Scale

What are the legal interest rates applicable during the second half of 2026?

Publié le 30 juin 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)

Statutory interest rates are used to calculate the amount of penalties for late payment to a creditor. The rates applicable during the second half of 2026 were set by an order published in Official journal of the French Republic of 30 June 2026. They shall apply from 1er July 2026.

Illustration

The statutory interest rates are discounted every semester.

The first rate, the highest, applies to cases where a sum of money is owed to an individual (i.e. the creditor is a natural person not acting for business purposes); the second rate applies to other creditors (e.g. business creditors).

Tableau - Legal interest rate

Debtor (the one who owes money)

Creditor (the one to whom the money is owed)

Rate (2nd semester 2026)

Rate (1er  semester 2026)

Private

Private

6.84%

6.67%

Professional

Private

6.84%

6.67%

Private

Professional

2.75%

2.62%

Professional

Professional

2.75%

2.62%

The statutory interest rate is used to calculate the interest on the sums of money owed to a creditor in the event of late payment, in particular in banking matters, over-indebtedness, credit, divorce or between professionals. For example, in the case of a commercial dispute or a court decision requiring you to pay a sum of money, if you pay this amount late, you must pay additional legal interest.

To calculate the amount of this interest, multiply the amount due by the number of days late and by the legal interest rate applicable during the period in question. The result should then be divided by the number of days in a year (365). This corresponds to the following formula: (sum due x days late x legal interest rate) / 365.

365 should also be used in this calculation for a leap year.

Please note

The statutory interest rate plus for the second half of 2026:

  • 11.84% if the creditor is an individual;
  • 7.75% if the creditor is a professional.

This increased rate applies when the debtor has not paid the amount due within 2 months. It corresponds to the simple statutory interest rate, increased by 5 points.

Additional topics

Une remarque ?