Full definition
Origination fee is the bank's one-off charge for granting credit. In Poland it is expressed either as a percentage of loan amount (typically 0–8%) or as a flat fee (e.g. 200 PLN). It may be paid upfront (reducing disbursement) or financed (added to principal and amortized — you then pay interest on the fee for the entire term). The fee is part of RRSO. Typical range: 2–8% for cash loans, 0–2.5% for mortgages. Note: after the CJEU ruling of 11 September 2019 (C-383/18, "Lexitor"), consumers have the right to a proportional refund of the origination fee on early repayment.
Concrete numeric example
A 30,000 PLN loan with a 5% fee = 1,500 PLN. Financed at 9% interest over 4 years, the effective cost is ~1,770 PLN (fee + interest on fee). Paying upfront saves 270 PLN.