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Rules and legislation you should know

At Collectia, we work according to the applicable rules and legislation for debt collection.

The legal language can be difficult to interpret, which is why you can read more about the rules that regulate this area here. If you are left with further questions after reading this, you are of course welcome to contact our experienced debt advisors for further clarification.

You can contact us on 77 40 78 80 from Monday to Thursday between 8:00-16:00 and Friday between 8:00-15:30.

Collection costs and fees

Foreign debt collection

Collection costs that debt collection companies or lawyers are allowed to charge your customer. The amount is determined by the size of the debt.

Principal (from and to)
Collection costs (excluding VAT)
0 - 1.000 kr.

400 kr.

1.001 - 2.500 kr.

700 kr.

2.501 - 5.000 kr.

1.000 kr.

5.001 - 10.000 kr.

1.300 kr.

10.001 - 25.000 kr.

1.700 kr.

25.001 - 50.000 kr.

2.250 kr.

50.001 - 100.000 kr.

2.850 kr.

100.001 - 250.000 kr.

3.850 kr.

250.001 - 500.000 kr.

6.400 kr.

500.001 kr. –

DKK 6,400 + 1% of the part of the claim exceeding DKK 500,000

Own collection

The collection costs you are allowed to charge if you recover your money yourself. The amount is determined by the size of the claim.

Principal (from and to)
Collection costs (excluding VAT)
0 - 1.000 kr.

300 kr.

1.001 - 2.500 kr.

500 kr.

2.501 - 5.000 kr.

650 kr.

5.001 - 10.000 kr.

850 kr.

10.001 - 25.000 kr.

1.150 kr.

25.001 - 50.000 kr.

1.400 kr.

50.001 - 100.000 kr.

1.850 kr.

100.001 - 250.000 kr.

2.550 kr.

250.001 - 500.000 kr.

4.250 kr.

500.001 kr. –

DKK 4,250 + 0.67% of the part of the claim exceeding DKK 500,000

The Debt Collection Industry Association

Collectia is a member of the debt collection industry association. The purpose of the association is to work for a healthy development of the Danish debt collection market. Among other things, the association helps to ensure that the partners in a debt collection process receive a case management of the association members in accordance with the applicable legislation and guidelines.

Read about the association's work here:

Frequently asked questions

What is good debt collection practice?

The Debt Collection Act §9 states that debt collection companies must practice good debt collection ethics. This means that we must treat our customers and their customers respectfully and professionally and must not use methods such as: coercion, threats, etc.

Our main task is to recover your money while keeping the good customer experience in focus. Our experience clearly shows that respectful recovery promotes payment and maintains good customer relations.

Should debt collection be notified?

Yes, according to §3 of the Executive Order on extrajudicial recovery costs, the customer must be notified before the case is transferred to debt collection. The notice must appear in the last reminder letter sent to the customer.

The notice must clearly state that failure to pay within the stated payment deadline may result in the case being referred to debt collection and that this may result in additional collection costs for which the customer is liable.

You are required to give the customer at least 10 days to pay from the date the notice is sent.

If you still do not receive payment from the customer and the case is transferred to debt collection, an additional notice must be sent to the customer in accordance with section 10 of the Debt Collection Act. This notice is often called a debt collection notice or letter of demand, and will usually be subject to debt collection costs for which your customer is liable. It will also state what further action may be taken in the event of continued non-payment, e.g. that the case may be brought before the court or that bankruptcy will be filed, which may result in additional costs for which the customer is liable.

What should the debt collection notice contain?
For a debt collection notice to be valid, it must contain all the information necessary to assess the case. This means that you must specify the nature of the claim, which is often sufficient to include one or more invoices, including the invoice number. It should clearly state the amount claimed and that failure to pay on time may result in additional recovery costs being imposed on your customer.
How many days is the customer entitled to have to pay their debt after the debt collection notice has been sent?
The customer is entitled to a minimum of 10 days from the sending of the debt collection notice to pay his or her debt without any further collection steps.
What are the costs for running debt collection on a case?
The Debt Collection Order sets out the statutory costs that can be charged to the customer for debt collection.
There is a difference between self-collection and using a debt collection agency or lawyer, also known as third-party debt collection.

The cost depends on the value of the principal.

