Payment System

The payment system enables the domestic flow of funds. The activities of Narodowy Bank Polski in this regard consist of facilitating monetary settlements within the economy – both between natural persons and business entities. The most important activities in this respect are:

• facilitating monetary settlements,
• implementing regulatory measures,
• conducting payment system oversight.

NBP operates the SORBNET payment system, which uses the banks’ current accounts. The system enables a rapid and final settlement of interbank market transactions. The system also settles payment orders serviced by such settlement intermediaries as the National Clearing House or the National Depository for Securities.

NBP develops regulations concerning monetary settlements and expresses opinions on regulations in respect of issues originating from other institutions.

The basic objective of supervision is ensuring the efficient and secure functioning of domestic payment systems. NBP issues licences for new payment systems, assesses the rules of individual systems, collects statistical data and issues recommendations if any irregularities are found that pose a risk with regard to a given system. NBP also cooperates with the Polish Securities and Exchange Commission with regard to matters concerning the supervision of securities settlement systems.

In connection with Poland’s accession to the European Union NBP launched a new SORBNET-EURO system to service banks’ current accounts operated in euro. The system is also designed to process payments between Polish banks and other European Union banks. The SORBNET-EURO system enables the payment orders to be settled by Krajowa Izba Rozliczeniowa SA (The National Clearing House). These payments are processed in a new settlement system for retail payments in euro (EURO-ELIXIR).

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