Payment reminders
Payment reminders in English: templates for first, second and final notice
The right term for each stage
| German | English | Tone |
|---|---|---|
| Zahlungserinnerung | payment reminder | Friendly, assumes an oversight |
| 1. Mahnung | first reminder / overdue notice | Factual, sets a new deadline |
| 2. Mahnung | second reminder | Interest is quantified for the first time |
| Letzte Mahnung | final notice / final demand | Announces concrete next steps |
| Verzugszinsen | default interest / late-payment interest | Both are standard |
Two more that come up constantly: "outstanding" for unpaid, and "to settle an invoice" for paying it. The 40-euro flat fee is called "late-payment compensation" in EU wording.
The three templates
Replace the bracketed placeholders. These are deliberately short — in English-language business correspondence a brief, polite email works better than a long letter.
Subject: Payment reminder — invoice [number] Dear [name], I hope you are well. This is a friendly reminder that invoice [number] of [invoice date], for [amount], was due on [due date] and is still showing as unpaid on our side. If the payment is already on its way, please disregard this message. Otherwise, I would be grateful if you could arrange the transfer to: Account holder: [name] IBAN: [IBAN] BIC: [BIC] Reference: [invoice number] Please let me know if anything about the invoice is unclear. Kind regards, [your name]
Subject: Second reminder — invoice [number], now overdue Dear [name], Despite our reminder of [date], invoice [number] of [invoice date] for [amount] remains unpaid. The payment is now [x] days overdue. I would ask you to settle the outstanding amount by [new date]. Under our terms and the applicable statutory rules, default interest of [rate] % per annum applies from [date default began]. Account holder: [name] IBAN: [IBAN] BIC: [BIC] Reference: [invoice number] If there is a problem with this invoice, please contact me directly so we can resolve it. Kind regards, [your name]
Subject: Final notice before further action — invoice [number] Dear [name], Invoice [number] of [invoice date] for [amount] is still outstanding despite two reminders, most recently on [date]. Outstanding amount: [amount] Default interest ([x] days): [interest] Late-payment compensation: [fee] Total now due: [total] This is a final notice. Please transfer the total amount by [date]. If we have not received payment by then, we will pass the matter to a collections agency / take legal steps to recover it, and any further costs will be added to your account. Kind regards, [your name]
For the rate in stage two: under German law in a pure B2B transaction it is currently 10,52 % per year, plus the 40 € flat fee. The derivation and a worked example are in calculating default interest.
What changes with a client abroad
Inside the EU, the Late Payment Directive (2011/7/EU) sets a floor for business transactions: at least eight percentage points above the reference rate, plus a flat fee of at least 40 euros. Germany’s 9 points sit above that — the directive is the floor, not the ceiling.
Three things matter more in practice than the rate. Name the applicable law and jurisdiction explicitly in your quote or terms — enforcement gets expensive without it. State the currency in every reminder, not just on the invoice. And allow a few banking days for transfers from outside the EU before escalating: a reminder that overtakes a payment already in flight costs more goodwill than it recovers.
Last updated 28 August 2026. This article is general information and does not replace legal advice — with cross-border claims in particular, the applicable law is worth checking.