Chasing Late Invoices in Sweden: Reminders to Inkasso
By CodexierPublished 7 min read
Most late invoices are not fraud. They are forgotten, stuck in someone's approval queue or sent to the wrong address. That is why the best tool against late payment is not a debt collector but a boring, predictable routine: clear terms, reminders on fixed days, and a known point where the matter leaves your desk. This guide walks through that routine the Swedish way.
Clear payment terms from the start
Payment problems usually start at the quote. If the order confirmation says nothing about terms, you are left arguing about what was reasonable. Put the essentials in your quote, your general terms and on the invoice itself: the number of days to pay, the due date as an actual date, your bankgiro or plusgiro, the OCR or invoice reference, the late-payment interest and, if you use one, the reminder fee. For business customers, terms of up to 30 days are the norm and longer terms have to be explicitly agreed. The formal VAT requirements for the invoice itself — invoice number, dates, VAT amounts and both parties' details — are usually handled by your invoicing tool; if you are unsure whether to run all this yourself, see doing bookkeeping yourself or getting help.
- Ask new business customers for the correct invoice address, reference and any purchase order number before the first invoice. A missing reference is the most common reason large companies park an invoice.
- Offer e-invoicing (Peppol) to customers who require it; an emailed PDF may never reach their accounts payable system.
- For larger jobs, invoice in stages or take a deposit so one late payment cannot sink your month.
- Write the reminder fee and interest into your general terms so they are part of the agreement, not a surprise.
A reminder sequence you can run on autopilot
The point of a sequence is that nobody has to decide anything. Most invoicing tools, Fortnox included, can list overdue invoices and send reminders in bulk, so the job becomes a weekly ten-minute check rather than a source of stress.
| When | What you send | Tone and content |
|---|---|---|
| Due date + 3–5 days | Reminder 1 (email) | Friendly. Assume it was missed. Attach the invoice again and repeat how to pay. |
| Due date + 14 days | Reminder 2 (email and letter or call) | Factual. State the amount, accrued interest, any agreed reminder fee and a new date to pay by. |
| Due date + 21–30 days | Inkasso demand | Formal. Sent by you or a licensed collection agency, with the statutory content and a fixed number of days to pay. |
| After the inkasso deadline | Application for a payment order at Kronofogden | Only for undisputed claims. The customer can still contest it, which moves the matter to court. |
Adjust the days to your business, but keep them fixed. Consistency is what makes the process fair and defensible.
Pick up the phone before reminder 2 for any customer you want to keep. A two-minute call often uncovers the real reason — a missing PO number, a new finance contact, a disputed line — and solves it faster than any letter.
Late-payment interest and fees allowed by law
Three different charges are often mixed up. They have different rules, and charging something the law does not allow undermines the rest of your claim.
Late-payment interest (dröjsmålsränta)
Runs from the due date when a due date was agreed in advance. Without an agreed rate, räntelagen sets it at the reference rate plus eight percentage points; the Riksbank publishes the reference rate twice a year.
Reminder fee (påminnelseavgift)
A fixed amount set by regulation. You may only charge it if it was agreed before the debt arose, and only once per written reminder, with a cap on how many.
Compensation from business customers (förseningsersättning)
When a business customer pays late, you may claim a fixed statutory compensation for collection costs, once per invoice. It does not apply to consumers.
Collection costs (inkassoavgift)
When an inkasso demand is sent, a fixed statutory fee may be added. The amounts are set in the regulation on compensation for collection costs; check the current figures before you invoice them.
Consumers get extra protection. Terms have to be clear, fees must have been agreed, and a claim against a private person has to be handled with particular care under the Debt Collection Act (inkassolagen). If most of your customers are consumers, let a licensed agency handle anything past the second reminder.
Handing over to debt collection
You can send an inkasso demand for your own claims yourself; a collection agency acting for others needs a permit from IMY, the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection, which supervises debt collection. The demand must state the claim, what it relates to, the amount including interest and fees, and give the debtor a reasonable time to pay or object, normally eight days.
- Check that the claim is undisputed. If the customer has objected to the work or the amount, collection is the wrong tool.
- Gather the documents: quote or order, delivery proof, invoice, reminders sent.
- Send the inkasso demand yourself or through an agency, often directly from your invoicing tool.
- If it stays unpaid, apply for a payment order (betalningsföreläggande) at Kronofogden. If the debtor contests, the case goes to district court, and it is time to weigh cost against amount.
- Book any interest and fees correctly and, when a claim is truly lost, discuss with your accountant how to write it off and reverse the output VAT.
Keeping the customer relationship
A good customer who paid late once is still a good customer. Separate the person from the process: the reminders are automatic, but the conversation is personal. Offer a short payment plan when someone is honest about a cash problem, and put it in writing. After a pattern of late payment, change the terms for future work — shorter terms, a deposit or prepayment — instead of carrying the resentment.
When is outside help not worth it? If you send a handful of invoices a month and customers mostly pay on time, a reminder template and a recurring calendar note are enough; you do not need us. Help pays off when overdue invoices pile up because nobody owns the follow-up. Our bookkeeping and finance admin support can take over the weekly check, reminders and reconciliation, billed by the hour on the terms shown on our pricing page. If you are unsure which applies to you, book a short call and we will tell you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I charge a reminder fee if it is not in my terms?
No. The reminder fee must have been agreed before the debt arose, for example in your quote or general terms. Late-payment interest, by contrast, follows from räntelagen even without an agreement.
How long should I wait before sending an invoice to inkasso?
There is no fixed legal minimum, but a common and fair rhythm is one or two reminders over two to four weeks. What matters is that the debtor has had a real chance to pay and that the claim is not disputed.
Do I need a permit to send an inkasso demand?
Not for your own claims. You still have to follow good debt-collection practice under inkassolagen. A company that collects debts on behalf of others needs a permit from IMY.
What happens to VAT if the customer never pays?
When a claim is established as a bad debt, you can normally reduce the output VAT you reported. The timing and evidence required are specific, so agree the treatment with your accountant before you book it.
Tired of chasing payments yourself?
In a free 15-minute call we look at how you invoice and follow up today, and tell you whether a simple routine is enough or whether handing over the weekly follow-up would pay off.
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