Out-of-court collection
The terms provide for platform use and out-of-court collection without a success share of the principal. This is not a promise that the debtor will pay.
The service model is governed by the terms. Recovery and duration are not guaranteed. Court, lawyer and electronic filing fees must be considered separately.
Licensed in AT and DE · OGH-confirmed
Debt collection costs? They are borne by the debtor.
You are wondering what debt collection costs and what is left of your claim. The answer is simple: the default costs are borne by the debtor in arrears, and your principal claim stays with you 100%.
Prefer to talk it through? Request a call back
Join a strong network of more than 1,000 companies.
State-licensed debt collection institute
Cost breakdown
Example
Principal claim
100% into your account
Default interest
No platform fee
Debt collection costs and processing
No platform fee
Success commission
No deduction
The default costs are borne by the debtor in arrears.
In brief
What does debt collection cost, and who pays it?
Debt collection costs are the costs caused by your customer's payment default: default interest, reminder charges and the fee of the debt collection institute. They are generally borne by the debtor in arrears. At incaseof.law, 100% of your principal claim stays with you, with no success commission and no deduction (as of August 2026).
Legal bases: default interest and default damages under the Austrian Civil Code (ABGB), maximum rates for debt collection institutes under the ordinance BGBl. No. 141/1996. Both references are linked in the sources section of this page.
What the cost model covers
Court and legal fees
The client bears court fees and any lawyer’s fees under the terms. Engaging a lawyer requires your express approval. A possible reimbursement claim is different from actual recovery.
Filing and cooperation
Electronic filing providers can charge separate fees. Inaccurate information, missing default evidence or breaches of cooperation duties can have cost consequences under the terms.
The terms, particularly sections I–III also specify the allocation of partial payments. A first payment by the debtor therefore does not necessarily mean full payment of your principal.
Recoverable costs depend on the case
In Austria, extrajudicial recovery costs must satisfy conditions including necessity, suitability and proportionality to the claim. A statutory maximum is not an automatic entitlement to charge that amount. See the Austrian Chamber of Commerce explanation (German).
Interest also depends on jurisdiction and the parties involved. Section 286 BGB and section 288 BGB govern German default and statutory interest. Under the incaseof.law terms, late-payment interest is assigned to incaseof.law; it is not an additional payout to the client.
Who already hands over
These companies count on 100% of their claim.
We support our partners in debt collection, from single outstanding invoices through to direct integrations into existing systems via API.
On Google
4.9 out of 5
I felt in good hands at incaseof.law from the very first conversation. Everything was explained clearly, questions were answered immediately, and the result exceeded my expectations. Many thanks for the outstanding support!
Taken verbatim from the Google Business Profile of incaseof.law, retrieved in August 2026.
And many more. See all partners and references
Claim calculator
Your payout after successful collection.
Set the outstanding amount. This example shows your payout after full, successful collection in Austria and Germany. It does not guarantee payment. The age of the claim does not change the share paid out without deductions.
Your details
Amount of your outstanding claim
2,500 €
Your principal claim is not reduced. We withhold no share and charge you no success commission. The costs of the default are borne by the debtor in arrears.
Your result
You receive 100% of that, which is
2,500.00 €
Into your account without deductions, after successful collection.
- Costs are borne by the debtor. No success commission, no deduction from your claim.
- Your effort: upload the invoice We take over communication, reminder runs and processing.
Illustrative example (as of 2026). The payout amount equals your principal claim.
Cost breakdown
Debt collection costs at a glance: what to expect.
Every cost component and who bears it. Your principal claim stays unreduced in every row.
Debt collection cost breakdown: who bears which costs
| Item | Who bears the costs | Effect for you |
|---|---|---|
| Principal claim | The debtor pays it to you | 100% into your account |
| Default interest | The debtor in arrears | No platform fee |
| Debt collection costs and processing | The debtor in arrears | No platform fee |
| Success commission | Does not apply at incaseof.law | No deduction |
Cost breakdown for Austria and Germany. As of August 2026. You pay no commission and take no deduction from the principal claim.
How high is default interest in Austria?
Default interest starts running on the day after the invoice falls due. Between companies, Austria applies 9.2 percentage points above the base rate; towards private individuals it is 4 percent per year. In Germany the rates are 9 and 5 percentage points. Interest keeps accruing until the invoice is settled in full, so the amount grows with every week of default.
Between companies there is also a flat 40 euro charge for the cost of pursuing the claim. How the stages run in practice is set out in the guide how debt collection works in Austria.
