Payment reminder template with QR-bill

An invoice is overdue. Usually it was simply forgotten, and a friendly reminder is enough. Here is what goes into a reminder, how many reminders are usual in Switzerland, when reminder fees and late-payment interest are allowed, and how Scanbill creates the reminder with a new QR payment slip for the open amount.

Updated November 2026

The usual steps

The law does not say how many reminders you must send. Usual practice: a friendly reminder shortly after the due date, then a second, firmer one. If that has no effect, debt collection (Betreibung) follows. A deadline of 10 to 14 days per reminder is common.

Legally, even a friendly “payment reminder” counts as a formal demand for payment. With good customers, a quick call or e-mail before the first reminder often does the job.

What goes into a reminder

• The invoice number and date.
• The original amount and the amount still open, if part has already been paid.
• The original due date and a new payment deadline.
• The payment details, easiest as a new QR payment slip for the open amount.
• A line such as “If you have already paid, please disregard this reminder”.
• In the last reminder: a note that debt collection will follow otherwise.

Reminder fees and late-payment interest

There is no legal reminder fee. You may only charge fees if they were agreed with the customer in advance, for example in your terms and conditions, with an exact amount. A general line such as “reminder fees will be charged” is not enough.

Late-payment interest: a customer in default owes 5 % interest per year (Art. 104 of the Swiss Code of Obligations), a higher rate only if agreed. The customer is in default from a payment date fixed by agreement, otherwise from your reminder (Art. 102).

Scanbill puts only the open amount on the reminder, with no fees or interest. Scanbill does not give legal advice; for larger amounts, ask a professional.

If nothing arrives: debt collection

You file a debt collection request (Betreibungsbegehren) with the debt collection office where the customer lives or has its seat, for example online through EasyGov. You pay the costs in advance, usually CHF 50 to 100 for claims under CHF 10,000; if the claim is justified, the debtor bears them in the end. The customer can object within 10 days, and you then have to prove the claim.

Invoices generally become time-barred after 10 years, after 5 years for craft work, retail sales and certain other services (Art. 127 and 128).

Reminders with Scanbill

Every invoice you download with Scanbill appears under “Your invoices”. Once it is overdue, a “Reminder” button appears there. One click creates a PDF with a friendly reminder letter, a 10-day deadline and a new QR payment slip for the open amount, with the same reference as the invoice. Partial payments from your bank file are already deducted.

The second reminder mentions the date of the first. The envelope icon next to it sends the reminder straight by e-mail. Each reminder is noted with its date next to the invoice.

Didn’t create the invoice with Scanbill? Write the reminder in Word, save it as a PDF and use “Add to my PDF” to add a QR payment slip for the open amount.

How it works

1. Create your invoices with Scanbill and download them.
2. Load your bank file (camt.054) now and then: paid invoices are ticked off.
3. For an overdue invoice, click “Reminder” under “Your invoices”.
4. Send the PDF by post or e-mail. After 10 to 14 days, send the second reminder if needed.

Common questions