An open invoice, no money from the customer – most freelancers in Switzerland know the feeling. But what reminder fees can you actually charge? The short answer: In Switzerland there is no law prescribing a fixed amount. The usual range is CHF 10.00 to CHF 40.00 per reminder stage, with the first payment reminder usually free. The legal basis is OR Art. 105, which governs compensation for default. Reminder fees are therefore damages for default – not a flat-rate charge, but a cost-recovery claim that must be reasonable.

In this guide we walk through how much you can charge per reminder stage, how the 3-stage process works, and what happens when the customer rejects the fees. With templates, CHF examples, and practical tips for self-employed, sole proprietorships, and small businesses.

The Most Important Points at a Glance

• Payment reminder: usually free – the first reminder after the deadline is a courtesy, not a fee obligation.
• 1st reminder: CHF 10.00 to CHF 20.00 – the first official reminder can include a reasonable fee.
• 2nd reminder: CHF 20.00 to CHF 40.00 – the second reminder is more expensive and often combined with a threat of debt collection (Betreibung).
• Reminder fees are subject to VAT (MWST) – if you are VAT-liable, you must add 8.1% VAT on top of the fee.
• Legal basis: OR Art. 105 – reminder fees are damages for default, not a statutory flat rate.

What Are Reminder Fees in Switzerland?

Reminder fees are costs that a creditor can bill to a debtor when a due invoice is not paid and a reminder needs to be sent. In Switzerland – unlike in Germany with its statutory reminder fee regulation – there is no fixed catalogue. This means: you can charge reminder fees, but the amount must be "reasonable" and cover the actual costs incurred.

The legal basis can be found in the Code of Obligations (OR) on admin.ch. Specifically, two articles are relevant:

• OR Art. 102 governs default. As soon as the debtor fails to pay after the due date, they are in default – and the creditor can claim damages.
• OR Art. 105 defines that the debtor in default is liable for all damage arising from the default. This includes postage costs, administrative effort, and reminder fees.

Important: Reminder fees are not a "fine." They are a cost-recovery claim. This means the amount must be justifiable. Anyone who demands CHF 150.00 for a simple reminder must be able to justify it in court – and that will be difficult.

Difference from a Payment Reminder

The payment reminder is the friendly preliminary stage: "You may have forgotten to pay, here is the invoice again." It is not a reminder in the legal sense and should not include a fee. The first reminder, on the other hand, is a formal request with a deadline and can include reminder fees.

This distinction is important. Anyone who immediately starts with a fee-bearing reminder comes across as rude and weakens their position if the customer had a legitimate question about the invoice. The payment reminder gives the customer a fair chance to correct the mistake.

How Much Reminder Fees Can You Charge in Switzerland?

Since there is no law with fixed rates, freelancers orient themselves on practice. The following amounts have become established as reasonable and are generally accepted by Swiss courts:

These amounts are guidelines, not legal requirements. What is "reasonable" depends on the effort involved. Anyone who sends a simple email will struggle to justify CHF 40.00. Anyone who sends a registered letter with research of the current address and a phone follow-up has a better argument for higher amounts.

VAT on Reminder Fees

Yes, reminder fees are subject to VAT (MWST) – provided you are VAT-liable yourself. The VAT rate in Switzerland is currently 8.1%. This means: CHF 20.00 reminder fee plus 8.1% VAT = CHF 21.62 total. The FTA (Federal Tax Administration) confirms that reminder fees are treated as an ancillary service belonging to the main service – they are therefore subject to the same VAT rate as the original invoice.

Practical tip: Show the VAT on the reminder separately, just as on the original invoice. This is clean, transparent, and prevents discussions.

Mini-Story: Sarah, Graphic Designer from Zurich

Sarah, a graphic designer from Zurich, invoiced CHF 3,200.00 for a web design project. The payment deadline was 30 days. After it lapsed, she waited a week, then sent a friendly payment reminder without a fee. After another 14 days without payment, the first reminder followed with a CHF 15.00 reminder fee plus 8.1% VAT. The customer ultimately paid the invoice amount plus the fee – a total of CHF 3,236.23. Sarah justified the fee with a brief note about the administrative effort. No back-and-forth, no discussion.

The 3-Stage Process: Payment Reminder, 1st Reminder, 2nd Reminder

A clean reminder process follows a clear structure. Three stages have proven themselves in Swiss practice. Here's how to proceed:

Stage 1: Payment Reminder (Day 30–35 after invoice date)

The payment reminder is friendly, free, and without a deadline. It assumes the customer forgot – not that they don't want to pay.

