Zen.com has activated its complete service portfolio in Hungary, Maciej Rynarzewski, the company’s Chief Strategy Officer, announced at the Portfolio Banking Technology 2026 conference. According to Rynarzewski, the Hungarian market entered Zen.com’s top ten markets organically and without prior marketing efforts, prompting the firm to deepen its local presence. The full suite of services went live in Hungary three weeks before the announcement.
Company background and international expansion
Zen.com was founded in Poland six years ago. In recent years it has expanded internationally: in 2021 the company obtained a Polish licence that the firm treats as valid across the European Union. Zen.com also holds electronic money institution (EMI) licences in the United Kingdom, Singapore and Hong Kong, and this year it purchased a bank in Ukraine.
The company operates in 17 countries and employs roughly 700 people. In Lithuania it has become, by revenue, the largest electronic money issuer among a market of about 60 fintechs. Zen.com’s card transaction volume reached 1.3 billion euros last year, and the company expects that figure to exceed 2 billion euros this year. The platform serves approximately 1.5 million individual customers and 15,000 businesses.
Primary markets include Poland, Ukraine and Romania, and the company reports growth in Germany and Spain.
Retail offering in Hungary
Zen.com’s retail business rests on three pillars:
- shopping experience and currency exchange;
- loyalty programmes and instant cashback;
- post-purchase protection, including insurance and simplified chargeback procedures.
Hungarian users make above-average use of the platform’s currency exchange features. Card payments, bank transfers and cash withdrawals are among the most used services locally, and the company has also observed rising popularity in cash deposits and withdrawals.
Business solutions and technical features
In the business segment Zen.com targets merchants engaged in cross-border e-commerce. The company offers merchants services including:
- dynamic currency conversion (DCC);
- support for more than 40 payment methods;
- fast payouts;
- card issuance;
- business accounts supporting over 35 currencies.
AI is central to operations
Artificial intelligence is a highlighted element of Zen.com’s operations. The company applies AI across development, marketing and customer service processes. A dedicated AI agent collects and analyses feedback, ratings, customer support tickets and user behaviour data. The algorithm proposes and scores product development ideas, while final decisions remain with the responsible business decision-maker in each area.
Competitive positioning and local plans
Zen.com states it does not intend to be a direct rival to traditional banks since it does not offer loan or mortgage products; its aim is to improve payment efficiency and complement existing financial infrastructure. In Hungary the company plans to expand cross-border shopping services built on currency conversion, establish partnerships with domestic e-merchants engaged in international sales, and cooperate with local investment platforms on card and payment services.
Conclusion
The organic emergence of Hungary as one of Zen.com’s top markets and the recent launch of the full service set have driven the firm to strengthen its local presence. With a multi-currency product set, merchant-facing payment tools and AI-supported product development, Zen.com aims to augment Hungary’s payment ecosystem while focusing on card and payments services.
An AI assistant contributed to the preparation of this article; the final content was edited and verified by our journalist.
