Before you become an app courier or driver: what to check in the contract, ZUS and documents?

Who this applies to

• People who are only considering work as a courier delivering food or shopping, or as a ride-hailing driver taking jobs from an app.
• People who have been given a contract to sign by an intermediary company (a so-called fleet partner) and want to understand it before signing.
• Foreigners who are checking whether they can legally take up such work.

This guide does not assess whether such work pays off. It describes what follows from the provisions and what is worth knowing before deciding. Who your employer or principal is in the model with an app and an intermediary is explained in the guide Courier or app driver: who is your employer.

What to do

1. Establish who you are signing the contract with. The contract should contain the company's full name, address and NIP (tax identification number). In ride-hailing, the app passes jobs only to carriers with a licence (Article 5d of the Road Transport Act), so a driver without their own licence signs a contract with the carrier, not with the app (Article 5c(1)(4)). For food delivery, the Act does not impose a model. It is the party to the contract that is responsible for payment, ZUS and the legality of the work.
2. Check the type of contract.
   • Contract of mandate (contract for the provision of services, Article 750 of the Civil Code, KC): gives registration with ZUS and the minimum hourly rate, but gives no leave or protection under the Labour Code (Kodeks pracy).
   • B2B: you must have your own business (or fit within the limit for unregistered activity: 225% of the minimum wage per quarter, Article 5(1) of the Entrepreneurs' Law). You pay the contributions yourself, unless you use the start-up relief (Article 18 of the Entrepreneurs' Law), which means no social insurance for 6 months, including no accident insurance.
   • Employment contract: full rights under the Labour Code. Rarely offered in this sector.

   If the company is to set your rota, require a minimum number of hours online and penalise you for refusing jobs, the relationship may have the features of an employment relationship (Article 22 § 1 of the Labour Code) regardless of the name of the contract.

3. Read the clauses on remuneration. Pay attention to:
   • how the rate is calculated: per hour, per ride, per kilometre, a percentage of the revenue from the app, bonuses for the number of jobs;
   • how hours are confirmed: under a mandate the parties define this in the contract; if the contract is silent, you yourself submit information on the number of hours before the payment date (Article 8b(1)-(2) of the Act on the minimum wage);
   • payment date: under a contract longer than a month, payment at least once a month, in money (Article 8a(5)-(6));
   • deductions and penalties: for rejected jobs, lateness, customer complaints, damage to equipment. The Labour Code limits deductions only for employees; under a mandate what is written in the contract applies, but you cannot waive the right to remuneration at the minimum rate or transfer it to another person (Article 8a(4));
   • fees payable to the company: for "service", settlements, access to the app, insurance;
   • equipment rental: car, scooter, bicycle, bag, phone; who pays for fuel, repairs, fines and damage.
4. Check the clauses on ending the contract. Either party may terminate a mandate at any time, and the contract may introduce a notice period; however, termination for important reasons cannot be waived in advance (Article 746 KC). Check whether the contract provides for penalties for leaving early, and how the last period is settled.
5. Ask about ZUS and sickness insurance. The principal registers you for pension, disability and accident insurance within 7 days (Article 6(1)(4), Article 12(1), Article 36(2) and (4) of the Act on the social insurance system). Sickness insurance is voluntary, on your application (Article 11(2)), and benefit is payable after a 90-day waiting period (Article 4(1)(2) of the Sickness Benefits Act). A pupil or student under 26 is not subject to insurance under a mandate (Article 6(4)), so has no accident insurance either. More in the guide Contract of mandate and sick pay, leave and pension.
6. Record your hours from the first day. Make a copy of the contract and of the terms and conditions it refers to. Note your working time in the hours table and take screenshots of the settlements. The principal keeps documents on the number of hours for 3 years (Article 8c of the Act on the minimum wage), but your own records will make it easier for you to pursue payment.
7. If the settlement does not add up, demand from the company a statement of payments and deductions. You can prepare the letter in the generator of a demand for settlements from a fleet partner. Further steps are described in the guide Fleet partner does not pay or makes deductions.

