Dunning in Austria: recover your money politely

The standard practice: 3 levels

Austrian dunning culture is polite and gradual:

1. Zahlungserinnerung — a friendly reminder a few days after the due date. Tone: "surely it escaped your attention".
2. 2nd Mahnung — firmer, with a new payment deadline (usually 7–14 days).
3. 3rd Mahnung — final notice, mentioning legal steps (Mahnklage, collections).

Default interest

For B2B, statutory default interest is substantial (base rate + 9.2 percentage points) — even mentioning it works. For B2C the general rate is 4%.

When to send?

Most invoices get paid within days of the first polite reminder — most delays are simple forgetfulness. The most effective strategy is fast, consistent, automatic reminders.

Automate it

Billtree Pro does exactly this: overdue invoices get escalating German-language reminders (up to 3 levels) according to your Mahnfrist. You just watch the money arrive.

Tip: put an IBAN and an EPC QR code on your invoices — the easier it is to pay, the fewer reminders you need.