Send a friendly reminder as soon as an invoice is due and unpaid, and set a clear new deadline in it. Without a reminder, a customer is in default at the latest if they do not pay within 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice, but consumers only if the invoice specifically points out this consequence. From default on you may claim default interest, and from business customers also a flat fee of 40 euros.
When is a customer in default?
Under section 286 of the German Civil Code (BGB) a customer is in default if they do not pay after a reminder sent after the due date. At the latest they are in default if they do not pay within 30 days after the due date and receipt of an invoice.
Towards consumers this 30-day rule applies only if the invoice specifically pointed out this consequence. A sentence about it on every invoice to private customers is therefore worth it.
Source: gesetze-im-internet.de: German Civil Code (BGB), section 286, default of the debtor, accessed 13 Oct 2026
What may I claim in case of default?
Default interest: under section 288 BGB it is five percentage points above the base rate, nine percentage points for transactions without a consumer. If your customer is not a consumer, you are also entitled to a flat fee of 40 euros.
The current base rate is published by the Deutsche Bundesbank.
Source: gesetze-im-internet.de: German Civil Code (BGB), section 288, default interest, accessed 13 Oct 2026
How do I word a payment reminder?
Friendly and specific: invoice number, date, amount, original payment term, your bank details and a new date by which you expect payment. Assume it was an oversight.
Attach the invoice again. Whoever cannot find it cannot pay it.
How many reminders are needed?
The law prescribes no particular number. A clear request for payment after the due date already counts as a reminder in the legal sense, even if it is called a payment reminder.
If payment still does not come, the court dunning procedure or a collection agency are the next steps. This text is not legal advice; for the individual case your chamber or a lawyer can help.
Source: gesetze-im-internet.de: German Civil Code (BGB), section 286, default of the debtor, accessed 13 Oct 2026
What does the Mahn-Agent take on?
In Agentiq Hire the Mahn-Agent checks open invoices and prepares friendly payment reminders. Whether it puts them to you for approval or only saves them as drafts, you decide.
You see every step in the history, and completed tasks are counted every month.
How does Agentiq Hire help?
Digital staff who do the recurring work.
- Ready agents with a clear task
- Set up for you, no technical knowledge needed
- Every agent steerable and pausable on its own
Price on request.
Frequently asked questions
Does a payment reminder have to come before the formal reminder?
No. Legally a friendly payment reminder already counts as a formal reminder if it clearly requests payment after the due date. The name does not matter.
Does the 40-euro flat fee apply to private customers too?
No. Under section 288 BGB you are entitled to it only if your customer is not a consumer.
Does the agent send reminders on its own?
The Mahn-Agent prepares payment reminders. How independently it works, you decide, and you see every step in the history.
What does Agentiq Hire cost?
We give the prices for Small, Medium and Premium on request. The purchase page always shows the current offer.
Sources
- gesetze-im-internet.de: German Civil Code (BGB), section 286, default of the debtoraccessed 13 Oct 2026
- gesetze-im-internet.de: German Civil Code (BGB), section 288, default interestaccessed 13 Oct 2026
- Agentiq: Agentiq Hire: agents, tiers and limitsas of 13 Oct 2026