Minimum hourly rate

Under a mandate or a contract for the provision of services to an entrepreneur, for every hour you are entitled to at least PLN 31.40 in 2026 and PLN 32.30 from 1 January 2027 (Article 8a(1)-(2) of the Act on the minimum wage). This also applies to a person with their own business who employs no employees or contractors (Article 1(1b)). Exception: the rate does not apply when you decide for yourself about the place and time of performing the mandate and receive solely commission-based remuneration (Article 8d(1)(1) and (3)). Whether payment "per ride" when you switch the app on yourself falls within this exception, the Act does not settle expressly; when the company imposes a rota, a zone or a minimum time online, the condition of deciding for yourself may not be met. Payment below the minimum rate is a petty offence (Article 8e), and the PIP may issue an instruction to pay (Article 11b of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate). Details in the guide Minimum hourly rate for couriers and drivers.

Accident during a ride

A contractor with pension and disability contributions has accident insurance. A sudden event caused by an external factor while performing a mandate is an accident at work (Article 3(3)(6) of the Accident Insurance Act). The accident card is drawn up by the entity for whose benefit you perform the mandate, i.e. the company you have the contract with (Article 5(1)(6)). The principal is also responsible for health and safety towards people working on a basis other than an employment relationship (Article 304 § 1 of the Labour Code). What to do after an accident is described in the guide Accident of a courier or app driver, and you can prepare the report in the accident report generator.

Foreigners

A mandate and a contract for the provision of services are "entrusting work" within the meaning of the Act on entrusting work to foreigners (Article 2(9)). The company that concludes the contract with you is responsible for legality (Article 2(4)). Before letting you start work it must conclude the contract in writing and, if you do not know Polish, first give you its content in a version you understand (Article 5(1)-(2)), and demand a valid residence document (Article 4(2)). People with permanent residence, refugee status, subsidiary protection or temporary protection, among others, may work without a work permit (Article 3(1)). The others need a work permit or a declaration on entrusting work, which since 1 December 2025 concerns only citizens of Armenia, Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. Working without the required permit is a petty offence also on the part of the foreigner (Article 84(2)). An offer of work "on someone else's account" or without a written contract is a sign that the company wants to circumvent these provisions. More in the guide Foreigner as a courier or app driver.

Ride-hailing driver

A driver personally carrying passengers in a passenger car must have a Polish driving licence (Article 39a(1)(2) of the Road Transport Act), may not have been convicted of specified offences and must have certificates of no medical or psychological contraindications (Article 5c(1)(4) and (6)). Before the cooperation starts, the app verifies in person your identity, driving licence and a criminal record certificate no older than a month (Article 27e(1)). Details in the guide Ride-hailing driver: requirements.

Exceptions and caveats

• Student under 26. A mandate gives them no social insurance (Article 6(4) of the Social Insurance System Act). In the event of an accident there are no benefits from accident insurance. This does not mean that the principal is not responsible for health and safety and for damage on general principles.
• B2B with the start-up relief. For 6 months you have no social insurance, including accident insurance. Voluntary sickness insurance is not possible then.
• No leave or sick pay under a mandate and B2B. Only an employment contract gives paid leave. Sickness benefit under a mandate requires voluntary insurance and a 90-day waiting period.
• Account blocked. The current provisions do not expressly regulate suspending or deleting accounts in apps. Check what the contract says about settlement after a block. The draft Act on platform work is at the government stage (as at 16.10.2026) and is not in force.
• PIP inspection. The PIP may inspect the company for whose benefit you work, even when you are not its employee (Article 13(1) of the Act on the National Labour Inspectorate), among others as regards legality of employment, health and safety and the minimum hourly rate (Article 10(1)(3), (4), (15b)).

Example

Assumptions: a person is considering work as a bicycle courier. The intermediary company sends a contract of mandate with a rate "per delivery", a clause that the courier decides for themselves when to log in to the app, a fee of PLN 50 a month for "settlement handling" and a penalty of PLN 20 for every rejected delivery during a logged-in shift. The bag is rented for PLN 30 a month.

