your cards, you now have to look for offers instead. The profile is buried one level deeper. That is a deliberate design choice to push users toward product applications, and it will take some getting used to.

Where BLIK meets the balance preview

Here is where the app's design gets interesting. The balance preview before login works hand-in-hand with BLIK. You can check your balance without logging in, which is convenient for quick checks. But when you want to generate a BLIK code for a payment, you are forced to log in with biometrics. That means the app separates read-only access from write access. You can see your money, but you cannot move it without proving your identity again.

This separation is not explained on the Play Store page. It is something you only discover when you actually try to use the features together. The benefit is clear: if someone steals your phone, they can see your balance but cannot generate a BLIK code without your fingerprint or face. The downside is that it adds an extra step for legitimate users. You check your balance, close the app, then reopen it to make a BLIK payment — and you have to authenticate all over again.

Compared to apps like IKO from PKO BP, which handle BLIK within a single authenticated session, PeoPay's approach feels more security-conscious but less streamlined. IKO keeps you logged in for a set period, while PeoPay seems to treat every BLIK transaction as a fresh authorization event. That may explain some of the complaints about slow loading and authorization delays — the app is doing more security checks in the background.

What actually changed in the latest version

The changelog for version 4.116.3-12184 lists specific changes that are worth noting. The bottom menu now prioritizes offers and applications over profile settings. The logout function has moved. A new widget summarizes your finances on the home screen. And there is a new educational section about the app itself. These are not vague "performance improvements" — they are concrete UI shifts that affect how you navigate the app.

However, the changelog does not mention anything about BLIK performance or authorization speeds. That is a gap. Users on forums have reported that BLIK transactions sometimes fail or take too long, especially after updates. The bank has acknowledged outages on Android devices, but the changelog does not address those issues directly. The educational section might be an attempt to reduce support tickets, but it does not fix the underlying reliability problems.

Another change that went unmentioned is the removal of the PeoPay codes that were previously used in Biedronka stores. BLIK has fully replaced those codes, so if you are a long-time user, the transition from codes to BLIK might have been confusing. The app now relies entirely on BLIK for in-store payments, which is more secure but also more dependent on the app's stability.

The real-world friction of using PeoPay

Users on Android have reported that the app crashes after certain updates, especially when switching between personal and business accounts. The app is designed to handle both in one interface, which is a powerful feature for entrepreneurs. But switching between accounts triggers a reload of the entire dashboard, and that is where the lag becomes noticeable. If you have multiple accounts, cards, and loans, the app takes a moment to refresh everything.

The parent panel is another feature that sounds useful but adds complexity. You can manage your children's accounts from the same app, which means setting spending limits and monitoring transactions. That is a lot of data to load into a single mobile interface. The app does not cache this information well, so every time you open the parent panel, it fetches fresh data from the bank's servers. That contributes to the slow loading times that users have complained about.

The app also offers currency exchange at preferential rates, but you need to activate this through an advisor. That means the feature exists in the app, but you cannot use it without contacting the bank first. It is a hybrid digital-human workflow that feels outdated compared to fully automated currency exchange apps. If you are traveling and need to exchange money quickly, this extra step is a barrier.

The permission that matters most

PeoPay requires access to your device's camera for QR code scanning, which is used for BLIK payments and account opening via selfie. The camera permission is mandatory for those features, but the app does not explain why it needs the permission before you actually try to use the feature. That creates a moment of friction where users are asked to grant a permission without context. The app also uses the device's biometric sensors for fingerprint and FaceID, which are optional but recommended for faster access.

On iOS, the app integrates with Apple Pay, allowing you to add your Bank Pekao card directly from within the app. That integration is seamless — you do not need to open the Wallet app separately. On Android, the equivalent is Google Pay, but the setup process is less integrated. You have to manually add the card through Google Pay settings, which adds an extra step. This platform difference is not documented anywhere in the app's description.

The app also supports Express Elixir instant transfers, which are faster than standard bank transfers. But the speed of these transfers depends on the recipient's bank, not just on PeoPay. If the recipient uses a bank that does not support Express Elixir, the transfer falls back to a standard timeline. That is not a failure of PeoPay, but it is a limitation that users do not always understand when they initiate a transfer.

Where the app stands after the menu update

The latest version of PeoPay introduces a new educational section about the app itself. This is a sign that the bank is trying to reduce support costs by teaching users how to use features directly within the app. The educational section covers topics like biometric login, BLIK, and card management. It is a step in the right direction, but it does not replace the need for intuitive design. If users need a tutorial to understand how to use the app, the design is not clear enough.

The new finance summary widget is a useful addition. It shows your total balances, recent transactions, and upcoming payments in one glance. But the widget only works if you grant the app permission to access your device's home screen widgets, which is another permission that users have to explicitly enable. The app does not explain the benefit of the widget before asking for the permission, so many users may skip it and never see the summary.

Logging out of the app now requires navigating to the profile section, which is not immediately obvious after the menu change. If you are used to logging out from the bottom menu, you will now have to search for it. This change may frustrate users who value privacy and want to log out after each session. The bank's intention seems to be keeping users logged in to encourage more frequent engagement with offers, but it comes at the cost of user control.

One specific technical detail about account switching

When you switch between personal and business accounts in PeoPay, the app does not maintain separate sessions. It reloads the entire interface with the new account data. This means any filters you applied to transaction history, any searches you performed, and any unsaved changes are lost. The app treats account switching as a hard reset of the session, not as a tab switch. That is a technical limitation that affects users who manage both accounts frequently. The app could benefit from a tabbed interface that keeps both accounts loaded simultaneously, but the current architecture does not support that. Until that changes, switching accounts will remain a point of friction for business users.