Payment demand in Spain: requerimiento de pago
Ask a debtor in Spain to pay: a reminder, a requerimiento de pago that meets the MASC negotiation step, interest in 2026, limitation and the monitorio.
Quick answer
A friendly reminder often comes first. What counts legally is a demand for payment (requerimiento de pago), which puts the debtor in default (mora) (art. 1100 CC) and starts legal interest, 3.25% in 2026. Between businesses, interest at 10.15% or 10.40% in 2026 and a flat €40 apply without any demand. Before a monitorio (court payment order) or any other claim, you must invite the debtor to negotiate and be able to prove receipt and content (MASC, LO 1/2025). Write the requerimiento as that invitation, give 30 calendar days and send it by burofax with certified content.
| Who it’s for | People and businesses owed money by a company or individual in Spain |
| Check first | The basis of the claim, the due date, the amount, documents and the limitation period |
| Interest | Legal rate 3.25% in 2026; between businesses 10.15% or 10.40% in 2026, plus €40 |
| Before court | An invitation to negotiate, received and provable; 30 calendar days (LO 1/2025) |
| Next step | Monitorio at the debtor’s court; juicio verbal up to €15,000 |
| Common mistakes | Charging a consumer €40, a bare ultimatum, no proof of content, letting time run |
This guide covers sums already due from a company or individual in Spain: an unpaid invoice, an agreed refund, or a loan or deposit not returned. It is general information, not legal advice. For a rental deposit, see tenant letters in Spain; to complain about goods or a service, see consumer complaints in Spain; to end a contract, see cancelling a contract in Spain.
Check the claim, the due date and the time limit
Know why the money is owed and when it fell due, and gather the contract or order, invoices, delivery notes (albaranes), transfer records and messages: the same documents support a monitorio. Then check the limitation period (prescripción). Most claims prescribe five years after payment could be demanded (art. 1964.2 CC, since 7 October 2015). Fees of lawyers and other professionals and tradespeople’s services prescribe in three years from when the service ended, and a merchant’s price for goods sold to non-merchants also in three years (art. 1967 CC), which can catch freelancers and shops. Catalan civil law sets ten years in general and three for services, works and periodic payments; which code applies depends on the contract and conflict-of-law rules.
A creditor’s out-of-court claim interrupts limitation, as does the debtor’s acknowledgement of the debt (art. 1973 CC), but only if you can prove the claim. An out-of-court claim against the main debtor does not interrupt limitation against a guarantor (art. 1975 CC).
Start with a friendly reminder
A reminder (recordatorio de pago) has no set form and suits a debtor who has simply forgotten. A standard or tracked letter is enough for it. Replace the placeholders and attach a copy of the invoice.
Asunto: Recordatorio de pago — factura n.º [número] de [fecha]
Muy señores míos:
Les recuerdo que sigue pendiente de pago la factura n.º [número] de [fecha], correspondiente a [bienes o servicios], con vencimiento el [fecha de vencimiento], por importe de [importe] euros. Adjunto copia.
Les ruego que realicen el pago antes del [fecha] mediante transferencia a la cuenta [IBAN], a nombre de [titular de la cuenta], indicando como concepto el número de factura.
Si ya han efectuado el pago, les agradecería que me enviaran el justificante; si consideran que el importe no es debido, les ruego que me indiquen los motivos por escrito.
Atentamente, [Nombre y apellidos o razón social]
Interest: consumers and businesses are different
A debtor is in default once you demand payment, in or out of court, unless the contract or the law says otherwise or the due date was essential (art. 1100 CC). For a money debt, the damages for late payment are the agreed interest or, failing that, the legal interest rate (art. 1108 CC): 3.25% in 2026, the rate set by the 2023 budget law (Ley 31/2022), which remains in force because no later budget has been passed. Do not confuse it with the tax-law late rate of 4.0625%. Interest on interest runs only from a court claim (art. 1109 CC).
