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Poland’s consumer regulator, UOKiK, announced a PLN 106,689,453 fine against PayPal on 15 July 2024 over user-agreement clauses it said were vague and allowed unpredictable sanctions. That fine is separate from two 2025 decisions about agreement changes and fee notices: those required PayPal to stop the practices and compensate eligible customers, rather than pay a second fine. UOKiK reported in March 2026 that the 2025 commitment decision was final and compensation was being distributed.
Why did Poland fine PayPal?
On 15 July 2024, Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) announced a fine of PLN 106,689,453 over provisions in PayPal’s standard user agreement. UOKiK’s release did not specify how to convert the fine into US dollars, so “nearly $30 million” is not an official dollar figure from the regulator. UOKiK’s announcement said the decision was not final at the time and PayPal could appeal. The later outcome of an appeal concerning this separate 2024 fine is not established by the cited official updates.
UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny described the clauses as “Klauzule PayPal są ogólne, wieloznaczne i niezrozumiałe.” In translation: “PayPal’s clauses are general, ambiguous and incomprehensible.” This was the regulator’s assessment, not a court finding.
What were the vague PayPal terms?
UOKiK objected to language listing 34 prohibited activities alongside a broad catalogue of possible penalties. It said users could not reliably tell which conduct was prohibited or what consequences might follow. The regulator’s examples included conduct that might not be clearly connected to use of a PayPal account, according to its assessment.
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- A possible contractual charge of USD 2,500 or more. This was an example of a potential sanction cited by UOKiK, not the amount of the Polish fine.
- Account closure without warning or refusal of future service.
- Funds blocked for a period and in an amount PayPal considered necessary.
The central issue was predictability: in UOKiK’s view, consumers could not understand in advance what counted as a breach or how serious its consequences could be.
How the 2025 PayPal decisions differ from the fine
In July 2025, UOKiK announced two separate decisions concerning agreements with Polish PayPal users. The regulator described them as commitments to discontinue practices and return associated fees with compensation—not as another fine. In March 2026, UOKiK said the commitment decision was final and customers were receiving compensation.
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| Issue | 2024 fine | 2025 decisions |
|---|---|---|
| What UOKiK examined | Prohibited-activity terms and discretionary sanctions in the user agreement. | A change clause in the agreement and how existing users were told about fee changes. |
| Regulatory consequence | PLN 106,689,453 fine announced 15 July 2024. | Commitments to stop the practices and refund related fees with compensation. |
| Status in the cited official updates | The 2024 announcement said the decision was not final and could be appealed; a later outcome is not established here. | UOKiK’s March 2026 retrospective said the commitment decision was final and compensation was being distributed. |
Agreement changes and fee notices
One 2025 decision concerned a clause in the standard agreement used since 11 December 2019 that allowed PayPal to make changes “from time to time.” UOKiK considered the clause abusive. The other concerned how existing customers were informed of fee changes and whether those notices were provided on a durable medium. UOKiK’s 2025 announcement explains the decisions and the commitments.
As UOKiK described it, a durable medium must preserve information against alteration, remain directly accessible in a timely way even after the agreement ends, and allow it to be reproduced unchanged. A file that can be downloaded from a website or app may not meet that standard if the company can later change or remove it.
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Who is eligible for PayPal fee compensation in Poland?
PayPal’s remedy information covers consumers in Poland who have or had a personal PayPal account with a primary registered address in Poland. PayPal says eligible consumers are to receive 150% of the value of relevant new consumer fees or fee increases introduced from 1 January 2019. That figure is PayPal’s stated remedy calculation, not a general refund guarantee for every PayPal fee. See PayPal’s decision information page for the scope and mechanics.
Examples listed by PayPal include an inactivity fee and a fee for withdrawals to a US bank account introduced in agreement changes dated 16 December 2020, as well as increased components of its currency conversion rate introduced from 1 January 2019. PayPal says the changes covered by the decisions will no longer apply to qualifying consumers as described in the remedy, while changes that benefit consumers will continue to apply.
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PayPal said payments were scheduled by 9 June 2026 and that it would contact eligible current and former users separately. UOKiK’s March 2026 update confirms compensation was being distributed, but does not establish that every eligible person had been paid by the scheduled date. The official updates also describe a temporary reduced currency-conversion-rate benefit for qualifying Polish personal-account holders acting as buyers; check PayPal’s decision page for current terms.
Quick Recap
What PayPal users should do
- Check whether your account is or was a personal PayPal account with a primary registered address in Poland; the 2025 remedy is not described as applying to all PayPal users worldwide or to every account type.
- Watch for a direct notice from PayPal if you may qualify. PayPal says it will contact eligible current and former users separately.
- Review PayPal’s decision page for covered fees and the remedy details. The listed examples do not mean every fee or fee increase qualifies.
- If you believe you qualify but have not received information, contact PayPal through its official channels and retain relevant account and fee records.
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