Payment reminder in Germany: Mahnung and refund demand
Write a German Mahnung or refund demand: when a debtor is in default, the 30-day rule, a clear deadline, default interest and the court Mahnbescheid.
Quick answer
A Mahnung is your written demand for a sum that is already due. It puts the debtor in default (Verzug), after which you can claim default interest. One reminder is enough: there is no three-reminder rule. State the reason, the amount still open and a specific payment date. For invoices, the debtor is in default 30 days after the due date and receipt at the latest; against consumers, only if the invoice said so. A Mahnung is not a court order: the court route is the Mahnbescheid.
| Who it’s for | People owed money or a due refund by a person or business in Germany |
| Check first | The reason for the claim, its due date and the amount still open |
| Default | After one reminder, or without one in the cases listed in § 286 BGB |
| Interest | 5 points above the base rate; 9 points for business-to-business payment claims (§ 288 BGB) |
| Next step | Court Mahnbescheid, a lawsuit, consumer advice or arbitration |
| Common mistakes | Demanding payment before it is due, adding invented fees, relying on reminders near limitation |
This guide is for people asking a person or business in Germany to pay an existing debt or a refund that is already due. A Mahnung is an out-of-court demand: it does not prove that your claim is valid, and it is not a court order. You can send it by email or post; posting is an option, not a legal requirement. If the money relates to a cancelled contract, see our guide to cancelling a contract in Germany first.
Check the claim first
Be clear why the recipient owes you money and when payment became due: for example, an unpaid invoice for work you have done, or a refund that was agreed but has not arrived. Keep the contract, invoice, payment records and relevant messages. Faulty goods do not automatically entitle you to an immediate refund: under German warranty law, the seller usually gets the chance to repair or replace them first (Nacherfüllung). Withdrawal (Widerruf), cancellation (Kündigung) and a refund demand are different steps, so establish the basis for repayment before using the refund example.
Prepare the amount and details
Include your name and address, the debtor’s correct name and postal address, the contract or order reference, the reason for payment, the due date, the original amount, any payments already received and the balance still open. Give your bank details for payment. List supporting documents, but do not send identity documents or bank statements that are not needed. Replace all placeholders and add both address blocks and the date.
Set a clear payment deadline
Ask for payment by a specific date and allow time for delivery. A deadline of about two weeks after the letter arrives is common, but the law does not prescribe one. Under § 286 BGB, a reminder sent after the due date puts the debtor in default. No reminder is needed if payment was due on a calendar date or the debtor has seriously and finally refused to pay. For payment claims, the debtor is in default at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of an invoice, but against a consumer only if the invoice pointed this out. From default, statutory interest runs at 5 percentage points above the base rate (§ 288 BGB). Do not add reminder fees or collection costs without checking that you are entitled to them and how much.
Mahnung — [Vertrags- oder Rechnungsnummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
aus [konkreter Zahlungsgrund] ist seit dem [Fälligkeitsdatum] ein Betrag von [ursprünglicher Betrag] EUR fällig. Nach Abzug bereits eingegangener Zahlungen von [Betrag, gegebenenfalls 0] EUR verbleiben [offener Betrag] EUR.
Hiermit fordere ich Sie auf, den offenen Betrag bis zum [angemessenes Zahlungsdatum] auf [Kontoinhaber und IBAN] zu überweisen. Bitte geben Sie als Verwendungszweck [Referenz] an.
Falls Sie die Forderung bestreiten oder bereits bezahlt haben, teilen Sie mir bitte den Grund beziehungsweise die Zahlungsdaten mit.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Name]
Refund demand example
Use this example only once a refund is actually due. State the basis, such as an agreed refund or an effective withdrawal, and include the relevant dates and proof that you returned the goods. After an effective withdrawal from an online or distance purchase, the trader must generally repay within 14 days, but may wait until it receives the goods or proof that you sent them back (§ 357 BGB). The example claims only the outstanding amount, without interest or other charges.