Between businesses, including the self-employed (autónomos), or with a public authority, the late-payment law (Ley 3/2004) applies; it never applies to consumers. Unless agreed otherwise, payment is due 30 calendar days after receipt of the goods or services, and an agreed term cannot exceed 60 days (art. 4 Ley 3/2004). Interest then runs automatically, with no demand needed (art. 5), at the ECB rate plus 8 points, set for each half-year: 10.15% from 1 January to 30 June 2026 and 10.40% from 1 July to 31 December 2026 (art. 7). You are also owed a flat €40 for collection costs, plus further proven costs (art. 8).
Write the requerimiento as a negotiation attempt
Since 3 April 2025, most civil claims are admissible only if you first tried an adequate dispute resolution method (medios adecuados de solución de controversias, MASC), and direct negotiation between the parties counts (art. 5 Ley Orgánica 1/2025, LO 1/2025). The domestic monitorio is not exempt; only the European payment order and the European small-claims procedure are. Without a neutral third party, you prove the attempt with any document showing that the debtor received your invitation to negotiate, on what date, and could read its full content (art. 10.2 LO 1/2025). With no meeting or written reply within 30 calendar days of receipt, the negotiation has failed, and you must then file within one year (arts. 10.4 and 7.3 LO 1/2025). The request also interrupts limitation (art. 7.1 LO 1/2025).
A bare “pay or I sue” letter may not be enough: the law speaks of an invitation to negotiate (art. 10.2 LO 1/2025), and the negotiation must concern the same dispute as your later claim (art. 5.1 LO 1/2025). Without a prior attempt, the claim is not admissible (art. 5.1 LO 1/2025). The law does not say whether a refused or uncollected letter counts, and courts may differ. Keep a confidential binding offer, if you make one, in a separate document, because its content cannot be shown to the court.
The example defines the debt, splits principal and interest, invites negotiation and gives 30 calendar days. Keep only the bracketed interest wording that fits your case. It is written to a company; to an individual, use “Estimado/a Sr./Sra. [apellidos]:” and the singular “le” instead of “les”.
Asunto: Requerimiento de pago e invitación a negociar — [factura n.º [número] / contrato de [fecha]]
Muy señores míos:
Por medio de la presente, [nombre y apellidos o razón social], con [DNI/NIE/NIF] [número] y domicilio en [dirección], les requiero el pago de la cantidad que me adeudan en virtud de [contrato, pedido o acuerdo] de [fecha].
El importe pendiente es de [importe] euros de principal, correspondiente a [factura(s) n.º [número] de [fecha], con vencimiento el [fecha]], más [entre empresas: los intereses de demora previstos en el artículo 7 de la Ley 3/2004, de 29 de diciembre, desde el vencimiento, y la indemnización de 40 euros por costes de cobro de su artículo 8] [en los demás casos: el interés legal del dinero desde la recepción de este requerimiento, conforme a los artículos 1100 y 1108 del Código Civil]. Adjunto copia de [lista de documentos].
Les invito a pagar dicha cantidad mediante transferencia a la cuenta [IBAN], a nombre de [titular de la cuenta], o a ponerse en contacto conmigo en [dirección postal, correo electrónico o teléfono] para negociar una solución, en el plazo de treinta días naturales desde la recepción de este escrito.
Este escrito constituye una invitación a negociar sobre esta deuda, con carácter previo a cualquier acción judicial, a efectos de los artículos 5 y 10 de la Ley Orgánica 1/2025, de 2 de enero. Vale asimismo como requerimiento a efectos del artículo 1100 del Código Civil y como reclamación extrajudicial que interrumpe la prescripción conforme a su artículo 1973.
Si consideran que la cantidad no es debida o ya la han pagado, les ruego que me lo indiquen por escrito. Si en ese plazo no he recibido el pago ni una respuesta, presentaré una petición de proceso monitorio o la demanda que corresponda.
Atentamente, [Nombre y apellidos o razón social] [Firma]
If payment still does not arrive: the monitorio
The proceso monitorio is for a money debt of any amount that is liquid, due and backed by documents, which can be invoices and delivery notes you issued yourself (art. 812 LEC). It is filed only at the court of the debtor’s domicile, and the case closes if the debtor cannot be found there (arts. 813 and 815 LEC). You can file on the official form, on paper or through the electronic court office, without a lawyer or procurador, whatever the amount (art. 814 LEC), and you must attach proof of your MASC attempt (arts. 5 and 10 LO 1/2025). Individuals, including autónomos, pay no court fee; companies pay a fixed fee above €2,000 (Ley 10/2012).