Content:

• Reference to the open invoice with number and amount
• Original invoice attached
• Request for payment within 7 days
• No fee, no threat

Example text: "Dear Ms./Mr. X, our invoice No. 2026-0142 of 01.07.2026 for CHF 3,200.00 is unfortunately still open. The payment may have slipped through. We kindly ask you to transfer the amount within 7 days. The invoice is attached again. Many thanks for your efforts."

Stage 2: 1st Reminder (Day 40–45 after invoice date)

If the payment reminder is fruitless, the first reminder follows. Now it gets formal. The first reminder in Switzerland can include a CHF 10.00 to CHF 20.00 reminder fee.

Content:

• Clear designation as "1st Reminder"
• Invoice number, original amount, and reminder fee
• Payment deadline: 10 days
• Reference to further steps (2nd reminder, debt collection)

Example text: "1st Reminder. Despite our payment reminder of date, invoice No. 2026-0142 for CHF 3,200.00 remains unpaid. We request you to transfer the amount incl. reminder fee of CHF 15.00 plus 8.1% VAT (CHF 1.22) – total CHF 3,216.22 – by date + 10 days at the latest. Should you fail to pay by then, we reserve the right to take further steps."

Stage 3: 2nd Reminder (Day 50–55 after invoice date)

The second reminder is the last one before debt collection (Betreibung). The fee here can be CHF 20.00 to CHF 40.00. Now you threaten debt collection.

Content:

• Designation as "2nd Reminder" or "Final Reminder"
• Original amount plus first and second reminder fee
• Short deadline: 5 to 7 days
• Clear threat of debt collection

Example text: "2nd Reminder – Final Request. Invoice No. 2026-0142 for CHF 3,200.00 remains unpaid after two reminders. Total claim incl. reminder fees: CHF 3,248.44 (CHF 3,200.00 + CHF 15.00 + CHF 25.00 + VAT). We are giving you a final deadline until date + 5 days. After expiry, we will initiate debt collection without further notice."

Mini-Story: Marco, Carpenter from Lucerne

Marco, a carpenter from Lucerne, delivered a solid wood table package to a customer. The final invoice was CHF 6,800.00. After 30 days, the customer hadn't responded. Marco sent a payment reminder – no response. After 14 days, the first reminder with a CHF 20.00 fee – no response. After another 10 days, the second reminder with a CHF 30.00 fee and threat of debt collection. The customer then called: "Sorry, invoice went to the spam folder." He transferred the total of CHF 6,859.45 incl. reminder fees and VAT. Marco didn't reduce the fees – the customer accepted them without discussion.

Showing Reminder Fees Correctly on the Invoice

The VAT question is the most common stumbling block with reminder fees. Here are the key points:

Reminder fees are an ancillary service to the main service. This means: if the original invoice was subject to VAT, the reminder fee is also subject to VAT. The rate is the same – currently 8.1% for standard services, 3.8% for accommodation services, 2.5% for reduced rates.

How to show VAT:

1st Reminder
Invoice No. 2026-0142 of 01.07.2026

Open invoice amount:           CHF 3,000.00
1st reminder fee:               CHF    15.00
8.1% VAT on reminder fee:       CHF     1.22
─────────────────────────────────────────
Total due:                      CHF 3,016.22

Important: The VAT on the reminder fee is shown separately. The original invoice amount incl. VAT remains unchanged – you are only claiming the net invoice amount (if the invoice was already shown incl. VAT, the VAT there remains unchanged) plus the new reminder fee incl. VAT.

Keeping Track of VAT Settlement

If you are VAT-liable, you must account for and remit VAT – including on reminder fees. The VAT on the reminder fee must be recorded in the next VAT return. Use invoicing software that handles this automatically, so you can submit VAT online without forgetting the reminder fees.

Mini-Story: Lisa, Web Designer from Basel

Lisa, a web designer from Basel, invoiced reminder fees without VAT disclosure for over a year. "I thought it was like postage – a cost-recovery flat rate without VAT." When her accountant reviewed the VAT return, it turned out that VAT was missing on around CHF 400.00 of reminder fees per year. Lisa had to recalculate and pay the missing VAT of around CHF 32.40. No drama, but an annoying mistake. Since then, she correctly shows VAT on every reminder.

What to Do When the Customer Doesn't Pay Reminder Fees?

Sometimes the customer pays the main invoice but removes the reminder fees. Or they pay nothing at all. What then?

Case 1: Customer Pays Main Invoice, Removes Reminder Fees

This is the most common case. The customer transfers CHF 3,000.00 but leaves out the CHF 15.00 reminder fee. What to do?

Pragmatic approach: Accept it and note the incident. For CHF 15.00, it's not worth initiating debt collection. But: if the customer is late again, you can charge a higher fee on the next reminder or apply a stricter reminder strategy.

