Overview

• The Beitragsservice is rolling out the new one-time annual notification in phases, so some households have switched while others still get quarterly reminders.
• Manual transfer payers will receive a single letter each year listing all four payment deadlines instead of separate notices per quarter.
• Failure to pay by the listed dates triggers a 1% late fee on the outstanding amount or a minimum charge of 8 euros for each missed installment.
• Officials say the change will curb rising paper and postage costs and promote a more sustainable, cost-efficient fee collection process.
• To help payers adapt, the service offers downloadable calendar entries online and continues to allow SEPA direct debit for automatic fee withdrawals.