The court gives the debtor 20 working days to pay or oppose; court periods exclude weekends, holidays, 24 December to 6 January and August (arts. 815, 130 and 133 LEC). If the debtor does neither, enforcement follows on request, with interest at the legal rate plus two points, 5.25% in 2026 (arts. 816 and 576 LEC). If the debtor opposes, a claim of up to €15,000 continues as a juicio verbal (simplified civil trial); above that, you must file a full claim within one month (art. 818 LEC). Above €2,000, the opposition and later stages need a lawyer and procurador.
If the debtor lives in another EU country, the European order for payment (Regulation (EC) 1896/2006) or the European Small Claims Procedure (Regulation (EC) 861/2007) may fit better, and neither needs a prior MASC attempt. MaisonMail posts letters; it does not go to court or collect debts.
Post the letters 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 and any delivery evidence.
A standard or tracked letter is fine for the friendly reminder. Tracking shows that an item arrived, not what it contained, so it does not prove the content of your requerimiento. To serve as your MASC proof, or to interrupt limitation close to the deadline, send the requerimiento by burofax (a Correos service delivered against signature) with acuse de recibo (proof of delivery) and certificación de contenido (certified content); Correos offers it online. The Ministry of Justice also mentions post with acknowledgement of receipt or other messaging services. You can add the channel you have used with the debtor before, such as email, but a standard or tracked letter is not a burofax.
Official sources
References used and links to the rules currently in force.
- Tabla de tipos de interés legalBanco de España
- Cuándo es obligatorio acudir a un MASC en el ámbito civil y mercantilMinisterio de Justicia
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 contact the debtor before going to court in Spain?
Yes, for most civil claims, including the monitorio. Since 3 April 2025 you must first try an adequate dispute resolution method (MASC), and direct negotiation counts (art. 5 LO 1/2025). You need proof that the debtor received your invitation to negotiate, when, and that it could read its full content (art. 10.2 LO 1/2025). With no written reply within 30 calendar days of receipt, the attempt has failed and you must sue within one year.
How much interest can I claim on a late payment in Spain?
Between businesses, or with a public authority, interest runs automatically from the due date at the ECB rate plus 8 points: 10.15% for the first half of 2026 and 10.40% for the second, plus a flat €40 (Ley 3/2004). For consumers and private debts, you can claim the agreed interest or, failing that, the legal interest rate, 3.25% in 2026, from your demand (arts. 1100 and 1108 CC).
How long do I have to claim a debt in Spain?
Generally five years from when payment could be demanded (art. 1964.2 CC). Professionals’ fees and tradespeople’s services prescribe in three years from when the service ended, and a merchant’s price for goods sold to non-merchants also in three years (art. 1967 CC); Catalan civil law has its own periods. A written out-of-court claim interrupts the period (art. 1973 CC), so keep proof that the debtor received it.
Can I start a monitorio in Spain without a lawyer?
Yes. The initial monitorio petition needs no lawyer or procurador, whatever the amount (art. 814 LEC), for a due, liquid debt backed by documents such as invoices (art. 812 LEC). It is filed at the court of the debtor’s domicile, with proof of your MASC attempt. If the debtor opposes and more than €2,000 is at stake, a lawyer and procurador are needed for the next stage.
Related guides
- Consumer complaint in Spain: reclamación and escalationWrite a reclamación to a company in Spain: what to include, the 15-day reply rule, hojas de reclamaciones, sector bodies, arbitration and Spanish examples.
- Tenant letters in Spain: notice, deposit and repairsWrite to a landlord in Spain: give notice to leave, reclaim your fianza with interest and ask for repairs, with the October 2026 changes and Spanish examples.
- Cancel a contract in Spain: phone, internet and gymCancel a phone, internet, pay-TV, gym or streaming contract in Spain: the baja, permanencia penalties, the 14-day desistimiento and Spanish example letters.
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