No response
Check the recipient, invoice delivery, agreed due date and incoming payments. Keep a record of a factual payment reminder and the subsequent response.
Licensed in Austria · Registered in Germany
Customer not paying: what you can do now
Your customer is not responding and the money is missing from your account. Here is the clear path in three stages, and from the handover onwards incaseof.law takes care of everything, so you never have to chase the payment yourself.
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For freelancers, SMEs, property managers, trades and law firms.
State-licensed debt collection institute
Registration
Your account for submitting claims.
Register in the customer portal. Add your company details and submit your outstanding claims there.
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The service model is governed by the terms. Recovery and duration are not guaranteed. Court, lawyer and electronic filing fees must be considered separately.
The short answer
Customer not paying: what can you do?
If a customer is not paying, first establish why: was the invoice received, is payment due, is there a complaint or has part already been paid? Then decide whether to send a reminder or hand over an eligible claim. The requirements for payment default depend on the applicable law and the agreement.
Service scope and requirements: terms, sections I–III. Austria: payment default · Germany: payment default (German sources).
For the outstanding balance and deadlines, see unpaid invoices. Once the case is prepared, you can submit a claim.
Identify the reason before choosing the next step
Objection or partial payment
Separate calculation of the balance from its legal enforceability. A complaint, set-off or agreed deferral may change the assessment.
Insolvency or limitation
Insolvency proceedings and imminent limitation require separate assessment. Repeated reminders or an invoice upload do not automatically address either issue.
There is no universal legal sequence of three reminders before collection. Austrian and German default rules differ; section 286 BGB includes exceptions to the German reminder requirement.
A clear balance prevents duplicate demands
Record the invoice number, amount, due-date basis, payments, credit notes, latest response and unresolved issues. Distinguish a payment promise from an agreed change to the due date.
For repeated arrears, establish a receivables management process. For a prepared individual case, proceed to claim submission.
What you can do
Customer not paying: three stages to your money
You take the first two steps yourself, calmly and factually, so the customer relationship stays intact. If your customer still does not respond, you hand the claim to incaseof.law.
1
Friendly payment reminder
Often it is simply forgotten. A factual note with the invoice number, the amount and a new payment date settles many cases without losing the good tone.
You do this yourself2
Formal reminder with a firm deadline
If payment does not arrive, check the due date, receipt of the invoice and the conditions for default. A clear written reminder may help document the matter; neither a fixed number of reminders nor a reminder in every case is a universal requirement.
You do this yourself3
Hand over the claim
If your customer still does not respond, you hand the outstanding claim to incaseof.law online. As a licensed debt collection institute we take it through every stage, and you keep 100%.
incaseof.law takes this overSpecial cases
Customer not paying: the most common special cases
Not every case is the same. Four situations in which companies are particularly often unsure, each with a clear answer.
The customer is not paying because of a complaint
Document the specific objection and your response. Assess whether it affects the due date, retention rights or counterclaims. An arithmetically undisputed balance is not necessarily enforceable immediately without examining the surrounding rights.
The customer is unable to pay or insolvent
If you suspect insolvency, check the actual status of the proceedings and the relevant deadlines. Filing a claim in insolvency proceedings and ongoing collection are different steps. Have it clarified which handling is permitted and instructed in the specific proceedings.
It is only a small invoice
Small amounts are worth pursuing too, because the customer in arrears bears the default costs and your principal claim stays untouched. You hand the claim to incaseof.law without investing more time and nerves yourself, and you keep 100%.
The claim is about to become time-barred
Check an impending limitation period without delay. When the period starts and how long it runs depend on the claim and the jurisdiction. A simple reminder or handing over the claim does not automatically stop the limitation period.
How much capital is tied up in Austrian companies is shown by the incaseof.law study on tied-up capital, 2026 (n=149,916): around 194.9 billion euros. Illustrative example.
Is it more about the invoice itself than about the customer? Then read what helps when an invoice is not paid, with a look at deadlines and reminder stages.
A possible next step
A possible next step to your money
If your customer does not respond after the reminder, handing the claim to a licensed debt collection institute is one possible next step. This is how it runs at incaseof.law, step by step, and this is how the debt collection process works.
1
Hand over the claim
Upload the unpaid invoice digitally or hand it over automatically through the connector in your accounting system. In a few minutes.
In about 3 minutes
Automatic analysis
Amount4,380 €
Overdue30 days
Debtoridentified
2
We take over
As a licensed debt collection institute, incaseof.law calls on your debtor to pay, out of court and, if necessary, through the courts via electronic legal communication.
Checked in seconds
Escalated firmly
Dispatch
Demanddelivered
1st reminderdelivered
Final reminderdelivered
3
Payout to your account
After successful collection we pay out, 100% of the claim, with nothing deducted. You can see the status in your portal at any time.
