Debt Collection Costs in Denmark 2026: What May an Agency Charge?

When a customer does not pay, you as the creditor can require the debtor to cover part of the costs of recovering the debt. But the amounts are regulated. If you charge too much, you risk the debtor disputing the claim, and with consumer claims it may breach good debt collection practice. Here we go through the rules and maximum amounts for out-of-court collection (udenretlig inddrivelse), that is, debt collection without going to court.

Which costs can the debtor be charged?

The rules are in sections 9 a and 9 b of the Danish Interest Act (renteloven) and in the executive order on out-of-court collection costs in connection with late payment (bekendtgørelse om udenretlige inddrivelsesomkostninger, executive order no. 601 of 12 July 2002, most recently amended by executive order no. 719 of 3 June 2024). There are four types of amount:

• Reminder fee (rykkergebyr): at most DKK 100 per reminder letter, for at most 3 reminders about the same payment, and the reminders must be sent at least 10 days apart (section 9 b(2) of the Interest Act).
• Collection fee (inkassogebyr): at most DKK 100 for asking someone else to recover the claim on your behalf, if there was reasonable cause to do so (section 9 b(3) of the Interest Act).
• Fixed compensation (kompensationsbeløb): a fixed DKK 310 for late payment, which only applies when the debtor is a business or a public authority (section 2(2) of the executive order).
• Collection fees or your own recovery costs: reasonable and relevant costs of further recovery steps, within the maximum amounts below (sections 3 and 4 of the executive order).

Late-payment interest is not a cost but a separate right. It is calculated under the Interest Act and comes on top.

The condition: a reminder with a deadline of at least 10 days

Collection fees and your own recovery costs can only be charged if the debtor has first received a reminder letter with a deadline of at least 10 days from sending, stating that failure to pay may lead to further collection costs. The recovery step must also have been relevant (sections 3 and 4 of the executive order). If the case is handed to a debt collection agency or a lawyer, a correct letter of demand under section 10 of the Debt Collection Act (inkassoloven) must also have been sent. Read more in our guide to the requirements for the debt collection notice.

Nor can the costs be charged if the delay is not due to the debtor's circumstances (section 9 a(1) of the Interest Act).

Maximum amounts when an agency or a lawyer recovers the debt

Annex 1 to the executive order sets the maximum collection fee the debtor must pay for each individual claim. The amounts are excluding VAT and apply to payment claims that arose on or after 1 July 2024:

• DKK 0–1,000: DKK 500
• DKK 1,001–2,500: DKK 850
• DKK 2,501–5,000: DKK 1,200
• DKK 5,001–10,000: DKK 1,550
• DKK 10,001–25,000: DKK 2,050
• DKK 25,001–50,000: DKK 2,700
• DKK 50,001–100,000: DKK 3,450
• DKK 100,001–250,000: DKK 4,650
• DKK 250,001–500,000: DKK 7,700
• Over DKK 500,000: DKK 7,700 plus 1% of the part exceeding DKK 500,000

The size of the claim is the principal including VAT, plus interest accrued before the due date and agreed fees that could be charged before the due date. Late-payment interest after the due date is not included. VAT can only be added to the amounts if you as the creditor are not VAT-registered.

Maximum amounts when you recover the debt yourself

If you handle the recovery yourself, you can charge for reasonable expenses for drawing up and entering into a payment agreement with the debtor (a voluntary settlement, frivilligt forlig) and for administering it. Annex 2 sets these maximum amounts, which include any VAT:

• DKK 0–1,000: DKK 350
• DKK 1,001–2,500: DKK 600
• DKK 2,501–5,000: DKK 800
• DKK 5,001–10,000: DKK 1,000
• DKK 10,001–25,000: DKK 1,400
• DKK 25,001–50,000: DKK 1,700
• DKK 50,001–100,000: DKK 2,250
• DKK 100,001–250,000: DKK 3,050
• DKK 250,001–500,000: DKK 5,100
• Over DKK 500,000: DKK 5,100 plus 0.67% of the part exceeding DKK 500,000

See also our guide to instalment plans if you want to agree a payment plan with the customer.

Consumers and businesses: when can the cap be exceeded?

For a consumer, the maximum amounts are a fixed ceiling. They cannot be departed from to the consumer's detriment.

For a business customer, you can in principle charge more than the maximum amount if your reasonable and relevant costs actually exceed it (sections 3(2) and 4(2) of the executive order). You must be able to document those costs. The DKK 310 compensation can also only be charged to business customers. Read more about the differences between collecting from individuals and businesses.

Example: a business invoice of DKK 30,000

Your company is VAT-registered and has an unpaid invoice of DKK 30,000 including VAT to a business customer. You send a reminder with a fee and a correct debt collection notice, and then hand the case to a debt collection agency. The debtor can in principle be charged:

• Reminder fee: DKK 100
• Fixed compensation: DKK 310
• Collection fee: at most DKK 2,700 (the claim falls in the DKK 25,001–50,000 bracket), without VAT because you are VAT-registered
• Late-payment interest from the due date under the Interest Act

Under the rules, the fixed compensation does not affect your other claims for fees and collection costs. If the customer were a consumer, the compensation could not be charged, and DKK 2,700 would be an absolute ceiling for the collection fee.

What about costs in court?

The rules above apply to out-of-court collection. If the case goes on to a payment order (betalingspåkrav) or a lawsuit, court fees are added, and the court decides on the costs of the case. If you are thinking of using an agency, our guide to choosing the right debt collection agency can help you compare prices and terms.

Through InkassoHurtig you can get no-obligation quotes from police-authorised debt collection agencies and lawyers. This content is general information and not legal advice.