Calculate the interest and compensation due
Choose the country whose law governs the contract (usually the seller's), then enter the invoice amount and the dates.
- Rule
- ECB main refinancing rate + 8 points
- Rate
- 10.40% a year from 1 July to 31 December 2026
ECB main refinancing rate in force on 1 July 2026: 2.40% (set from 17 June 2026) - Fixed compensation
- €40 per late invoice (VÕS § 113¹). Recovery costs above that amount can be claimed as well.
Sources: VÕS § 113 · Eesti Pank · ECB rates. Checked against the official texts on 26 September 2026.
Interest per day on a 365-day year (360 in Bulgaria), each part of the delay at the statutory rate for its half-year. Rates marked * are ones you entered.
How the calculation works
The statutory rate is an annual rate, reset every half-year. The calculator applies it per day of delay and adds the fixed compensation once per invoice.
Interest = amount × annual rate × days late / 365, for each half-year of the delay
Example (Estonia): an invoice of €15,000, due on 15 July 2026, paid on 29 August 2026: 45 days late
Rate: 10.40% a year (from 1 July to 31 December 2026)
Interest = 15,000 × 0.1040 × 45 / 365 = €192.33
Plus the fixed compensation of €40: total = €232.33
If the delay runs past 30 June or 31 December, the days after that date take the next half-year's rate.
Late-payment interest in the 21 euro-area countries
Every euro-area country applies Directive 2011/7/EU, which sets a floor of the ECB rate + 8 points and a fixed €40 per late invoice. Several go further: for the current half-year the statutory rate runs from 10.40% to 12.40% a year.
| Country | Rule | Rate now | Fixed compensation | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | OeNB base rate + 9.2 points§ 456 UGB | 10.73%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Belgium | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 points, rounded up to the next half pointLaw of 2 August 2002, art. 5 | 10.50%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Bulgaria | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsDecree 426/2014; Commerce Act, art. 309a | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Croatia | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsZakon o obveznim odnosima, čl. 29 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Cyprus | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsLaw 123(I)/2012, s. 5 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Estonia | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsVÕS § 113 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Finland | Finnish reference rate + 8 pointsKorkolaki 633/1982, 4 a § | 10.50%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| France | ECB main refinancing rate + 10 pointsCode de commerce, art. L441-10 | 12.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Germany | Bundesbank base rate + 9 points§ 288(2) BGB | 10.52%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Greece | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsLaw 4152/2013, par. Z | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Ireland | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsS.I. No. 580/2012, reg. 5 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 to €100 | Law · Rate |
| Italy | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsD.Lgs. 231/2002, art. 5 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Latvia | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsCivillikums, art. 1765 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Lithuania | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsLaw IX-1873, art. 3(2) | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Luxembourg | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsLaw of 18 April 2004, art. 3 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Malta | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsCommercial Code (Cap. 13), art. 26C | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Netherlands | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsBW art. 6:119a | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Portugal | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsDL 62/2013; Código Comercial, art. 102.º | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Slovakia | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsObchodný zákonník § 369; NV 21/2013 § 1 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Slovenia | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsZPOMZO-1, 2. člen | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
| Spain | ECB main refinancing rate + 8 pointsLey 3/2004, art. 7 | 10.40%from 1 July to 31 December 2026 | €40 | Law · Rate |
Rules checked against the official texts on 26 September 2026. Rates from the Advanta jurisdiction registry, each with its official source; they change on 1 January and 1 July. This page is information, not legal advice.
How to claim late-payment interest
The interest and the compensation are due by law, but you still have to claim them. Three steps:
Send a statement
List the invoice, the days late, the interest and the fixed compensation, with your IBAN. A debit note works too.
Set a final deadline
Give a date, for example 15 days, by a means you can prove: a registered letter or an email with acknowledgement of receipt.
Go to court if needed
For an undisputed debt, many countries have a fast order-for-payment procedure. For a debtor in another EU country there is the European order for payment (Regulation (EC) No 1896/2006).
How to avoid paying late-payment interest
If it is your company that has to pay suppliers, these are the best practices to avoid incurring late-payment interest:
Use confirming
With confirming, a bank or funder pays your suppliers within the agreed term, so an oversight or a temporary cash gap doesn't turn into a late payment.
Learn more about confirming →Negotiate realistic terms
When signing contracts, negotiate payment terms you can comfortably meet, taking your collection cycle (DSO) into account. A DPO higher than your DSO creates treasury pressure.
Calculate DPO →Set up due-date alerts
Many cases of late payment come down to simply forgetting. Set up automatic alerts 5 and 2 days before supplier invoices fall due so you are never caught by surprise.
Manage it on the Advanta platform →Frequently asked questions
Pay suppliers on time, repay later
With confirming, a bank or funder pays your suppliers within the legal term, and your company repays in 60 to 90 days. Advanta prepares the file; it is not a guarantor.