The article analyzes legal issues related to the acquisition of a share in a cooperative. The article presents the concept of a share in a cooperative in Polish and foreign legal systems, also as regards new capital measures in cooperatives. The article analyzes also the legal situation of a cooperative and its member resulting from declaring and contributing towards a share in a cooperative. In this respect the article concerns specific ways of contributing towards a share in a cooperative, as well as consequences of such action on the assets of a member of a cooperative. The transfer of property to a cooperative due to fulfillment of an obligation to cover a share is also analyzed against the background of different transfer of property models that are in force in European countries.