Statutory interest rates under the Austrian Civil Code (ABGB) and the Business Enterprise Code (UGB), published in the Legal Information System of the Republic of Austria. As of August 2026.
How high may debt collection costs be?
What a debt collection institute may charge in Austria has been capped by a dedicated ordinance since 1996. The maximum rates depend on the size of the claim and on the steps actually needed, such as a demand for payment, an instalment agreement or tracing the current address.
These amounts are part of the default damages. They are invoiced to the debtor in arrears, not to you. What lands in your account in your specific case is shown by the claim calculator above.
Ordinance on the maximum remuneration rates payable to debt collection institutes, BGBl. No. 141/1996, in the Legal Information System of the Republic of Austria. As of August 2026.
What do you pay as the creditor?
Nothing from your principal claim. incaseof.law charges neither a success commission nor a share of the amount collected. Engagement under the terms, no minimum volume, the cost model set out in the terms.
The terms provide for out-of-court collection and platform use without a success share of the principal. Court, lawyer and filing fees are separate; unsuccessful recovery does not automatically eliminate those costs.
You hand over each invoice separately whenever you want to submit a claim, and you decide which case starts when. What a handover looks like is set out under how incaseof.law works; for a running ledger, receivables management shows the connected route.
Service model of incaseof.law, as of August 2026.
Evidence
Collection and payout have no fixed duration. Service, responses, objections and possible court proceedings affect the process.
Collection and payout have no fixed duration. Service, responses, objections and possible court proceedings affect the process.
Who pays
100% belongs to you. The debtor bears the costs.
The core of every cost question, answered in two statements.
Your principal claim stays unreduced
We withhold no share and charge you no success commission. After successful collection, 100% of your claim lands in your account without deductions.
The debtor in arrears bears the default costs
Default interest and debt collection costs arise from your customer's default. The debtor bears them, not you. For you as the creditor, the cost question stays at zero.
If your customer still does not pay after the final reminder, the road does not end with a demand letter: incaseof.law carries the claim through every stage, up to a court title and enforcement. Every stage is set out under how incaseof.law works, and the guide how debt collection works in Austria describes the court route in detail.
In comparison
What does a debt collection agency cost in comparison?
There are three routes for an outstanding invoice: you chase it yourself, you hand it to a classic debt collection agency, or you hand it to incaseof.law. The differences lie in the cost model and in how far enforcement reaches.
Chasing it yourself, classic debt collection and incaseof.law compared
| Feature | Chasing it yourself | Classic debt collection | incaseof.law |
|---|---|---|---|
| What is left of your principal claim | 100%, provided your customer pays in the end. | Often less a success commission on the amount collected. | 100% of the principal claim, without deduction. |
| Who bears the default costs | Your own time stays with you. | Depending on the model, partly with the creditor. | The debtor in arrears. |
| Contract and minimum volume | Not applicable, but all of the work stays in house. | Often required, frequently with a fixed term. | Engagement under the terms, no minimum volume. |
| Authorisation and legal standing | No special legal standing towards the debtor. | Varies by provider and by country. | Licensed debt collection institute in Austria and Germany, confirmed by the OGH. |
| Reach of enforcement | In practice it usually ends with the final reminder. | Court steps frequently handled through third parties. | From the demand for payment through the court title to enforcement. |
| Placing the order and connection | You write, call and watch the deadlines yourself. | Mostly file-based, by form or by email. | Online in a few minutes, digital from handover to payout. |
| Effort for your team | Chasing, deadlines and phone calls tie up your people. | Handing over the file and answering queries stays with you. | Upload the invoice, check the status in the portal at any time. |
What suits whom
As long as the invoice is fresh and your customer still replies, your own reminder is the quickest route. How the reminder stages usually run before a claim is handed over is set out in the guide how debt collection works in Austria.
Once deadlines pass, your customer stops responding or the invoice is several weeks old, every further attempt costs more than it brings in. Then incaseof.law is the route without a deduction from the principal claim, because the debtor in arrears bears the default costs. How the same question is answered on both sides of the border is compared in receivables management in Austria and Germany.
Assessment criteria: cost model, contractual commitment, legal standing, reach of enforcement and effort on your side. The incaseof.law column describes our own service model, the column for classic debt collection describes common market models without naming individual providers. As of August 2026.
Example calculation
100%, no matter how high your claim is.
Three claim amounts, the same rule: you receive the full sum, and the debtor bears the default costs.