Aufforderung zur Rückzahlung — [Bestell- oder Vertragsnummer]
Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren,
aufgrund von [geprüfter Rückzahlungsgrund mit Datum] steht mir eine Rückzahlung von [Betrag] EUR zu. Die Rückzahlung ist seit dem [geprüftes Fälligkeitsdatum] fällig. Bisher erhaltene Teilzahlungen habe ich berücksichtigt; offen sind [Restbetrag] EUR.
Bitte überweisen Sie den offenen Betrag bis zum [angemessenes Zahlungsdatum] auf [Kontoinhaber und IBAN]. Die relevanten Belege sind beigefügt: [Belege].
Falls Sie der Rückzahlung widersprechen oder bereits gezahlt haben, bitte ich um eine begründete Antwort beziehungsweise die Zahlungsdaten.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen [Name]
If payment still does not arrive
Check whether payment or a reply has arrived, then consider consumer advice, arbitration or legal help. The court Mahnverfahren is a separate procedure: you apply online through the central Mahngericht portal, and the court issues a Mahnbescheid without examining whether the claim is justified. If the debtor objects, usually within two weeks, the case can become an ordinary lawsuit. Your own letter is not a Mahnbescheid. Most claims become time-barred three years after the end of the year in which they arose (§§ 195, 199 BGB); a Mahnbescheid suspends that period (§ 204 BGB), from the date of your application if it is served promptly, but another reminder does not. MaisonMail posts your letters; it does not apply to a court or collect debts.
Post the final letter and keep evidence
Upload your completed PDF or write your letter in MaisonMail, and add supporting PDFs in the send flow. The recipient address determines the destination; available services, estimated delivery and the final price appear before payment. Keep the exact letter, attachments, payment records and any delivery evidence. Tracking or a delivery signature shows that an item arrived, not what it contained.
Official sources
References used and links to the rules currently in force.
- § 286 BGB — Verzug des SchuldnersGesetze im Internet
- § 288 BGB — Verzugszinsen und sonstiger VerzugsschadenGesetze im Internet
- § 357 BGB — Rechtsfolgen des WiderrufsGesetze im Internet
- § 199 BGB — Beginn der regelmäßigen VerjährungsfristGesetze im Internet
- § 204 BGB — Hemmung der Verjährung durch RechtsverfolgungGesetze im Internet
- Alles zu Gewährleistung und GarantieVerbraucherzentrale
- Das automatisierte Mahnverfahren im ÜberblickMahngerichte.de
Information current as of the last verification date. This guide is informational and is not legal advice — for a complex situation, consult a qualified professional.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to send three reminders in Germany?
No. One Mahnung after the due date is enough to put the debtor in default, and sometimes none is needed, for example when payment was due on a calendar date or the debtor has firmly refused to pay (§ 286 BGB). Several reminders are a business habit, not a legal requirement.
What is the 30-day rule?
A debtor who owes payment for goods or services is in default at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice (§ 286(3) BGB). Against a consumer, this only applies if the invoice expressly pointed out that consequence.
Can I charge interest and reminder fees?
Once the debtor is in default, statutory default interest applies: 5 percentage points above the base rate, or 9 points for payment claims where no consumer is involved (§ 288 BGB). You can only claim the actual costs of reminders sent after default; the reminder that first puts the debtor in default cannot be charged.
What if the debtor still does not pay?
You can apply online for a court payment order (Mahnbescheid), sue, or use consumer advice or arbitration. Most claims become time-barred three years after the end of the year in which they arose and you knew the relevant facts (§§ 195, 199 BGB). A Mahnbescheid suspends that period; another reminder does not.
Related guides
- Object to a German Bescheid: Widerspruch deadline and formObject to a decision from a German Jobcenter, health insurer or other authority: one-month deadline, the four-day rule, accepted channels and German examples.
- Cancel insurance in Germany: notice, email and examplesCancel German contents or liability insurance: the insurance year, notice period, email in Textform and special cancellation after a premium rise or claim.
- Resign from a job in Germany: notice and signed letterResign from a job in Germany: the four-week notice period, probation, fixed-term contracts, the hand-signed original and the Sperrzeit risk. German example.
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