Unpaid invoices are everyday business in the trades, and usually there’s no bad intent behind it: the invoice is buried under a pile of paper, or the email landed in spam. A clean dunning process gets the money in without damaging the customer relationship. Here’s how to go about it.
The legal situation in brief
- There is no obligation to send three reminders. The three-stage model is convention, not law.
- The customer is in default from the reminder (Art. 102 Para. 1 OR). Without a reminder only if you agreed on a fixed due date beforehand, for example a set payment date in the accepted quote or the contract (Art. 102 Para. 2 OR); a payment term that only appears on the invoice generally does not replace the reminder. Once in default, you may charge 5% default interest (Art. 104 OR).
- You may only charge reminder fees if they were contractually agreed, for example in your terms and conditions or on the quote.
- If the customer still doesn’t pay despite reminders, debt collection follows: a collection request filed with the debt collection office at the debtor’s place of residence.
The proven three-stage process
You can fill in every template on this page with your own details directly in the dunning letter generator, print it or download it as a Word file; it also includes a default interest calculator.
Stage 1: Payment reminder (around 10 days after the due date)
Friendly, brief, with a copy of the invoice and a new QR payment slip:
Dear Mr. Example
You may simply have missed it: our invoice no. 2026-041 dated 12 June 2026 for CHF 2’480.00 is still outstanding. You’ll find it attached again. Could we ask you to transfer the amount in the next few days? If our payments have crossed in transit, please disregard this letter.
Kind regards
Stage 2: Reminder with a final deadline (about 10 days later)
Firmer in tone, with a clear deadline:
Dear Mr. Example
Despite our payment reminder of 22 July 2026, invoice no. 2026-041 for CHF 2’480.00 remains outstanding. We ask you to transfer the amount by 15 August 2026. Should payment not arrive by then, we will unfortunately be forced to take further steps and charge default interest.
Kind regards
Stage 3: Final reminder with notice of debt collection
Dear Mr. Example
Invoice no. 2026-041 for CHF 2’480.00 remains outstanding despite two reminders. We are giving you a final deadline until 29 August 2026. After that we will initiate debt collection without further notice. The costs involved will be charged to you.
Kind regards
If that also fails, file the debt collection request. Today this can be done online through an eSchKG provider or with the form of the responsible debt collection office; the advance costs depend on the amount claimed and are charged to the debtor.
What really makes the process tedious
It’s not writing the reminder that costs nerves, it’s keeping track: who received what and when, which payment has since arrived, which deadline is about to expire? This is exactly where software helps. In MeisterOffice, payment reconciliation for the QR invoice matches incoming payments automatically. For overdue invoices, the AI suggests a fully worded text matching the right reminder stage; you review it, adjust it if needed, and send it with one click. Nothing gets forgotten, and the tone stays professional, even when your pulse rises looking at the accounts receivable list.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to send the reminder by registered mail? No. But for the final reminder before debt collection, registered mail is advisable as evidence.
Can I just call regular customers instead of sending a reminder? Absolutely, even better. A quick call clears up many cases faster than any letter. Just note the outcome briefly in writing afterward.
How long can I pursue a claim? Claims from trade work lapse after five years. Details on this in the guide Writing invoices as a tradesperson.
What if the customer disputes the invoice? Then it’s not a dunning case, it’s a complaint. Resolve the objection first; pursuing debt collection over a justified complaint does more harm than good.