The first step is not to pay blindly and not to panic, but to understand what arrived. An Inkasso letter and a court Mahnbescheid look alike but are different stages: one without court force, the other with a hard 2-week deadline. Check whether the debt exists, the sum is right and whether the limitation period has run. And note: a careless part-payment can confirm even a doubtful claim.
Dunning Order and Debt Collection: check the claim
Tell an Inkasso letter from a court Mahnbescheid, check whether the debt exists, the sum is right and whether the limitation period (Verjaehrung) has run. Why a part-payment can confirm a stranger claim.
✓ Verified: 20/07/2026
WHAT TO DO
AUTHORITY
Amtsgericht / Mahngericht
Federal agencyPayment orders and enforcement orders run through your state's central Mahngericht. Apply online at online-mahnantrag.de.
› Details and tips
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Max recommends:
A collection letter arrived for a debt that never existed. I did not call their number but demanded proof of the claim in writing. Once I asked for the documents they went quiet — it was an error in their database.
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Lea recommends:
Look at the form first: the yellow court Mahnbescheid starts the clock for 2 weeks. An ordinary Inkasso letter creates no such court deadline — but you still should not let it pile up unopened.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Inkasso the same as a Mahnbescheid? ▾
No. An Inkasso letter is a private claim on the creditor behalf; it has no court force and you can object in writing. The court Mahnbescheid is an official yellow form from the Amtsgericht with a hard 2-week deadline and must not be ignored.
Must I pay the collection costs? ▾
Only if the main claim is valid and you are truly in default. Collection costs are capped and often inflated: disputed amounts can be challenged by paying the undisputed part. If no debt exists, do not confirm it by a part-payment.
What is Verjaehrung? ▾
The limitation period. For most everyday claims it is 3 years from the end of the year the claim arose. After that you can refuse payment citing Verjaehrung. But a Mahnbescheid suspends the period — so reacting matters rather than waiting.
Should I settle with a part-payment? ▾
Careful: a part-payment or a written acknowledgement can restart the limitation period and confirm the claim. If you doubt the debt, check its validity first and only then pay.