Provisions for invoices and dunning notices

Companies are allowed to charge an administration fee for processing payments, provided that this is stated in the contract between you and the company. The invoicing fee is allowed provided that it is reasonable and corresponds to the actual cost that the company incurs due to the payment processing.

This means that companies can also charge a fee for payments via e-invoice and direct debit, provided that this is stated in the contract. However, sometimes the fee can be lower if you change the payment method from, for example, a paper invoice to an e-invoice.

There is no law that specifies how many days you have to pay an invoice. For example, you cannot demand 30 days to pay. The company sets its own terms. You accept the terms when you choose to do business with the company and must pay when the company requests it.

Has the company not specified when payment should be made? Then you pay when you have received the goods or the service is completed

Keep in mind that the due date on the invoice is the date by which the company must have received the money. It is not the last day you can make the payment.

Withhold payment in case of defects or delays

Are there defects in the goods or service, or has the company not met the promised time? Then you have the right to withhold payment. This acts as security for your claim. Notify the company in writing that you are withholding payment and why. Keep a copy.

When you purchase something, you are always obligated to pay. This applies even if you have not received the invoice or if it has been lost in the mail. Contact the company if you are missing an invoice so you can get the information you need to pay.

If you do not pay on time, you may be required to pay late fees and reminder fees.

Not received information about when to pay

If you have not received information about the latest payment date when you made the purchase, you do not need to pay late fees or reminder fees if the invoice arrives late or does not arrive at all.

A company has the right to demand payment from a consumer for up to three years. So if you have not paid for what you purchased, it doesn’t matter if the company contacts you after, say, a year to demand payment. You are still under the obligation to pay.

After three years, the company can no longer claim the money from you. That means that the collection of the debt is time barred, due to time specified in the statute of limitations having run out. Sometimes the statute of limitations period may be extended, for example if the company sends you a new demand notice. You cannot therefore count on your debt becoming time-barred.

Read more about debts and the statute of limitations

If you have received an invoice for something you did not order, you should dispute the invoice. You have the right to dispute incorrect invoices.

Disputing an invoice means that you notify the company that you challenge the validity of the invoice and therefore will not pay it. It is important that you explain why in your opinion the invoice is incorrect or unfounded, for example because you have not purchased anything from the company.

When you dispute an invoice, it is important that you contact the company in writing so that you have a written record of your formally challenging the validity of the invoice and not simply neglected to pay. You can send an e-mail, for example.

If you pay an invoice late, you may have to pay additional fees.

Reminder fee

If you do not pay an invoice on time, the company can send a new invoice. They can then add a reminder fee, but only if it is stated in your agreement that they can do so. A reminder fee can be a maximum of 60 SEK. You need to pay within the time specified on the new invoice.

Companies can only charge a reminder fee once.

Late payment interest

As a rule, you need to pay late payment interest if you do not pay an invoice on time.

From when is the interest calculated?

Did you receive information before the purchase about a final payment date? Then the late payment interest is calculated from the final payment date.

Did you not receive information about a final payment date? Then you may need to pay late payment interest if the company has informed you that they will add late payment interest. In that case, the interest starts to be calculated 30 days after the company has informed you of this. The company can, for example, inform you of this on the invoice.

How much do you have to pay?

The late payment interest is calculated on the amount of your purchase, including VAT. No fees can be included in the calculation. For example, interest cannot be charged on a reminder fee.

The company can decide how high the late payment interest should be. But they must have informed you of the rate before the purchase. It must also not be unreasonably high.

If the company has not informed you of any interest rate, the reference rate + 8 percent on the invoice amount applies. The reference rate is an interest rate set once every six months by the Riksbank

If you have paid the invoice on time but still received a dunning notice, you can object to the dunning notice by writing to the company. E-mails are a good way to document that you have contacted them.

Use a bank statement or a receipt showing when and how much you paid.

Further information about how to contest an invoice

If you receive a dunning notice for an invoice you have already disputed, you do not need to dispute the dunning notice. By disputing the original invoice, you have already declared that you will not pay. However, if you have not disputed the original invoice, it is important that you contact the company and explain why you are not paying.

Further information about how to contest an invoice

If you have not paid the invoice when due, the company can send you a claim via a debt collection agency.

Receiving a debt collection demand is not the same as having a payment default record placed on your credit file. But if you do not pay your debt, it may lead to a payment default record being placed on your credit file.

If you think the debt collection demand is unfounded or otherwise wrong, you need to challenge it, meaning to contest the validity of the debt collection demand. You should never ignore a debt collection demand, even if you think it is faulty.

Contact the party who sent the demand for payment, preferably by e-mail. Be sure to keep a copy of your e-mail or other document showing that you contested the demand. You will not have a payment default record placed on your credit file notice for contesting a faulty claim.

Read more about debt collection and payment default records