Late payments, a 30-day legal deadline, and interest that accrues automatically.

Late payments no longer depend on how persistent you are with the client, but on two deadlines set by law. On July 23, 2026, the Assembly adopted Law No. 81/2026, which amends and adds provisions to Law No. 48/2014 on late payments in contractual and commercial obligations.

The biggest change is simple to understand and hard to ignore. The right to late‐payment interest now arises automatically when the due date passes. No notice, no reminder, and no written request are required.

This article explains what the new deadlines are, when late interest begins to accrue, who falls within the scope of application, and what you can change in your contracts today. All rules are cited from the official text of the law, so each is accompanied by the relevant article.

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Law No. 81/2026 on Late Payments: What It Is and When It Takes Effect

Law No. 81/2026 does not establish a completely new regime. It amends Law No. 48/2014, which had been in force for twelve years and was rarely enforced because it did not provide the creditor with clear remedies.

The old rule that no longer applies is the one on notice. Until now, most businesses believed they had to send a formal request before the right to interest could arise. Article 6(1) explicitly removes this requirement.

An honest clarification is needed regarding the effective date. The law takes effect 15 days after publication in the Official Gazette. We have not yet confirmed the issue number in which the text was published, so we are not providing an exact date. As soon as we have it, this page will be updated.

Which contracts is the new law applicable to?

This question is more practically important than the deadlines themselves, because it determines whether the invoice you have today is protected or not. Article 6 of the amending law establishes three transitional rules.

First. The new provisions apply only to commercial transactions and contracts entered into after the effective date. A contract signed before that date remains subject to the previous rule, even if the invoice is issued later.

Second. The obligations of public authorities toward commercial entities, arising and unpaid before the entry into force, are governed by the law in effect at the time they arose.

The third. The obligation of public authorities to implement the deadlines of Article 7 begins six months after entry into force. During that period, they draw up a plan for the gradual repayment of the stock of obligations.

The practical conclusion for the business is clear. For old invoices, the previous mechanisms remain. For those that follow, the payment clause in the new contract is where the new law begins to work for you.

Late payments between businesses: how many days does your client have?

The law distinguishes between two situations, and the difference between them determines everything that follows. It matters whether your contract specifies a payment deadline or not.

When the contract does not specify a deadline, the law provides 30 days.

When the parties have not agreed on a payment term, it is 30 calendar days. The term begins on the date the invoice is received, or on the date the goods or services are received when the invoice date is uncertain.

This is the most common scenario in small businesses, because many supplies are ordered and invoiced without a written contract. In other words, even without a contract you have a statutory period, not a gentlemen's agreement.

When the contract specifies a deadline, the maximum is 60 days.

The payment term set forth in the contract between two business entities may not exceed 60 calendar days. This is a genuine innovation, because the previous law did not impose this cap so clearly. Article 6, paragraph 5, allows a single exception, when the parties have expressly agreed otherwise and provided that the term is not clearly unfair to the creditor. So 60 days are the rule, not an absolute wall.

In practice, this affects relationships where a large client imposes 90- or 120-day payment terms. Such a term can no longer be set unilaterally, and when it is set, it must not be clearly unfair to the creditor.

The inspection does not extend the deadline indefinitely.

Some contracts extend payment by lengthening the acceptance procedure. Article 6, paragraph 4, closes this loophole. The maximum duration of the takeover or acceptance testing procedure for goods or services may not exceed 30 calendar days.

Therefore, a 60- or 90-day acceptance procedure, without objective justification, no longer serves as a means to defer payment.

The table below summarizes all four situations in a single view.

Situation	The deadline and the date on which interest begins
Private client, no contract term.	30 calendar days from receipt of the invoice or the goods. Interest begins on the 31st day.
Private client, with a term in the contract	The contract term, but no more than 60 calendar days. Interest begins the next day.
Public authority	30 calendar days. Up to 60 days only by express agreement in the contract.
When there is an inspection or takeover	The procedure does not exceed 30 calendar days and does not extend the deadline beyond the above limits.

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Delinquency arises without notice or warning.

Article 6(1) provides that the creditor is entitled to late‐payment interest without the need to send a notice or reminder for payment. The only condition is that you have fulfilled your contractual and legal obligations and that payment has not been received by the due date.

This rule changes the conversation with the client. Until now, interest was something that had to be requested. Now it's something that exists, and only its collection needs to be handled.

How is the late payment interest rate determined?

The law does not set a fixed percentage. It establishes the base rate on which late fees are calculated in Article 3, paragraphs 10 through 12.

