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Calculate to the day what you're owed when an invoice is overdue: statutory German default interest under §288 BGB plus the €40 flat fee — free, no sign-up.
The base rate under §247 BGB currently stands at 1.52 % (since 7/1/2026). That puts statutory default interest at 6.52 % for consumer transactions (+5 percentage points) and 10.52 % for business-to-business transactions (+9 percentage points).
Interest accrues from the day after default begins through the payment date inclusive (§187 BGB), counted per day with 365/366 interest days per calendar year. No warranty — this is not legal advice.
The Deutsche Bundesbank adjusts the base rate every 1 January and 1 July. Here is the full history since 2015, including the resulting default interest rates:
| Effective from | Base rate | Consumer default rate (+5 pts) | B2B default rate (+9 pts) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7/1/2026 | 1.52 % | 6.52 % | 10.52 % |
| 1/1/2026 | 1.27 % | 6.27 % | 10.27 % |
| 7/1/2025 | 1.27 % | 6.27 % | 10.27 % |
| 1/1/2025 | 2.27 % | 7.27 % | 11.27 % |
| 7/1/2024 | 3.37 % | 8.37 % | 12.37 % |
| 1/1/2024 | 3.62 % | 8.62 % | 12.62 % |
| 7/1/2023 | 3.12 % | 8.12 % | 12.12 % |
| 1/1/2023 | 1.62 % | 6.62 % | 10.62 % |
| 7/1/2022 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2022 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2021 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2021 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2020 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2020 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2019 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2019 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2018 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2018 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2017 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2017 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 7/1/2016 | -0.88 % | 4.12 % | 8.12 % |
| 1/1/2016 | -0.83 % | 4.17 % | 8.17 % |
| 7/1/2015 | -0.83 % | 4.17 % | 8.17 % |
| 1/1/2015 | -0.83 % | 4.17 % | 8.17 % |
Source: Deutsche Bundesbank, base rate under §247 BGB. Current value since 1 July 2026: 1.52%.
Default interest is set by statute — you don't need a contract clause for it. These are the three provisions to know:
Through a payment reminder after the due date — or automatically without one if a calendar payment date was agreed (“payable by 15 Sep”). For payment claims, default begins at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice; for consumers only if the invoice explicitly points this out.
Base rate + 5 percentage points for consumer transactions, + 9 percentage points for transactions with no consumer involved. The base rate (§247 BGB) is adjusted twice a year — longer defaults therefore span changing rates.
If your debtor is not a consumer, you are additionally entitled to a €40 flat compensation fee — per late payment, no proof of damage required. It is credited against later legal enforcement costs (e.g. debt collection, lawyers).
All information without warranty; this tool is not legal advice. Rate data as of 1 July 2026 (Deutsche Bundesbank).
Since 1 July 2026 the base rate under §247 BGB stands at 1.52 %. Statutory default interest is therefore 6.52 % for consumer transactions and 10.52 % between businesses. In the first half of 2026 the base rate was 1.27%.
From the start of default under §286 BGB: after a payment reminder, automatically where a calendar payment date was agreed — or at the latest 30 days after the due date and receipt of the invoice (for consumers only with a corresponding notice on the invoice). Interest accrues from the day after default begins.
A reference rate published by the Deutsche Bundesbank and adjusted every 1 January and 1 July, tracking the interest rate of the ECB's most recent main refinancing operation. It is the basis of all statutory default interest in Germany. Currently: 1.52% (since 1 July 2026).
For every late payment of a monetary claim where the debtor is not a consumer (§288 (5) BGB) — no proof of damage needed, on top of the default interest. The fee is credited against later enforcement costs and, per the Federal Labour Court, does not apply in employment law.
To the day: amount × rate × days in default ÷ 365 (÷ 366 in leap years). The day default begins does not count (§187 BGB); the payment day does. If the base rate changes during the default period, each half-year is calculated separately — exactly how this calculator works.
Not always. With a calendar payment date (“payable by 15 Sep”) the debtor is in default without any reminder. Without a fixed date you need a reminder — or you wait out the 30-day period of §286 (3) BGB. With cashwerk, payment reminders and dunning levels run automatically.
cashwerk dunns automatically: configurable escalation levels from a friendly payment reminder to the final notice — including legally accurate default interest under §247 BGB, PDF and e-mail dispatch.