Zip is fine (I prefer 7z), until you want to preserve attributes like ownership and read/write/execute rights.
Some zip programs support saving unix attributes, other - do not. So when you download a zip file from the internet - it’s always a gamble.
Tar + gzip/bz2/xz is more Linux-friendly in that regard.
Also, zip compresses each file separately and then collects all of them in one archive.
Tar collects all the files first, then you compress the tarball into an archive, which is more efficient and produces smaller size.
Then you just wait until somebody enters in.
When the person opens the door you run to them and yell “wait wait wait” while frantically gesturing. After you enter - say quick “thank you” and disappear.