Writing a payment notice in Switzerland
When a notice is needed, what it should contain, and what it does in law.
Allgemeine Information zur Schweizer Rechtslage, keine Rechtsberatung. Vor einer Betreibung lohnt sich der Blick auf den Vertrag und, wenn es darauf ankommt, auf eine Fachperson.
Notice and default
Under Art. 102 para. 1 CO the debtor is in default once a notice has been given. If a due date was agreed, default starts when that day ends, without a notice (Art. 102 para. 2 CO).
A payment reminder is not a term of art. It is the polite first letter. If there is no due date, the letter should clearly demand payment, or it is uncertain whether it counts as a notice under Art. 102 para. 1 CO.
What belongs in the letter
Sender, recipient, date, invoice number, original amount, due date, and the sum now demanded. The Swiss QR payment part makes the payment traceable.
Three stages have become usual: a friendly reminder, a firm notice, and a final notice that enforcement may follow. The statute does not require a fixed number of letters before enforcement.
Interest and fees
In default, 5% default interest a year is owed, Art. 104 para. 1 CO, unless a higher agreed rate continues (para. 2). Mahnly calculates openly on a 360-day year.
A flat reminder fee is not owed automatically. It needs a contractual basis or damages for delay under Art. 103 CO. Fault is presumed; the debtor can disprove it.