Germany late-payment interest (Verzugszinsen) calculator

How much interest an outstanding claim costs since default in Germany, with the Bundesbank base rate for each half-year and the €40 flat fee where it is due to you.

Late-payment interest

€37.39

on €1,000.00 for 214 days, from Mar 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2026

Interest rate 6.27% to 6.52%
5 points above the base rate
no flat fee

On €1,000.00, late-payment interest accrues for 214 days: €37.39. The default interest rate is the Bundesbank base rate plus 5 percentage points (6.27% to 6.52%); it changes on 1 January and 1 July (BGB §§ 247 and 288).

Together with the claim it is €1,037.39. There is no interest on interest (BGB § 289).

Default does not occur by itself: through a reminder after the due date, without a reminder for a date fixed by the calendar, and at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice; toward consumers only if the invoice points this out (BGB § 286).
The page counts the first and last day and calculates with 365 days a year; a court or a lawyer may round the cent differently. You can additionally claim higher interest on another legal basis and further damage (BGB § 288 paras. 3 and 4).

I’m not an accountant or a financial advisor. This is an estimate, for information only. Check with a professional before you decide.

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Outstanding claim

The amount owed without interest and without dunning costs. There is no default interest on interest (BGB § 289).

Who owes whom?

The interest rate depends on whether a consumer is involved: otherwise nine instead of five percentage points above the base rate apply, but only for claims for payment (BGB § 288 paras. 1 and 2). The €40 flat fee exists if the debtor is not a consumer (BGB § 288 para. 5).

The debtor is a consumer5 points, no flat feeBoth are businesses9 points and €40 flat feeCreditor private, debtor a business5 points and €40 flat fee

Is it a claim for payment (Entgeltforderung)?

A claim for payment for goods or services, for example an invoice. For a loan or for damages, five points and no flat fee always apply.

YesNo

Interest from (inclusive): day

The first day of default: after a reminder the day after, with a due date fixed by the calendar the day after the date (BGB § 286).

Interest from: month

Interest from: year

Interest until (inclusive): day

The last day for which interest applies, for example the day before the payment arrives. The base rate is known up to December 31, 2026.

Interest until: month

Interest until: year

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The interest per half-year

Period	Interest rate	Days	Interest
Mar 1, 2026 to Jun 30, 2026	1.27% + 5 = 6.27%	122	€20.96
Jul 1, 2026 to Sep 30, 2026	1.52% + 5 = 6.52%	92	€16.43
Total		214	€37.39

How it works

A money debt bears interest during default. The default interest rate is five percentage points above the base rate for the year; for legal transactions without a consumer it is nine percentage points above it for claims for payment (BGB § 288 paras. 1 and 2). In addition, for claims for payment against a debtor who is not a consumer there is a flat fee of €40 (para. 5).
The base rate changes on 1 January and 1 July of each year (BGB § 247); the Deutsche Bundesbank announces it. The page splits the period at these dates and calculates each half-year with its rate: claim × interest rate × days ÷ 365, rounded to the cent.

Worked example

A claim of €1,000 against a consumer, interest from 01.03. to 30.09.2026: from 01.03. to 30.06. 1.27% + 5 = 6.27% for 122 days = €20.96, from 01.07. to 30.09. 1.52% + 5 = 6.52% for 92 days = €16.43. Together that is €37.39 of interest for 214 days.

Sources

Text checked on October 6, 2026

Good to know

Default interest exists only during default: it usually begins with a reminder after the due date, with a due date fixed by the calendar without a reminder, at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice (BGB § 286). Toward consumers the 30-day rule applies only if the invoice points it out.
The €40 flat fee is compensation for the effort of collection and is credited against later costs of legal enforcement (BGB § 288 para. 5).
The page knows the base rates up to December 31, 2026: the rate from January 1, 2027 is announced by the Bundesbank after that date.
If you have agreed higher interest with the debtor, you can claim it (BGB § 288 para. 3): this calculator uses only the statutory rate.

Frequently asked questions

How high is the default interest?

The Bundesbank base rate plus five percentage points, for claims for payment between businesses plus nine; the base rate has been 1.52% since July 1, 2026 (BGB § 288, Bundesbank).

From when does default interest run?

From default: after a reminder, after a calendar date or at the latest 30 days after the due date and invoice (BGB § 286).

Is the €40 flat fee also due against consumers?

No: it is due to the creditor of a claim for payment only if the debtor is not a consumer (BGB § 288 para. 5).

How often does the base rate change?

On 1 January and 1 July of every year (BGB § 247).

Can default interest be negative?

The base rate was negative from 2013 to mid-2022, most recently minus 0.88%; with the surcharge of five or nine points the default interest rate stayed positive.