How I calculate
The Civil Code gives you the right to late-payment interest from the day after the due date through the payment date (Art. 942(1)).
The rate equals the National Bank base rate plus 5 percentage points per year when the debtor is a consumer and plus 9 points in other cases (Art. 942(2)).
For the first semester, I use the NBM rate in force on 1 January, and for the second semester, the rate in force on 1 July (Art. 874(2)). I calculate simple interest by day, using a 365-day year.
If the contract sets a late-payment penalty, you choose between late-payment interest and the penalty (Art. 942(4)).
The NBM rates I use
| 2023, first semester | 20% |
|---|---|
| 2023, second semester | 6% |
| 2024, first semester | 4.75% |
| 2024, second semester | 3.6% |
| 2025, first semester | 3.6% |
| 2025, second semester | 6.5% |
| 2026, first semester | 5% |
| 2026, second semester | 7% |
Example
A company owes you 10,000 lei due on 31 January 2026 and pays on 2 March 2026. The delay lasts 30 days. The rate for the first semester of 2026 is 5% + 9 = 14% per year, so the interest is 10,000 × 14% × 30 / 365 = 115.07 lei.
Legal basis
- Civil Code No. 1107/2002, Art. 942, late-payment interest
- Civil Code No. 1107/2002, Art. 874(2), semester rates
- National Bank of Moldova, base-rate history