Payment reminders

Payment reminder to a client in Estonia: 3 English templates

Your business is in Germany or Austria, your client is in Estonia, and the invoice is still open? Here are three English reminders ready to copy: payment reminder, second reminder and final notice, with euro amounts, the Estonian VAT ID and your bank details in the right place.

Wrong country? Pick your client's country here.

Payment reminder to a client in Estonia: 3 English templates
Published
Updated
Reading time
4 min read
On this page
  1. Your law, your interest
  2. The three templates
  3. What is different with clients in Estonia
  4. How Backbone does it
  5. Frequently asked questions

Your law, your interest

Your contract is usually governed by your German or Austrian law; best to state that in your quote and your terms. For business clients, German law gives you 9 percentage points above the base rate, so 10.52% for the second half of 2026, plus a EUR 40 flat fee. Austrian law gives you 9.2 points, so 10.73%, also with EUR 40. The late-payment interest calculator works out the exact amount.

The three templates

Pick where your business is based, Germany or Austria, above each template: the rate, the law and the flat fee are already filled in. You only replace the bracketed placeholders.

Stage 1: Payment reminder
Subject: Payment reminder — invoice [number]

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

I hope you are well. This is a friendly reminder that invoice [number] of [invoice date] for EUR [amount] was due on [due date] and is still open on our side.

If the payment is already on its way, please disregard this message. Otherwise, please transfer the amount by SEPA credit transfer to:

Account holder: [your company]
IBAN: [IBAN]
BIC: [BIC]
Reference: [invoice number]

Your VAT ID: EE[999999999]
VAT: reverse charge (services), VAT to be accounted for by the recipient

Kind regards,
[your name]
Stage 2: Second reminder
Subject: Second reminder — invoice [number], now overdue

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

Despite our reminder of [date], invoice [number] of [invoice date] for EUR [amount] remains unpaid. The payment is now [x] days overdue.

Please settle the outstanding amount by [new date]. Under our terms and German law (§ 288 BGB), default interest of 10.52% per annum applies from [date default began], plus a flat fee of EUR 40 for recovery costs.

IBAN: [IBAN] · BIC: [BIC] · Reference: [invoice number]

If there is a problem with this invoice, please contact me directly so we can sort it out.

Kind regards,
[your name]
Stage 3: Final notice
Subject: Final notice — invoice [number]

Dear [Mr/Ms surname],

Invoice [number] of [invoice date] for EUR [amount] is still outstanding despite two reminders, most recently on [date].

Outstanding amount:                    EUR [amount]
Default interest ([x] days at 10.52%): EUR [interest]
Flat fee for recovery costs:           EUR 40.00
Total now due:                         EUR [total]

Please transfer the total to IBAN [IBAN] by [date]. If we have not received payment by then, we will hand the claim over for collection, and any further costs will be added to your account.

Kind regards,
[your name]

What is different with clients in Estonia

  • 30 days without agreement, 60 as the limit. Without an agreed term, an invoice in Estonia is due 30 days after receipt at the latest. Between businesses, more than 60 days only applies if expressly agreed and not grossly unfair.
  • Euro and SEPA. No exchange rate, no foreign transfer fee: a SEPA transfer from Estonia reaches your account by the next business day at the latest.
  • VAT ID starting with EE. The Estonian number is EE plus nine digits. Do not mix it up with the company's eight-digit registry code, which is a different number. With the reverse-charge note, your client's accounts team finds the invoice at once.
  • Everything runs online. Estonian companies do almost everything digitally, so invoices and reminders by email are the norm. English is common with foreign partners, and many companies work in English anyway.
  • Holidays at the end of June. 23 and 24 June are public holidays in Estonia, and around Midsummer hardly anyone is in the office. Do not set the deadline on exactly those days.

Why this one matters to us

My goal is to optimise and automate back-office tasks so that we founders can focus on what matters most.

Automating back-office work with AI agents and AI integrations is the future – that's why I built Backbone!

LucaLucaFounder, Backbone

How Backbone does it

Dunning on autopilot. In the app, or in a chat with ChatGPT, Claude and many more.

  1. Switch on dunning

    Set it once. Runs by itself.

    In the chat

    Switch on dunning: first reminder after 7 days, then 14 and 28.

    Backbone connectorupdate_reminder_settings

    Automatic reminders are on.

    • Payment reminder after 7 days
    • 1st notice after 14 days
    • 2nd notice after 28 days
    In the app

  2. Who's overdue?

    One question, every open invoice.

    In the chat

    Which invoices are overdue?

    Backbone connectorlist_dunning
    Overdue
    3
    Nordlicht GmbH
    RE-2026-0118 · 21 days
    €4,280.00
    Kinetik Studio
    RE-2026-0124 · 9 days
    €1,190.00
    Fernweh Reisen
    RE-2026-0131 · 4 days
    €942.50
    Total€6,412.50

    Nordlicht has been open the longest.

    In the app

  3. Send the reminder

    You approve. Only then does it go out.

    In the chat

    Send Nordlicht the 2nd notice now, not on the 25th.

    Backbone connectorsend_reminder
    Send reminder
    Invoice RE-2026-0118 · Due 27/09/2026
    2nd noticeDE
    To
    Nordlicht GmbH[email protected]
    Outstanding€4,280.00Late interest 10.52% · 21 days€25.91Flat fee€40.00Total€4,345.91
    Expires in 28 min28 min
    In the app
  • Automatic dunningLive
  • ChatGPT, Claude and many moreLive
  • Cards in the chatLive

More on dunning

Frequently asked questions

Can I send a client in Estonia a payment reminder in English?

Yes. English is common in Estonian business with foreign partners. What matters is that the reminder is clear: invoice number, amount in euros, deadline and bank details.

How much interest can I charge?

Under German law 10.52% a year, under Austrian law 10.73%. On top comes a EUR 40 flat fee (as of the second half of 2026). If your contract uses your client's law, their rules apply.

What payment terms are usual in Estonia?

Without an agreement, the invoice is due 30 days after receipt at the latest. More than 60 days only works if expressly agreed and not grossly unfair.

Which number is the Estonian VAT ID?

The one with EE and nine digits. The eight-digit registry code is a different number and does not belong in the reverse-charge line.

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General information, not legal or tax advice and no review of your case. Details on providers and laws can change. For your case, follow your tax adviser.

Sources: Law of Obligations Act (VÕS), § 82¹ · § 288 BGB · § 456 and § 458 UGB · Deutsche Bundesbank (base rate) · OeNB (base rate) · Directive 2011/7/EU

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