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Late Payment Interest Calculator 2026

Calculate German statutory default interest (§ 288 BGB) for one or several unpaid invoices: to the day, with the base rate valid for each period and the €40 flat fee between businesses.

100% freeNo data storedBase rate 1.52% since 1 Jul 2026

Current base rate: 1.52% (since 01/07/2026)

Default interest today: 6.52% p.a. for consumers (+5 percentage points) and 10.52% p.a. for payment claims between businesses (+9 percentage points). This calculator is not legal advice.

Debtor & rate

Who owes the money?

Unpaid invoices

Invoice 1
€
Invoice 2
€

Start of default & end date

The date of each invoice is …
Total default interest

€302.92

2 invoice(s) · until 24/09/2026 · surcharge +9 percentage points

Principal

€6,050.00

Flat fees

€80.00

Total claim

€6,432.92

Interest per day (current)

€1.74

Rate on end date: 10.52 %

Result per invoice

No.AmountDefault fromDaysInterestFlat fee
1€4,800.0016/03/2026192€262.10€40.00
2€1,250.0002/06/2026114€40.82€40.00
Total€6,050.00192€302.92€80.00
Invoice 1: Show periods (2)
PeriodDaysDefault rateInterest
16/03/2026 – 30/06/20261071.27 + 9 = 10.27 %€144.51
01/07/2026 – 23/09/2026851.52 + 9 = 10.52 %€117.59
Invoice 2: Show periods (2)
PeriodDaysDefault rateInterest
02/06/2026 – 30/06/2026291.27 + 9 = 10.27 %€10.20
01/07/2026 – 23/09/2026851.52 + 9 = 10.52 %€30.62

Split by base-rate half-year

The base rate changes on 1 January and 1 July. Each invoice is therefore split on these dates and every period is calculated with its own rate.

Half-yearBase rateDefault rateDaysInterest
H1 20261.27 %10.27 %136€154.71
H2 20261.52 %10.52 %170€148.21

Period values are rounded; the total per invoice is formed from the unrounded values.

Default interest per half-year

How it is calculated

Interest = amount · rate · days / (100 · 365)

Example invoice 1, first period: 16/03/2026 – 30/06/2026 (01/07/2026 not counted)

4,800 · 10.27 · 107 / 36,500 =€144.51

Assumptions & notes

  • Calculated to the day with 365 days per year (act/365), the method most commonly used for § 288 BGB in practice. Some calculators divide by 366 in leap years; the difference is a few cents to euros.
  • The first day of default is counted, the day the payment is received is not. After a reminder, interest is widely considered to run from the day after it was received (§ 187(1) BGB by analogy).
  • Default interest is simple interest: no default interest is charged on interest (§ 289 BGB). Part payments are not considered here; under § 367 BGB they are applied first to costs, then to interest and last to the principal.
  • Non-binding calculation, not legal advice. Whether and when default occurred depends on the individual case. Higher contractual interest (§ 288(3) BGB) and further damages are not included.

German base rate table since 2002

Every value of the base rate under § 247 BGB since it was introduced on 1 January 2002, with the resulting default interest rates. The “Business” column applies to obligations from 29 Jul 2014; before that it was 8 instead of 9 percentage points. Source: Deutsche Bundesbank, as of 24/09/2026.

valid fromBase rateConsumer (+5)Business (+9)
01/07/20261.52 %6.52 %10.52 %
01/01/20261.27 %6.27 %10.27 %
01/07/20251.27 %6.27 %10.27 %
01/01/20252.27 %7.27 %11.27 %
01/07/20243.37 %8.37 %12.37 %
01/01/20243.62 %8.62 %12.62 %
01/07/20233.12 %8.12 %12.12 %
01/01/20231.62 %6.62 %10.62 %
01/07/2022-0.88 %4.12 %8.12 %
01/01/2022-0.88 %4.12 %8.12 %
01/07/2021-0.88 %4.12 %8.12 %
01/01/2021-0.88 %4.12 %8.12 %
Source at Deutsche Bundesbank

Base rate and default interest over time

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Guide: Late Payment Interest in Germany

Start of default, base rate, flat fee and reminders explained

Calculating Late Payment Interest in Germany 2026: The Complete Guide to § 288 BGBFeatured

Calculating Late Payment Interest in Germany 2026: The Complete Guide to § 288 BGB

When default begins, how high the rate is, how to calculate to the day across several half-years, and what applies to several invoices and the €40 flat fee.

