The structure of the title compound, catena-poly[[bis(1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dionato-kappa(2)O,O')zinc(III)]-micro-4,4'-bipyridine-kappa(2)N:N'], [Zn(C(5)HF(6)O(2))(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))](n), consists of polymeric chains, running in two perpendicular directions, organized as planes normal to the tetragonal axis. The elemental unit of the chains is the zinc(II) coordination polyhedron bisected by a twofold symmetry axis, and thus only half of the unit is independent. The octahedral coordination geometry of the metal centre is composed of two oxygen-chelating (symmetry-related) hexafluoroacetylacetonate groups and two translationally related 4,4'-bipyridine groups, which act as connecting agents in the polymer structure. The stabilization of this architecture of chains and planes is associated with a number of weak C-H.O and C-H.F hydrogen bonds.