Loan with an extra service: checking costs and consent

1. Establish what you are buying

Start by separating two things: the loan amount you need and the value of the additional service to you. A consultation package can be useful, but only if you know its scope, terms of use and price. If you need money to repair a washing machine, access to a course alone will not solve that problem. Do not judge a package solely by labels such as “premium”, “protection” or “better option”.

Record who provides the finance, who acts as intermediary and who supplies the service. Check the company names in each document. A single application screen may lead to several agreements. Note whether the package is paid for once, in instalments or through a subscription that renews after the loan ends. During a phone conversation, ask for documents so you can compare the recorded amounts with the offer presented.

2. Ask for an offer without the package

Ask for two comparisons for the same amount actually paid to you and the same term: with and without the service. Establish whether declining the package means no finance, a different interest rate, or simply declining an independent service. Do not guess from a button colour or the preselected option. Keep the response and both calculations.

Ask directly: “Can I receive this amount without the package?”, “How will my total payments change?” and “Where is that difference documented?”. Calling a service optional does not explain the relationship between the agreements. If the adviser and the information form disagree, wait for consistent documents before accepting. This is a practical offer check, not an assumption that every additional service is prohibited.

3. Separate the payout, the cost and the amount payable

For Polish consumer credit, the cost of an additional service required to obtain the credit or the offered terms belongs in the total cost of credit. Financed credit costs are not part of the statutory total credit amount. Information duties also cover services and charges. These rules follow Articles 5, 13–14 and 30 of the Consumer Credit Act. [S1]

For your own comparison, create four fields: money available to you, financing cost, package price and all payments over the full term. Beside each amount, indicate whether it already includes the package. Adding it twice distorts the result; overlooking a separate payment understates the burden. Also check whether financing the package purchase generates extra interest or fees.

APR (RRSO) alongside the amount and repayment schedule. Do not convert it into a monthly cost simply by dividing by twelve. If you buy a package independently and it is not required for the offer, still include it in your household budget. The legal credit cost and all your household expenses are not always the same calculation. Also check how to read the information form before taking out a loan.

4. Example: the same loan, an extra PLN 360

This is a hypothetical comparison, not an offer from any company. In both options, you receive PLN 5,000 for 12 months and pay PLN 600 in total financing costs. In option B, you voluntarily and independently buy an additional package costing PLN 30 per month for 12 months. We assume you do not finance that price through the loan, there are no other charges and the loan terms remain identical.

You repay PLN 5,600 to the lender in either case. The package in option B costs a separate PLN 360, taking your combined expenditure to PLN 5,960. Buying it increases the burden by PLN 360, or PLN 30 per month. If PLN 5,960 were already a quoted total including the service, you should not add another PLN 360.

Consider whether you will use the package and whether you would choose it without the loan. Compare its price with buying a similar service separately. If the second option involves a different payout, a longer term or extra finance for the package, the difference above no longer describes your situation. You then need a new comparison. We do not calculate an APRC here because the example does not specify exact cash-flow dates. Learn how to compare the total cost of two loans.

5. Check consent, the service period and cancellation terms

Read each statement before selecting a checkbox. Separate buying the package from marketing consent and confirmation that you received documents. Save the rules, price list and version of the accepted offer. If an option was already selected, establish how to change it and whether the totals actually update. Keep the files and correspondence if there are inconsistencies.

Ask when the package starts, how to activate it, how long it lasts and whether it renews automatically. For a medical service, check the available services and appointment process. For insurance, read the cover and exclusions. The word “protection” in the name does not establish that you are buying insurance or that it covers the event you are concerned about.

Also establish whom to contact to cancel and how cancellation affects the financing price. Do not assume that stopping use ends your payment obligation. If you want to keep the loan but cancel the service alone, first ask for the appropriate procedure and settlement details. Changing one part of a package requires checking the consequences for the others.

6. Withdrawing from the loan and an additional service

You can generally withdraw from a Polish consumer credit agreement within 14 days. If a related additional service is supplied by the lender or by a third party under its agreement with the lender, Article 55 makes withdrawal effective against that service agreement too. Do not automatically extend this rule to every independent purchase. [S1]

Identify the relationship between the agreements and specify the credit and service concerned in your notice. Keep proof of sending. Repayment of the principal with interest due must take place no later than 30 days after submitting the withdrawal notice, under Article 54. Sending a notice alone does not mean you can keep the money received. [S1]

If you are unsure whether Article 55 covers a particular package, show all documents to a consumer ombudsman or lawyer. Separately check the situation where you cancel only the service or it has already been performed. Do not accept an assurance that every charge is automatically refunded without establishing the basis and settlement method. Read how to withdraw from a consumer loan agreement.

7. Why check packages before signing?

This matters in practice. In its communication of 10 November 2026, UOKiK described allegations against MediQurs companies and D&D Group concerning making cash payouts conditional on service purchases. This reports proceedings and allegations, not a final ruling in those cases. [S3]

On 19 October 2026, the authority reported a decision concerning Aasa Polska about package costs and the presentation of loans. That communication states that the decision is not final. It concerns the practices covered by the case and does not establish the terms of every current offer. Before deciding, read the current documents presented to you. [S4]

8. If a package appeared in the documents without your knowledge

Collect the loan agreement, information form, service rules, price list, confirmations and correspondence. Prepare your own calculation: how much you received, how much was charged for the package and where consent information appeared. In a complaint, ask for the basis of the charge and evidence of purchase, then describe the correction or refund you seek. If the service supplier is a different company, also establish the appropriate address for that agreement.

Financial Ombudsman explains that before requesting intervention you must complain to the financial market entity and wait for a response or expiry of the response period. This is usually 30 days; particularly complex cases can take up to 60 days with the required explanation. The Ombudsman also describes electronic complaints. [S6]

Do not stop repayments on your own merely because you dispute a charge. Ask for a written explanation of the balance and allocation of payments, and seek individual assistance if needed. For the future, record three things before accepting: money available to you, total expenditure and how to leave the additional service. If you cannot establish any of them, return to the documents before taking on the commitment. If you need help with the letter, see how to write a complaint to a loan company.

Sources and information date

Information checked on 14 November 2026. The numerical example is hypothetical.

• S1 — Polish Consumer Credit Act — consolidated text, Journal of Laws 2025 item 1362
• S2 — ELI — Consumer Credit Act, amendment history
• S3 — UOKiK — allegations concerning MediQurs companies and D&D Group
• S4 — UOKiK — decision concerning loan service packages
• S5 — UOKiK — additional services and borrowing costs
• S6 — Polish Financial Ombudsman — complaints and changes from 13 February 2026