Paid out in full
€
Debtor
Incoming payment
Your account+4,380 €
Take a few minutes online to submit your claim and leave the rest to incaseof.law.
Where is your money?
You delivered. The money is still missing.
A customer who does not pay costs you more than the amount itself: time spent chasing, liquidity in your account and the nerves you need for your business. You hand over the claim, incaseof.law takes it through every stage, from the request through the court title to enforcement.
- No more chasing payments yourself. We get your money.
- 100% of the claim belongs to you. The debtor bears the costs.
- Track the case in the portal and report new payments or objections.
Claim #1042
Overdue for 41 days · B2B
4,380.00 €
Out-of-court demandOptional: Letter from the partner law firm with a payment deadline
Active
Court titleAccelerated via electronic legal communication
If required
EnforcementFinal step, fully steered by us
If required
Payout to your account
100% of the claim, nothing deducted
+4,380.00 €
Illustrative example. Aggregated network data, as of 2026.
What it costs
What does it cost to have the outstanding invoice collected?
Nothing from your principal claim: 100% of your claim stays with you, and the customer in arrears bears the default costs. You pay no success commission and no share.
How the debt collection costs are made upFor your sector
A customer not paying, whatever your sector
The route is the same everywhere. What it looks like in your case is shown on the page for your sector.
Debt collection for SMEsOutstanding invoices in day-to-day business, without your own legal department.
Debt collection for freelancersA single customer in arrears makes an immediate difference to you.
Debt collection for law firmsEnforce outstanding fees without straining the client relationship.
Debt collection for property managersRecover outstanding service charges and rent reliably.
Law, money and peace of mind, from one source
One solution that secures three things: your rights, your money and your peace of mind.
incaseof.law is a debt collection institute licensed in Austria and registered in Germany. You hand over your open claim digitally, and we get the money.
Law
Licence and registration
Licensed in Austria and registered in the German Legal Services Register. The terms set out the scope and conditions of an engagement.
Money
100% of the claim for you
incaseof.law keeps no share of your principal claim. What your customer owes belongs in full to your account after successful collection.
Peace of mind
Digital, with clear next steps
Upload the claim, we take care of the rest. The entire collection runs through the connector and electronic legal communication.
Start now
Your money belongs in your account. Let’s get started.
Register to submit your claim, or contact us first if you have any questions.
Frequent questions
Customer not paying: your questions, clearly answered.
From the first reminder through to the handover to incaseof.law. Your question is not here? We answer personally.
Contact usFirst check when payment is due, receipt of the invoice, payments and complaints. Depending on the case, send a factual reminder or submit an eligible claim. The sections above explain the requirements and evidence.
For handover, the claim must be due and undisputed, with evidence of payment default. Whether a prior reminder is required depends on the agreement and applicable law. A date printed on an invoice is not sufficient in every case. The handover requirements explain the documents needed.
Separate the matter from the person: a factual payment note, a firm date and a clear next step come across as assured, not hostile. If payment still does not arrive, incaseof.law takes on the uncomfortable part while you keep the good tone.
It depends on the case. Collection may suit an undisputed overdue monetary claim. A dispute about its basis or amount, or a need for legal advice or representation, may require a lawyer. There is no general answer about which route is faster.
Small claims can also be submitted. Consider documents, ability to pay, your own effort and possible further costs; cost-effectiveness and recovery are not guaranteed.
incaseof.law charges no success commission on the principal for out-of-court collection and platform use. Court, lawyer and filing fees, and costs arising from breaches of cooperation duties, are separate. Recovery and payout are not guaranteed. The terms apply.
Do not remove materials on your own initiative. Ownership, contract terms and installation may require an individual legal assessment. Obtain legal advice where needed; the outstanding monetary claim is a separate matter.
Yes. incaseof.law is a debt collection institute licensed in Austria and registered in Germany, and it collects claims in both countries.
From the guide
Knowledge that protects your liquidity.
How does debt collection work in Austria?
From out-of-court demand letters to digital enforcement. How to secure your liquidity, step by step.
Read more
What happens if a collection claim is not paid?
Consequences, deadlines and options for action, and why ignoring a debt collection letter is the worst choice of all.
Read more
Receivables management: Austria and Germany compared
A comparison of the regulatory frameworks and cost structures in receivables management between Austria and Germany.
Read moreSources and legal basis
- § 1333 ABGB, default interest
- Ordinance on maximum fees for debt collection institutes, BGBl. No. 141/1996
- § 118 GewO 1994, debt collection institutes
- German Legal Services Register, BfJ, reg. no. 2024 0000 8388
- GISA, Austrian Business Information System, GISA 32140156
- WKO, Association of Commercial Service Providers
Modern payment solutions for more liquidity.
Hand over your claim
Liquidity trend
Example
Schematic illustration
rising