Case file · Illustrative example
100% payout
| Outstanding claim | You receive | Default costs |
|---|---|---|
| 900.00 € | 900.00 € | Borne by the debtor |
| 3,500.00 € | 3,500.00 € | Borne by the debtor |
| 12,000.00 € | 12,000.00 € | Borne by the debtor |
Illustrative example. As of August 2026. The payout amount equals your principal claim, without deductions after successful collection.
Hand over your claimA claim of 3,500 euros, 90 days overdue
This is how the amount your customer finally transfers is made up, and how much of it belongs to you.
- Principal claim3,500.00 €Goes to you in full, without deduction.
- Default interest, 90 daysapprox. 93 €10.73 percent per year between companies. Paid by the debtor.
- Debt collection costs and processingapprox. 340 €The value the calculator above applies for this claim size. Paid by the debtor.
- The debtor transfersapprox. 3,933 €Of that, 3,500.00 euros land in your account.
Illustrative example using the same values as the claim calculator above. The interest rate is the statutory Austrian default interest rate between companies. As of August 2026.
What our clients say
From conflicting goals to seamless cooperation.
After seeing the incaseof.law demo, I immediately cancelled the contract with our previous debt collection provider. We were able to settle the first two five-figure claims within a few days. After that we connected to incaseof.law directly via REST API.
Named Rising Star at the EY Scale-up Award for the second year running, in the FinTech and InsurTech category. Read the blog article
Internal analysis by incaseof.law, as of 2026.
Law, money and peace of mind, from one provider
One solution that secures three things: your rights, your money and your peace of mind.
incaseof.law is a licensed debt collection institute in Austria and Germany, with a model confirmed by the OGH. You hand over your outstanding claim digitally, and we collect the money.
Law
Licensed and OGH-confirmed
Officially authorised in Austria and Germany. Confirmed by the OGH: your claim is enforced on a sound legal basis.
Money
100% of the claim for you
We withhold no share of your principal claim. What your customer owes belongs entirely in your account after successful collection.
Peace of mind
Digital, and you take care of nothing
Upload the claim, and we take over the rest. The entire collection runs through the connector and digital legal proceedings.
Join a strong network of more than 1,000 companies.
Licensed debt collection institute in Austria and Germany, confirmed by the OGH.
Frequently asked questions
Everything about debt collection costs.
From the cost question through the comparison to Austria. Your question is not here? We answer personally.
Contact usWith incaseof.law, your principal claim stays with you 100%. The debt collection costs arising from the default are borne by the debtor in arrears, not by you as the creditor.
The debt collection costs are generally borne by the debtor who did not settle the claim on time. As the creditor, you are not charged with them.
With incaseof.law, placing the order costs you nothing from your principal claim. Unlike models with a success commission, your claim is not reduced, and you receive 100%.
You enter the amount of your outstanding claim and see the result immediately: 100% of the principal claim belongs to you, and the default costs are borne by the debtor. The calculator applies to Austria and Germany.
For you as the creditor, this creates no risk. Your principal claim stays unaffected and belongs 100% to you, regardless of the default costs that the debtor bears.
Your principal claim is not touched, and you receive 100% of the claim. The default costs of the collection are borne by the debtor in arrears.
Many classic debt collection agencies work with a success commission that is deducted from the amount collected for the creditor. With incaseof.law, you receive 100% of your principal claim, because the costs are borne by the debtor.
Yes. incaseof.law is a licensed debt collection institute in Austria and Germany, and the calculator as well as the cost logic apply to both markets. The approach is confirmed by the OGH.
Start now
Your money belongs in your account. Let us begin.
Register to submit your claim, or contact us first if you have any questions.
Registration
Your account for submitting claims.
Register in the customer portal. Add your company details and submit your outstanding claims there.
Already registered? Log in to the customer portal
From the guide
Knowledge that protects your liquidity.
Receivables management: Austria and Germany compared
Default rules, collection costs, court procedures and default interest for unpaid B2B invoices, side by side.
Read more
How debt collection works in Austria
Debt collection in Austria runs in three stages: out-of-court demand, court payment order, enforcement. Deadlines, costs and legal basis explained.
Read more
Debt collection in Vienna, the digital way
Out-of-court receivables management for small and medium-sized companies in Vienna, with 100% of the claim staying with you.
Read moreSources and legal basis
- § 1333 ABGB, default interest
- Ordinance on the maximum remuneration rates payable to debt collection institutes, BGBl. No. 141/1996
- § 118 GewO 1994, debt collection institutes
- Legal Services Register, Federal Office of Justice, 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