Who owns the deliverables?

By default, the client owns the deliverables after delivery and payment. It is best to make this explicit in the contract, especially for digital outputs and software.

Can I sign a service agreement with someone abroad?

Yes. The agreement can be in any language and signed electronically. For foreign parties, specify the governing law and dispute-resolution language.

What if the client rejects the deliverable?

The contract should include an acceptance procedure — deadline for review, rejection grounds, and the claims process. zipzipdoc generates these clauses automatically.

Is there a cap on contractual penalties?

EU law does not set a hard cap on contractual penalties, but courts may reduce disproportionately high ones. We recommend capping at 10–20 % of the contract value.

Commercial

Service agreement

Service agreement via AI

For freelancers and contractors. AI generates, the client signs on the phone.

Start free Features

GDPR compliant · EU-hosted

Contract Templates Service Agreement — Freelancer Service Agreement — Contractor SLA — Service Level Agreement Copyright Licence Agreement All templates

Companies with digital service agreements get paid 14 days faster

62 % of client-freelancer disputes stem from an undefined scope of work

Average time saved per project with digital signing: 2.3 hours

A classic service agreement with timeline, payment terms and IP clauses. zipzipdoc drafts it from your brief — both fix-price and T&M variants.

Legal context

Service agreements in the EU are primarily governed by national civil and commercial codes. eIDAS Regulation (910/2014) ensures electronic signatures are fully valid across EU member states without a physical meeting.

eIDAS Art. 25(1) — an electronic signature shall not be denied legal effect

Legal basis & glossary

When to use a Service agreement

When commissioning a website, app or design from a freelancer
Before starting a long-term project with an external team
When IP ownership of deliverables needs to be clearly defined
For construction, craft or consulting work on a project basis

What you get

Fix-price and T&M variants
Payment milestones
Work-ownership clauses
Acceptance procedure

How it works

From idea to signature

Fix-price and T&M variants

Payment milestones

Work-ownership clauses

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Service agreement

A service agreement creates a commercial relationship — the contractor is not an employee and handles their own taxes. An employment contract creates an employee relationship with all employer obligations.