Court payment-order proceedings in Germany

What is the court order for payment?

The court order for payment procedure is a simplified, purely written procedure in order to enforce a claim for money without having to conduct a complete civil trial. It is particularly suitable when the claim is clear and undisputed and the customer simply does not pay.

In the end, there is an order for enforcement, an official title from which you can initiate enforcement. If the debtor does not respond at any stage, you will often come to an enforceable claim within a few weeks.

The procedure is highly standardized in Germany, runs mainly online and is favourable in relation to the amount of the claim. It is regulated in the civil procedure regulations, the court fee depends on the court costs law. For you as a creditor this means: clear deadlines, calculable costs and in the end a result that acts like a judgment.

What conditions must be met before applying for a German payment order?

Before the application, two things should be clarified: the claim must be due and, as far as possible, undisputed, and you need the full data of the debtor. The cleaner the request, the faster the procedure runs.

If the claim is disputed in terms of content, the customer has thus made a complaint openly or objected, the direct way to the disputed procedure is often more meaningful. Because the debtor objects, the order for payment procedure ends anyway and the case becomes a normal civil process.

You should have the full address of the debtor, the exact amount of the claim and its name, i.e. the reason. At the beginning is almost always your own payment reminder in practice. A formally correct template with deadline and interest notice generates the Payment reminder generator in a few minutes.

How does the court order process proceed in eight steps?

The court order for payment procedure takes place in eight clearly defined steps, from the application for the order for payment to foreclosure. The procedure is based on the official procedural overview of the order for payment and the rules of the civil procedure.

1. Submit an application. You apply to the competent court for a payment order (Mahnbescheid), usually online via the interactive application portal of the judiciary.
2. Examination by the court. The court examines the application purely formally. In case of inconsistencies, you will receive a notice of correction before proceeding.
3. Order and service. After a successful examination, the court issues the payment order (Mahnbescheid) to the debtor. You will be informed about the service.
4. Two weeks' opposition period. Upon notification, the debtor shall have two weeks to settle the claim or to file an objection.
5. What happens if an objection is filed. If the debtor lodges an objection, the order for payment procedure ends and the case is transferred to the proceedings at issue. In the event of a partial opposition, you continue to proceed for the undisputed part.
6. Request for an enforcement order. If the debtor neither pays nor objects, apply for an enforcement order. You can do so after the two-week objection period and within six months of service of the payment order.
7. opposition period of two weeks. After notification of the order for enforcement, the debtor has another two weeks to appeal.
8. Enforcement. The order for enforcement is an enforceable title. If the opposition is not filed, you can initiate the enforcement.

Those who keep an eye on the deadlines come to the title quickly: two weeks of opposition from a reminder, then the application for enforcement notice within six months, then another two weeks of opposition. The graphic above shows this sequence at a glance.

How much does a German payment order cost?

A payment order (Mahnbescheid) costs at least 38 euros. The court fee depends on the amount of the claim, is charged half a fee, and additional delivery costs. As a creditor, you precede the fee, but you can assert it as part of your claim against the debtor.

Indicative fees under the German Court Costs Act (GKG): half the standard fee based on the claim value, subject to a minimum fee of EUR 38. The official payment-order courts’ cost calculator provides the exact amount for your claim. Accessed July 2026.

These figures are indicative. The claim value is the principal amount excluding interest and ancillary claims. Calculate the exact fee using the Cost calculator of the courts. Relative to the amount claimed, the procedure remains inexpensive in most cases.

How much an open account actually costs beyond the late-payment interest and default costs and what the defaulting debtor bears is clearly on the page Debt collection costs.

What happens if the debtor challenges the payment order or enforcement order?

Objection and opposition do not mean that your claim is lost. They mean that the debtor denies the claim and that the matter is now examined in terms of content. From the slim order for payment procedure then becomes a disputed procedure, in which it concerns evidence and justifications.

A Widerspruch challenges the payment order (Mahnbescheid) and may be filed within two weeks of service. An Einspruch challenges the subsequent enforcement order (Vollstreckungsbescheid), also within two weeks. These challenges move the dispute from the formal payment-order process to the competent trial court.

It is precisely at this point that the effort is felt for you as a company. While the mere order for payment procedure is standardized, the contested procedure requires significantly more preparation, time and usually legal support. Therefore, it is worth documenting cleanly before the application, on which the claim is based.

Judicial order for payment or professional receivables management?

Both approaches can achieve the goal, but suit different situations. Handling a payment-order application yourself is straightforward and inexpensive for a single, clearly undisputed claim when internal capacity is available. For several outstanding invoices or limited resources, professional receivables management reduces the workload.

Comparison without general recommendation. Information on incaseof.law: own data, as of July 2026.

As a rule of thumb, handling a payment-order application yourself is straightforward and inexpensive for a single, clearly undisputed claim when you have the internal capacity. For several outstanding invoices, debtors unwilling to pay or limited resources, consider handing over to a professional receivables management, which manages the whole process from the out-of-court reminder to enforcement.

An important side effect: a judicial order for payment initiated inhibits the Limitation of your claimWhile a mere reminder does not do so. Anyone who has to secure old demands just before the end of the year should keep an eye on this.

What is the difference between the proceedings and the Austrian order for payment?

The German and Austrian payment-order procedures share the goal of obtaining an enforceable title, but differ in deadlines and terminology. In Germany, the Mahnbescheid is followed by a Vollstreckungsbescheid. In Austria, the relevant instrument is the Zahlungsbefehl.

The main difference is timing. In Germany, the debtor has two weeks for a Widerspruch and two weeks for an Einspruch. In Austria, the objection period against a payment order is four weeks, and the payment-order procedure is prescribed for monetary claims up to EUR 75,000. For the Austrian process, see Payment-order claims in Austria.

Apply yourself or hand over the claim?

As long as the claim is clear and you have internal capacities, the reminder is the lean way in self-direction. As soon as several claims are open, the debtor is difficult to reach or push deadlines, the transfer to a licensed debt collection agency is usually the more favorable decision.

incaseof.law is a licensed debt collection agency for Austria and Germany, registered in Germany in the legal services register of the Federal Office of Justice. The model is confirmed by the Supreme Court and your principal claim remains 100 percent with you, because the defaulting debtors bear the defaulting costs. You can hand over the claim online and Debt collection services, without contract and without minimum volume. What happens afterwards shows step by step the page How debt collection works.

This guide explains the legal situation in Germany in general and does not replace advice in individual cases. State of the cited standards: July 2026.