National Bank of Poland–A Living Cash Resilience Framework- National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security as a Model for Central Banks

Narodowy Bank Polski, key banks, Poczta Polska S.A., the Polish Bank Association, the National Association of Cooperative Banks, retail sector associations, the Polish Organisation of Cash Handling Companies, CIT companies, independent ATM deployers and representatives of public institutions associated with the regulation of the cash circulation market, i.e. the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration, Ministry of Justice, Chief Police Headquarters, and the Office of the Polish Financial Supervision Authority.

Maintaining a resilient cash cycle in Poland is treated by Narodowy Bank Polski (NBP) as a strategic priority and a core element of its mandate to ensure universal access to cash, its acceptance in everyday transactions, and the operational continuity of supply under all circumstances, including periods of severe disruption. Over the past decade, NBP has consistently undertaken a broad set of measures to strengthen cash cycle resilience.

A key milestone in this process was the establishment in 2019 of the Cash Circulation Council at NBP, bringing together all stakeholders of the Polish cash cycle – both regulators and private-sector participants. The Council created a permanent platform for information exchange, joint risk assessment and coordinated preparedness planning. Its most important outcome was the development, in 2021, of the National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security – a comprehensive, highly detailed and jointly agreed roadmap for strengthening cash resilience across the entire ecosystem.

The National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security is built on four interdependent pillars: (1) universal acceptance and availability of cash, (2) continuity and efficiency of cash supply, (3) cyber resilience of IT systems supporting cash operations, and (4) physical security of cash and its logistics. These pillars translate resilience into measurable objectives, regulatory actions, operational standards and coordinated contingency planning across the entire cash ecosystem.

The uniqueness of this project lies in its fully collaborative character: it was designed and is implemented by the whole market, ensuring shared responsibility, operational alignment and inclusivity.

Poland

The National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security proved its effectiveness during the surge in cash demand following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and during subsequent security incidents. In peak periods, cash orders processed by NBP increased up to 17 times compared to standard levels, yet cash supply across the country remained uninterrupted and the full denomination structure was preserved. This performance was achieved due to pre-agreed contingency procedures, alternative supply channels, coordinated communication and continuity planning developed within the Strategy framework. With the framework in place, high level of engagement of cash market participants and well-established paths of cooperation across sector, cash supply was smoothly carried out, and the public demand was fully met.

This outcome confirmed that the jointly developed Strategy, the governance model based on the Cash Circulation Council, and the long-term preparatory measures undertaken by NBP significantly enhanced the adaptability, operational efficiency and reliability of the Polish cash cycle, fully in line with the objectives of cash cycle resiliency defined for this award category.

The impact of the National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security is measured through a set of operational, accessibility and acceptance indicators monitored annually by NBP in cooperation with market participants and through public surveys.

Below we present the tangible achievements and implemented measures delivered under the National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security. These results demonstrate that the strategic objectives defined within its four pillars have been effectively translated into operational solutions, regulatory changes and coordinated market practices, measurably strengthening the resilience, availability and reliability of cash in Poland.

Universal acceptance

As a direct outcome of the Strategy, legislative changes were introduced to strengthen the universal acceptance of cash. The amendment to the Payment Services Act established a legal obligation for merchants to accept cash payments up to a statutory threshold indexed to official statistics. Ongoing monitoring conducted under the Strategy shows a high level of compliance with this requirement, while public opinion surveys indicate that approximately 80% of consumers do not experience cash refusal in everyday transactions. This regulatory measure significantly enhances the reliability of cash as a means of payment and safeguards its usability for all groups of society, including vulnerable and digitally excluded users.

Accessibility
The Strategy introduced the national availability benchmark, by establishing criterion for cash availability: at least 90% of the population should have access to cash services (ATM or bank branch) within 10 km. Current measurements show access exceeding 98%, confirming universal availability even in less urbanized areas.

Operational preparedness

In the framework of the Strategy, NBP issued sector-wide recommendations on business continuity planning covering IT outages, staff shortages, alternative sorting capacity, transport disruption and emergency communication. Annual monitoring confirms implementation across the sector, with continuous improvement mechanisms. Moreover, according to the aims reflected in the Strategy, the working group on managing the operational resilience of cash, involving NBP and key market participants and regulators, was established with the objection to identify the areas to improve cash resilience, as well as agree on common actions to be taken in case of diverse disruptions of smooth cash supply.

Infrastructure resilience

Based on experience, analyses and research conducted within the Strategy regulatory changes were introduced, including the requirement for the ATMs to enable rotational dispensing of all denominations when needed (effective form 2025), which is critical during demand spikes when higher denominations dominate withdrawals.

Security framework

As part of the Strategy, new procedures for handling suspected counterfeit banknotes and continuous public education campaigns strengthen trust and safety in cash usage.

Self-regulation

The Strategy provided also for actions aimed at self-regulation in the field of ATM’s availability.

The program ensures that cash remains:

• universally available geographically,
• legally accepted in retail transactions,
• accessible to digitally excluded and vulnerable populations,
• reliable in crisis situations when electronic payments may be disrupted.

Annual public opinion surveys (conducted since 2019) provide a direct feedback loop from users and allow policy adjustments based on societal needs.

The main beneficiaries of the program are the Polish society and the professional participants of the cash market. The activities developed in the Strategy and further implemented ensure accessibility and acceptance of cash, the freedom of choice for the public and are beneficial to the entire cash circulation market.

The Strategy introduced a permanent governance model for the cash cycle based on the Cash Circulation Council and dedicated working groups. This model:

• reduces fragmentation of responsibilities across institutions,
• enables joint risk assessments and coordinated response planning,
• improves data sharing and decision-making speed,
• supports self-regulation mechanisms (ATM’s availability).

As a result, operational processes in the cash cycle are more predictable, cost-efficient and scalable during demand shocks.

The Strategy is designed as a living framework with cyclical monitoring tools:

• annual infrastructure surveys,
• public opinion research,
• periodic regulatory reviews,
• ongoing implementation tracking by the Cash Circulation Council.

Many measures (legislative changes, infrastructure standards, continuity requirements) have structural, long-term effects on the resilience of the cash cycle.

The governance model based on a central bank-led coordination platform, measurable accessibility criteria, legally anchored cash acceptance, and jointly developed contingency procedures can be replicated in other jurisdictions regardless of market structure. The approach demonstrates how to move from fragmented stakeholder actions to an integrated, system-wide resilience framework.

The project represents a shift from a purely operational view of cash logistics to a holistic resilience architecture covering:

• availability,
• acceptance,
• supply continuity,
• cyber and physical security,
• crisis governance.

Its effectiveness has been validated in real stress conditions, confirming that proactive coordination and shared planning significantly increase the adaptability and reliability of the cash cycle.

The National Strategy for Cash Circulation Security has created a new perspective for the central bank’s cooperation with cash market participants and national regulators. The establishment of the Strategy is an example of a modern and forward-looking approach to managing the circulation of cash.

The Strategy is a fully collaborative initiative involving 23 institutions and approximately 150 experts from central government, regulators, banks, CIT companies, ATM operators, the postal network and the retail sector.
It establishes shared responsibility for resilience and creates a standing platform for:

• joint contingency planning,
• coordinated crisis response,
• continuous monitoring of vulnerabilities.

This whole-of-market approach is a distinctive feature and a key resilience multiplier.

Bank Of Poland National Strategy For Cash Circulation Security Short ENG

Bank Of Poland Cash Circulation Report 2024