Late Invoice Payments in Belgium: Your Rights and How to Chase Them
Late payments are one of the biggest cash flow problems for Belgian freelancers and small businesses. The good news: Belgian law gives you powerful tools to recover unpaid invoices — including automatic interest, flat-fee compensation, and a streamlined legal process. Here's what you're entitled to and how to use it.
Belgian Late Payment Law (Wet Betalingsachterstand)
Belgium implements the EU Late Payment Directive through the Law on Late Payment in Commercial Transactions. This law applies automatically to all B2B transactions — you don't need to mention it in your contract or invoice.
Your Rights When a Client Pays Late
From the day after the payment deadline passes, you are automatically entitled to:
- Late payment interest — the ECB reference rate + 8 percentage points (updated twice yearly). In 2026, this is approximately 12–13% per year, calculated daily.
- Flat-fee compensation for recovery costs — a fixed amount of €40 per unpaid invoice, regardless of the amount owed. This covers your administrative recovery costs.
- Reasonable recovery costs — if your actual recovery costs exceed €40 (e.g. lawyer fees), you can claim the difference.
Standard Payment Terms
If you haven't specified payment terms on your invoice, the legal default is 30 days from the invoice date. You can set shorter terms (14 or 21 days) — always specify on your invoice.
For B2B transactions, the maximum payment term a large company can impose on an SME is 60 days. Any longer terms in a contract are not legally enforceable against an SME.
Step-by-Step: Recovering a Late Invoice
- Automatic reminder (day 1–7 overdue) — a polite payment reminder by email with payment link. Eurobillr sends this automatically.
- Second reminder (day 8–14 overdue) — more direct follow-up, mentioning the invoice amount and due date.
- Formal notice (aanmaning / mise en demeure) — a registered letter formally requesting payment within 8–15 days, mentioning your right to late payment interest and the €40 flat fee.
- Debt collection or legal action — if still unpaid, options include a collection agency, the simplified procedure for undisputed debts (ESIS/PSUR), or civil court proceedings.
The ESIS Procedure (Simplified Recovery for Undisputed Debts)
Belgium has a fast-track procedure for recovering undisputed commercial debts: the Procedure for Undisputed Debts (PSUR / ESIS). A bailiff can obtain an enforceable title without going through a full court hearing, typically within a few weeks and at lower cost than traditional litigation.
Preventing Late Payments
The most effective approach is prevention:
- Clear payment terms — always state the due date on every invoice
- Automatic reminders — send a polite pre-due reminder 3–5 days before the deadline
- Payment links — include a direct Stripe, Mollie, or PayPal link on every invoice to remove friction
- QR codes — Eurobillr adds a scannable QR code to every invoice linking directly to the payment page
How Eurobillr Handles Reminders Automatically
Set a due date when you create an invoice and Eurobillr takes care of the rest: a pre-due reminder 3–7 days before, an overdue follow-up if unpaid, and automatic paid status when payment clears. You never have to chase manually.