The introduction of the new functionality was announced by the bank's press office. - Customers can apply for an account with our online assistants. They can connect with an adviser by choosing the “online assistant” or “buy products” icon. The assistant will help the customer fill out an application and, in the meantime, verify their identity via video transmission - the bank said in an email statement.

Related: Almost 94 Percent of Terminals on the Polish Market Accept Contactless Payments

Video verification is already being used by banks on the Polish market to acquire new customers - Alior and Inbank, alongside BZ WBK. However, until now it required the customer to use a computer. From what I know, BZ WBK is the first bank in Poland to allow video verification using their smartphone app. We can therefore say that the bank has caught up to its competitors in the West who have been acquiring customers this way for some time now.

Related: Apple Pay Will Finally Arrive in Poland. Five Banks Are in Negotiations

Let me remind you that N26, a well-known banking startup in Western Europe, has been allowing customers to open and activate accounts using a video connection and their smartphone app for a while. Polish banks gained the possibility to acquire customers that way only last year, when the Polish Financial Supervision Authority decided that the technology is compliant with its regulations.