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Payment order from the court: what to do?

Last updated: October 2026

A payment order (Mahnbescheid) comes from the court in a yellow envelope. This is not a normal reminder. If you ignore it, you risk having money seized. But with the enclosed form you can easily defend yourself.

Sample letter

Amtsgericht Musterstadt (Mahngericht) · Justizstraße 7 · 12345 Musterstadt
Frau Olena Muster
Buchenstraße 4
12345 Musterstadt
Musterstadt, 22. Oktober 2026Geschäftsnummer: 26‑1234567-0‑8

Mahn­bescheid

Antragsteller: Beispiel Telefon GmbH, vertreten durch Muster Inkasso GmbH
Antragsgegnerin: Olena Muster

Der Antragsteller macht gegen Sie folgenden Anspruch geltend:
Hauptforderung (Rechnung vom 2. Mai 2026): 186,40 €
Kosten des Verfahrens und Nebenforderungen: siehe Rückseite

Das Gericht hat nicht geprüft, ob dem Antragsteller der Anspruch zusteht.

Sie können innerhalb von zwei Wochen ab Zustellung dieses Bescheids die Forderung bezahlen oder dem Gericht mitteilen, ob und in welchem Umfang Sie dem Anspruch widersprechen. Bitte benutzen Sie dafür das beiliegende Widerspruchsformular.

Wenn Sie nicht widersprechen, kann der Antragsteller einen Vollstreckungs­bescheid beantragen. Aus diesem kann er die Zwangs­vollstreckung gegen Sie betreiben.

Made‑up sender, made‑up names. The letter often looks like this or similar.

What does the letter mean?

Someone says that you owe them money and has applied to the court for a payment order. The court has only checked the form, not whether the claim is correct.

Unlike a reminder from a debt collector (Inkasso), this is a real court procedure. If you do nothing, the next step is an enforcement order (Vollstreckungs­bescheid). With it, the creditor can for example have your bank account seized.

If the claim is wrong or only partly correct, you object (Widerspruch). Then the creditor must prove in court that you really owe the money.

Deadlines

  • 2 weeks from service for the objection. The date of service is on the yellow envelope. Keep it. The deadline in your own letter is what counts.
  • If an enforcement order comes after that, you can file an objection (Einspruch) against it within 2 weeks from service. This is your last simple option.
  • Better send the objection too early than too late.

What you can do

  1. Do not ignore the letter, even if you think it is wrong.
  2. Check who wants something from you and for what. Do you know the claim?
  3. If you owe nothing or only part of it, fill in the enclosed objection form, sign it and send it to the court for payment orders (Mahngericht). You do not need to give reasons.
  4. If you really owe the money, paying quickly can save further costs. Talk to a debt advice service (Schuldner­beratung) or consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) first.
  5. Make a copy of the completed form and note when you sent it.

This guide does not replace legal advice. Every letter is different: deadlines and amounts apply as they are written in your letter. If you have questions, an advice centre can help.

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