Principal amount (from-to) Collection costs (excl. VAT)
for external debt collection
Collection costs (incl. VAT)
for self-collection
0 - 1.000 kr. 400 kr. 300 kr.
1.001 - 2.500 kr. 700 kr. 500 kr.
2.501 - 5.000 kr. 1.000 kr. 650 kr.
5.001 - 10.000 kr. 1.300 kr. 850 kr.
10.001 - 25.000 kr. 1.700 kr. 1.150 kr.
25.001 - 50.000 kr. 2.250 kr. 1.400 kr.
50.001 - 100.000 kr. 2.850 kr 1.850 kr.
100.001 - 250.000 kr. 3.850 kr. 2.550 kr.
250.001 - 500.000 kr. 6.400 kr. 4.250 kr.
500.001 kr. – DKK 6,400 + 1% of the part of the principal exceeding DKK 500,000 DKK 4,250 + 0.67% of the part of the principal exceeding DKK 500,000
When can the customer be charged an interest fee?
Unless otherwise agreed, the general rule is that interest is charged 30 days after the date of the invoice and only up to 3 years. If the payment period is fixed in advance at more than 30 days, you may not claim interest until this payment period has expired.
What is a procedural interest rate?

If the customer does not pay on time, an interest charge may be levied for the time the customer continues to fail to pay their debt. This interest charge is called interest on arrears. The interest rate is set according to the National Bank of Denmark's lending rate plus a surcharge of around 8%.

How much can I charge the customer in reminder fees?

You are not obliged to send reminders with a reminder fee, but you may require the customer to pay a reminder fee of up to a maximum of €100 per letter. A maximum of three reminder fees can be charged for the same case and there must be a minimum of 10 days between reminders.

What is a collection fee?

A collection fee of DKK 100 may be added to the transfer to debt collection, which the customer must pay.

When does an invoice become obsolete?

On invoices, the limitation period is generally 3 years, which means that you cannot claim a refund if 3 years have passed since the invoice was issued. If a due date is agreed in the terms and conditions, the 3 years are calculated from the date of payment. In the case of damage cases, it is from the date of damage.

If the amount is legally determined or the customer has signed a declaration of debt or promissory note, the limitation period is 10 years.

What legal fees may be charged to the customer?

If a case goes to court, the costs depend on whether the case goes to the enforcement court or the civil court, as well as the value of the case.

If the case goes to an enforcement or civil court, the costs will be charged to the customer.

Collectia pays for all legal fees and charges you at the monthly settlement. These fees are passed on to the customer, so you will get your money back if the customer pays the full amount.

Bailiff cases
Demand for payment 750 kr.

Civil cases
Cases under 100.000 kr. 750 kr.
Cases above 100.000 kr. 1.500 kr.

Committal fee - Civil cases over DKK 100,000

The fees are calculated on the basis of the value of the case
100.001-250.000 kr. 3.000 kr.
250.001-500.000 kr. 8.000 kr.
500.001-1.000.000 kr. 14.000 kr.
1.000.001-2.000.000 kr. 35.000 kr.
2.000.001-3.000.000 kr. 60.000 kr.
3.000.001-4.000.000 kr. 85.000 kr.
4.000.001-5.000.000 kr. 110.000 kr.
5.000.001-6.000.000 kr. 135.000 kr.
Over 6.000.000 kr. 160.000 kr.
When can a customer be registered as a bad payer?

Have your customers received reminders for bills that they have not paid or responded to? then it may be that they have a payment remark, ie. is registered as a bad payer. A payment remark is registered in RKI or other similar debt registers, such as Collectia's own Debitorliste etc. Young people under 18 must not be registered with payment remarks.

As a general rule, a customer must have received 3 written reminders to which they have not responded in order to get a payment remark. In the last reminder, you must notify the customer that he/she will be registered in a debt register and given a last chance to repay their debt within 10 days, unless otherwise specified. However, you don't have to notify the registration if there is a foundation (e.g. a declaration of debt, judgment, etc.).

Payment default rules depend on who the customer owes money to

  • Does the customer owe money to the public sector?
    Then the amount must be over DKK 7,500 before the customer can get a payment remark.
  • If the customer owes money to a financial institution e.g.e.g. the bank?
    Then the amount must be over DKK 1,000. kr before the customer can get a payment remark.
  • Does the customer owe money to a private company?
    Then the amount must be over DKK 200 before the customer can get a payment remark.

How do you get a payment default?

As a general rule, a payment default must be removed as soon as the customer has paid his or her debts. 

If the customer does not pay his or her debt, the customer may be registered for a maximum of 5 years. Even if the payment remark expires, the customer's debt remains if it has not been paid.