Payment Reminders in Germany 2026: Dunning Process for Freelancers and GmbHs

An unpaid invoice costs you money and energy. And dun the wrong way and the receivable can be hard to enforce later. This guide explains when you as a freelancer or GmbH may issue a Mahnung in Germany, what has to be in it, which fees and interest you can charge – and how to automate the whole process in 2026.

What is a Mahnung?

A Mahnung is a formal payment reminder asking the debtor to settle a due invoice. It's the legal trigger that puts the client into Verzug (default) – only after that can you charge default interest and fees (§ 286 BGB).

When are you allowed to dun?

Default kicks in once three conditions are met:

• The receivable is due (payment term has passed).
• It's enforceable (no dispute over the claim).
• A Mahnung was sent – or the 30-day rule kicks in automatically.

30-day rule: In B2B transactions default starts automatically 30 days after invoicing and receipt of the invoice – no Mahnung needed (§ 286 (3) BGB). For consumers (B2C), this notice has to appear on the invoice itself.

If the invoice states a concrete due date (e.g. “due by 30 April 2026”), default starts the next day – no reminder required.

What a legally sound Mahnung must contain

An effective Mahnung includes:

• Recipient details
• Reference to the open invoice (number, date, amount)
• Clear payment request with a new deadline (typically 7–14 days)
• Bank details and reference
• Notice of consequences (interest, fees, formal dunning procedure)

Stay factual. Threats or insults can hurt you in court.

1st, 2nd, 3rd Mahnung – how many do you need?

Legally one Mahnung is enough to trigger default – or the 30-day rule. In practice, however, German businesses use a three-stage system:

1. Friendly reminder (Zahlungserinnerung) – 7 days after the due date, no fees.
2. 1st Mahnung with a clear deadline and possibly a fee – 7–10 days later.
3. 2nd Mahnung announcing the formal dunning procedure – another 7–10 days.
4. Court dunning procedure – if the client still doesn't react.

More than three reminders only delays your money. Someone who ignores three doesn't pay on the fourth.

Fees and default interest 2026

Reminder fees: You can only charge actual costs incurred – typically €2 to €5 per reminder. A flat “fee €10” without justification is challengeable in court.

Default interest: 5 percentage points above the base rate for consumers, 9 percentage points for businesses. The Bundesbank sets the base rate every six months. With a base rate of 1.27 % in H2 2025, B2B default interest is around 10.27 %.

€40 lump sum: For B2B receivables, German law adds a statutory €40 default lump sum (§ 288 (5) BGB) on top of interest and lawyer fees.

Formal dunning procedure: when nothing else works

If the client ignores the second Mahnung, you can file a Mahnbescheid online via www.online-mahnantrag.de. The court serves the order to the debtor; if no objection arrives within two weeks you can apply for a Vollstreckungsbescheid and start enforcement.

Court fees scale with the claim's value and are usually borne by the debtor – if they're solvent.

Automate the process instead of doing it manually

If you have several open receivables, automate the dunning. In Norman you create invoices, instantly see what's overdue, and let reminders and Mahnungen go out automatically at the right interval – with default interest and the €40 lump sum already calculated.

Conclusion

A Mahnung isn't a drama, it's routine. Issuing compliant invoices with a clear due date and running reminders on autopilot gets you paid faster – and avoids ending up in invoice corrections or court at all.