2026-09-247 min read
When Is a Debtor in Default? Reminder, Payment Deadline and the 30-Day Rule

When Is a Debtor in Default? Reminder, Payment Deadline and the 30-Day Rule

The three routes into default under § 286 BGB with concrete date examples, the special case of consumers and typical mistakes when counting deadlines.

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The German Base Rate Since 2002: How It Is Set and What It Means for Default Interest

The German Base Rate Since 2002: How It Is Set and What It Means for Default Interest

How the base rate under § 247 BGB is calculated, why it was negative for years and why old claims have to be calculated half-year by half-year.

2026-09-243 min read
The €40 Late Payment Flat Fee: When Businesses Can Claim It

The €40 Late Payment Flat Fee: When Businesses Can Claim It

Requirements of the flat fee under § 288(5) BGB, why it applies per invoice, how it is set off against legal costs and when it does not apply.

2026-09-243 min read
Claiming Late Payment Interest: Reminders, Part Payments, Court Dunning and Limitation

Claiming Late Payment Interest: Reminders, Part Payments, Court Dunning and Limitation

What belongs in a reminder, how part payments are applied under § 367 BGB, what a court payment order does and when interest claims become time-barred.

2026-09-244 min read

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Frequently asked questions

Since 1 July 2026 the German base rate has been 1.52%. This gives 6.52% per year where a consumer is involved (base rate + 5 percentage points, § 288(1) BGB) and 10.52% per year for payment claims between businesses (+9 percentage points, § 288(2) BGB). In the first half of 2026 the base rate was 1.27%, so the rates were 6.27% and 10.27%. The next change is due on 1 January 2027.

Default interest = outstanding amount · rate · days in default / (100 · 365). Example: €1,200 is in default from 1 Feb 2026 and a consumer pays on 1 May 2026. That is 89 days at 6.27%: 1,200 · 6.27 · 89 / 36,500 = €18.35. If the default runs past 1 January or 1 July, you calculate each period with its own base rate and add the results. The calculator above does this split automatically.

From the start of default (§ 286 BGB). That is either when a reminder sent after the due date is received, or the day after a payment deadline fixed by the calendar (e.g. “payable by 31 March”), or at the latest day 31 after the due date and receipt of the invoice. After a reminder, interest is widely calculated from the following day. It runs until the money reaches the creditor.

Only with a notice. Under § 286(3) BGB a consumer only falls into default through the 30-day rule if the invoice specifically pointed out this consequence, e.g. “You will be in default at the latest 30 days after receipt of this invoice.” Without that notice, private customers usually need a reminder or a payment deadline fixed by the calendar.

If the debtor is not a consumer, the creditor of a payment claim can additionally demand €40 in case of default (§ 288(5) BGB), including for instalments and part payments. The fee applies per late claim, so three times for three invoices. It is set off against later legal costs such as lawyer fees. It does not exist for obligations that arose before 29 Jul 2014.

Twice a year, on 1 January and 1 July (§ 247 BGB). It changes by as many percentage points as the rate of the European Central Bank's most recent main refinancing operation has changed since the last adjustment. Deutsche Bundesbank publishes the new value in the Federal Gazette. The full table since 2002 is shown below the calculator.

No. Under § 289 BGB no default interest is payable on interest, so there is no compounding. Default interest is always calculated on the outstanding principal only. A provable further loss, such as expensive overdraft interest, can however be claimed as damage caused by the delay.

The 9 percentage point surcharge and the €40 flat fee only apply to obligations that arose after 28 July 2014 (Art. 229 § 34 EGBGB). For older transactions between businesses it stays at 8 percentage points above the base rate and without the flat fee. For continuing obligations the new law applies where the consideration is provided after 30 June 2016. You can select the old case with a tick box in the calculator.

The calculator counts actual calendar days and divides by 365 (act/365). That is the common method for default interest. The law itself does not prescribe a day-count method; it only speaks of the rate “per year”. Some programs divide by 366 in leap years: for €10,000 over the whole of 2024 (consumer) this gives €849.43 instead of €851.76.