In principle: Reminder fees are legally enforceable. But the effort is often out of proportion. Initiating debt collection for CHF 15.00 rarely makes sense. Debt collection costs you as a creditor an advance of CHF 30.00 to CHF 100.00, which you do get back, but the administrative effort for small amounts is usually not worthwhile.

Case 2: Customer Pays Nothing at All

If the customer still hasn't paid after the second reminder – neither the main invoice nor the reminder fees – it's time for debt collection. The total amount (invoice amount + reminder fees + VAT) can be entered in the debt collection request.

At the same time, you can calculate default interest and claim it. The default interest rate in Switzerland is currently 5% per year (SNB reference rate plus 5%, see OR Art. 73). Default interest is a different type of cost from the reminder fee – it runs from the due date, not from the reminder.

Case 3: Customer Disputes the Claim

If the customer disputes the claim – "I'm not satisfied with the service" – you first need to clarify whether the invoice was correct. An incorrect invoice gives the customer a right of retention. In this case, you should review the invoice and, if necessary, issue a corrected invoice before charging reminder fees.

If the invoice is correct and the customer disputes the claim without justification, you can initiate debt collection. The customer will then raise a legal objection, and you will have to take the court route.

Mini-Story: Thomas, IT Consultant from Bern

Thomas, an IT consultant from Bern, had a customer with a CHF 4,500.00 open invoice. After the second reminder, the customer paid CHF 4,500.00 – but without the CHF 40.00 reminder fees. Thomas accepted the payment but didn't remove the reminder fees from his system. Three months later, the same customer had another open invoice. This time Thomas charged CHF 30.00 reminder fee already on the first reminder – with a note about the previous late payment. The customer paid without discussion. The lesson: anyone who consistently charges reminder fees faces fewer late payments.

Automating Reminder Fees with Software

Anyone who sends reminders with paper, Excel, and Word spends valuable time on administrative tasks. Invoicing software can automate the entire reminder process – including reminder fees.

What Good Software Should Do

• Automatic reminders after the deadline
• Tiered system with individual deadlines and fees
• VAT disclosure automatically correct
• QR-bill (QR-Rechnung) with correct QR-IBAN on every reminder
• Logging of every reminder step for evidence
• Document templates for payment reminder, 1st and 2nd reminder

Magic Heidi vs. Manual Reminders

With Magic Heidi you don't just create invoices, but also reminders with a few clicks. The software:

• Automatically sends payment reminders and reminders based on your rules
• Correctly shows reminder fees and VAT
• Creates a correct QR-bill as a reminder – with reference number and correct QR-IBAN
• Documents every reminder step for later evidence
• Offers invoice templates for all stages

The alternative: Word, Excel, manual VAT calculation, printed payment slip, stamped envelope. For a single reminder, that's 20 to 30 minutes of work. With several open items per month, the hours add up.

Cost Comparison

Magic Heidi starts at CHF 25.00 per month. This lets you create unlimited invoices, reminders, and payment reminders. View pricing. Anyone who compares quickly sees: cheaper than bexio at CHF 52.00/month, and the reminder system is included.

Mini-Story: Anna, Photographer from Geneva

Anna, a freelance photographer from Geneva, used to write every reminder in Word and calculate VAT manually. She spent 30 minutes per reminder. With 5 to 8 open items per month, that was 3 to 4 hours of pure reminder work. Since using Magic Heidi, the reminder process runs automatically: the software detects open invoices, sends the reminder after 7 days and the first reminder after 14 days – incl. correct reminder fee and VAT. Anna even increased the reminder fees to CHF 20.00 for the first and CHF 35.00 for the second reminder, because the software handles it automatically. Since then, she spends zero time on reminder work and collects on average CHF 80.00 in reminder fees per month that she never used to charge.

Conclusion: Reminder Fees in Switzerland – Legally Sound and Pragmatic

Reminder fees in Switzerland are not a complex area of law, but there are a few rules you should know. Since there is no law with fixed amounts, the principle is: reasonable, justifiable, subject to VAT. CHF 10.00 to CHF 40.00 per reminder stage is common and accepted. The first payment reminder is free.

The key lies in the system: anyone with a clean reminder process – with clear deadlines, documented steps, and correct VAT disclosure – will less often have to wait for unpaid invoices. Customers pay faster when they know that reminders follow consistently.

With Magic Heidi you automate the entire process. Create invoices, send reminders, prepare debt collection – all from one software. Try it out: Try Magic Heidi, starting at CHF 25.00 per month. And if a customer absolutely won't pay, you now know how to initiate debt collection.