For the lek, the Bank of Albania's repo agreement interest rate is used. For the euro, the European Central Bank's key refinancing operations rate is used. For other currencies, the rate of the central bank that issues the currency is used.

Do not confuse this with tax interest. That is something else, owed to the state and governed by Law No. 9920/2008. You can find its figures and rules on our website. fines and tax interest.

Calculated example: when late fees begin on an invoice for 1,000,000 lek.

Obtain a supply valued at 1,000,000 lekë without a written contract and without an agreed payment term.

The invoice is issued on February 3 and the client receives it on February 5. The 30-calendar-day legal period begins on February 5 and ends on March 7. From March 8 onward, late fees are calculated for each day of delay, without any need to write the client a single line.

If the same relationship had a 45-day term, the term would end on March 22 and interest would begin on March 23. If the contract were to set a 90-day term, that term would not apply, because the legal cap is 60 days.

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Late payments by public institutions, the deadline is 30 days.

When your client is a public authority, the payment term is 30 calendar days, pursuant to Article 7. This term may extend to 60 days only if the parties expressly agree to it in the contract.

Article 7, paragraph 6, reiterates the automatic rule here as well. Late interest is calculated from the day after the deadlines expire, without the need for formal notice.

For a small business working on public contracts, this is the most vulnerable aspect of the entire law, because delays are usually longer and negotiating power is lower.

Who falls under the field of law for late payments?

The law replaces the old term “trading enterprise” with the term “trading entity.” The change is not merely linguistic, because the new definition is broader.

Freelance professions and sole proprietors are included.

A trading entity is considered any organization, natural person, or legal entity that carries on an independent economic or professional activity. The definition includes traders, commercial companies, and nonprofit organizations when they carry out economic activities.

Thus, the lawyer, the architect, the accountant, and the individual trader are included. This is a genuine expansion compared to the narrow interpretation of the previous law.

What remains outside

The law regulates relationships between business entities and between a business entity and a public authority. It does not regulate the relationship with the individual consumer who purchases for personal needs.

It does not cover either tax obligations or obligations arising from the employment relationship, each of which has its own rules.

Order of execution within 90 days

Many creditors abandon the judicial route not because they lack the right, but because they don't know how long it will take. Article 16, paragraph 2, ends this uncertainty. The court issues the enforcement order within 90 calendar days from the date the request is filed.

The same article also recognizes the right to compensation for the costs of recovering the obligation. Its amount is not specified in this law.

Four steps to protect your business from late payments

These four things don't require a lawyer and can be done within a week.

1. Generate the list of unpaid invoices and record for each the date the client received the invoice, not the date you issued it. The deadline starts from the date of receipt.
2. Review the contracts with your two or three largest clients and check the payment terms. Any term longer than 60 days should be renegotiated.
3. Add a short payment clause to new contracts. The template below is ready to be adapted.
4. Establish an internal rule: who tracks collections and on which day. Without a single person responsible, deadlines pass unnoticed.

Payment is made within [30] calendar days from the date of receipt of the invoice. In the event of non-payment within the specified period, the buyer shall be required to pay late interest in accordance with Law No. 48/2014, as amended, calculated from the day following the expiration of the deadline, as well as compensation for the costs of recovering the debt.

Read also: How to prepare a tax plan for the year, even without being an economist

Frequently asked questions

Can I charge late fees for overdue payments without having it written in the contract?

Yes. The right arises from the law, not from the contract. Article 6(1) requires neither a contractual clause nor prior notice; it is sufficient that you have fulfilled your obligation and that payment was not received within the agreed period.

Is an old invoice protected by the new law?

No. The new rules apply only to contracts and transactions entered into after the effective date. For an earlier contract, the previous rule applies, so the payment clause in the new contracts is the one that takes effect.

What if my current contract provides for 90 days?

The statutory ceiling for relationships between commercial entities is 60 calendar days. A longer period may not be imposed and is void when it is clearly unfair to the creditor.

From which day is interest calculated?

From the day after the deadline expires. If there is no contractual deadline, that day is the thirty-first day after receipt of the invoice or the goods.

What is the percentage of the late fee?

The law does not set a fixed percentage. It establishes the base rate, which for the lek is the Bank of Albania's repo rate and for the euro is the European Central Bank's key refinancing rate.

Does the law also apply to a natural person who is a trader?

Yes. The definition of a trading entity includes a natural person who carries on an independent economic or professional activity, that is, also the liberal professions.

The public institution has a longer deadline than the private business.

No. The default period for the public authority is 30 calendar days and extends to 60 only by express agreement in the contract.

How long does the court take to issue the execution order?

Ninety calendar days from the date of filing the request, pursuant to Article 16, paragraph 2.