Before signing, it is worth establishing: how the company will confirm hours (Article 8b of the Act on the minimum wage), whether the "per delivery" rate converted to hours gives at least PLN 31.40 and whether the fees and penalties will not reduce the remuneration below that rate (Article 8a(4)), and also whether the company will register the courier with ZUS. The penalty for rejecting a delivery during a "logged-in shift" conflicts with the clause on deciding for yourself about working time. If in practice the company sets the shifts, the exception under Article 8d may not apply, and the relationship may have the features under Article 22 § 1 of the Labour Code. The tool Mandate or employment makes the assessment easier.

Documents and deadlines

Frequently asked questions

Where to look for help before signing the contract?

Free legal advice on labour law and the legality of employment is given by the District Labour Inspectorates; you will find the numbers on the page PIP advice. ZUS answers questions on contributions and insurance. If you are already working and the company does not pay, read the guide PIP, ZUS or labour court.

Can I work through an app without any contract?

Under a mandate the Civil Code does not require written form, but without a contract it is hard to prove the rate and hours; before work starts, the principal must then confirm how hours are counted (Article 8b(3) of the Act on the minimum wage). For a foreigner, a written contract is compulsory (Article 5(1) of the Act on entrusting work to foreigners). Working "on someone else's account" in a ride-hailing app is also contrary to the principle that the app checks whether the ride is performed by the person it was assigned to (Article 27e(7) of the Road Transport Act).

Useful tools

• Fleet partner settlements request generator
• Personal record of working hours

Related guides

• Courier or app driver: who is your employer and what contract do you have?
• Minimum hourly rate for couriers and drivers: when are you entitled to it?
• Fleet partner does not pay or makes deductions: what to do?
• Accident of a courier or app driver: insurance and reporting
• Foreigner as a courier or app driver: legal work and your rights

Sources (documents in Polish)

• Kodeks cywilny, t.j. Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1061 (art. 744, 746, 750)
• Kodeks pracy, t.j. Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1245 (art. 22, 304)
• Ustawa o minimalnym wynagrodzeniu za pracę, t.j. Dz.U. 2024 poz. 1773 (art. 1, 8a-8e)
• Rozporządzenie RM z 11.09.2025 w sprawie minimalnego wynagrodzenia za pracę oraz minimalnej stawki godzinowej w 2026 r., Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1242
• Rozporządzenie RM z 14.09.2026 w sprawie minimalnego wynagrodzenia za pracę oraz minimalnej stawki godzinowej w 2027 r., Dz.U. 2026 poz. 1213
• Ustawa o systemie ubezpieczeń społecznych, t.j. Dz.U. 2026 poz. 199 (art. 6, 11, 12, 13, 36)
• Ustawa o świadczeniach pieniężnych z ubezpieczenia społecznego w razie choroby i macierzyństwa, t.j. Dz.U. 2026 poz. 854 (art. 4)
• Prawo przedsiębiorców, t.j. Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1480 (art. 5, 18)
• Ustawa o ubezpieczeniu społecznym z tytułu wypadków przy pracy i chorób zawodowych, t.j. Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1644 (art. 3, 5)
• Ustawa o transporcie drogowym, tekst ujednolicony ISAP (art. 5c, 5d, 27e, 39a)
• Ustawa o warunkach dopuszczalności powierzania pracy cudzoziemcom, tekst ujednolicony ISAP (art. 2, 3, 4, 5, 84)
• Rozporządzenie MRPiPS z 21.11.2025 w sprawie państw, których obywateli mogą dotyczyć oświadczenia o powierzeniu pracy cudzoziemcowi, Dz.U. 2025 poz. 1617
• Ustawa o PIP, tekst ujednolicony ISAP (art. 10, 11b, 13)

Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Law as at 16 October 2026.

Change history

• 16 October 2026: First publication.