This article explains what usage compensation is, when it is charged, and what special considerations apply.
What is usage compensation?
Usage compensation may be charged if, at the end of the lease, there is no information regarding the return or takeover of the leased bike.
The possibility of charging usage compensation was agreed upon in the service contract between Bikeleasing and the employer, as well as in the framework leasing contract between the employer and the leasing company.
This regulation is also referenced in the final reminder email before the lease ends.
When and how is usage compensation calculated?
Usage compensation is calculated if, after the lease term expires, no information is available about whether the leased bike has been taken over or returned.
Example
- Contract end: 10/31/2025
- End of the first overdue month: 11/30/2025
- Invoice issuance: no later than 12/10/2025
The usage compensation is calculated retroactively for the period from 11/01/2025 to 11/30/2025.
How much is the usage compensation?
Who receives the invoice and who is responsible for payment?
Usage compensation is invoiced to the employer as the lessee.
- The invoice is sent by email to the primary contact person registered in the portal for the company and is due immediately and without deduction.
- If payment is not received within the specified deadline, we will initiate our regular dunning process. Additional costs may be incurred as a result.
- Whether and how the costs are subsequently settled internally between employer and employee is outside the scope of Bikeleasing service.
When does the calculation end?
Usage compensation is calculated monthly until we receive clear information about the whereabouts of the leased bike, for example through:
- Return of the leased bike to a Bikeleasing partner dealer and receipt of the corresponding feedback or proof
or
- Takeover of the leased bike and confirmation of the takeover by Bikeleasing
The calculation of usage compensation ends only after one of these pieces of information has been received.
FAQ / Additional Notes |
Can usage compensation be charged if no reminder email was received?
Yes.
- The lease term is limited to 36 months.
- Therefore, the lease end date is known from the start of the contract and can be found in the leasing agreement at any time.
Receiving a reminder email does not affect the calculation of usage compensation. It may be charged if no information about the return or takeover of the leased bike is available after the lease ends.
Is usage compensation credited towards the takeover price if the leased bike is taken over later?
No.
- Usage compensation and the takeover price are independent processes.
Usage compensation arises from the use or unresolved status of the leased bike after the contractual lease end and is therefore not credited against a later takeover price.
The decision at the end of the lease was forgotten. Can usage compensation still be charged?
Yes.
- Even if the decision at the end of the lease was accidentally not entered in time, usage compensation may still be charged.
We therefore recommend entering the decision at the end of the lease early in the Bikeleasing service portal and completing the process promptly.
Does usage compensation mean the lease contract is extended?
No.
- Charging usage compensation does not extend the lease contract.
- The lease contract ends on the contractually agreed date.
- Usage compensation serves only as compensation for continued use or unresolved status of the leased bike after the contract ends.
Can the leased bike still be returned despite outstanding usage compensations?
Yes.
- Returning the leased bike is still possible.
However, usage compensations already incurred generally remain and are not automatically canceled by the return.
Is usage compensation canceled if it can be proven that the bike was returned on time?
Possibly.
- If proof such as a return confirmation or comparable evidence shows that the leased bike was returned on time, we will gladly review the case.
Please note: This is always a case-by-case decision. Cancellation or correction of usage compensation can only occur after reviewing the submitted documents.
For review, the return confirmation or other suitable proof of the actual return date can be submitted by email.
Does usage compensation remain if the takeover decision is entered afterward?
Yes.
- Usage compensations already incurred generally remain, even if the takeover or return decision is entered in the portal afterward.
- Usage compensation is calculated for the period after the contractual lease end during which no final takeover, return decision, or return to the dealer was available.
Therefore, entering the takeover decision afterward does not automatically cancel usage compensations already incurred.
How can usage compensation be avoided?
Usage compensation can be avoided if, in a timely manner before or at the lease end:
- a decision about the lease end is entered in the portal
- the leased bike is taken over or returned
- all required feedback and documents are submitted on time
We recommend entering the decision about the lease end early in the Bikeleasing service portal and completing the process promptly.
Why is the calculation done monthly?
- As long as no final return or takeover decision is available, we must assume that the leased bike remains in the possession of the employer or employee.
-
The calculation of usage compensation per overdue month is contractually agreed in the framework leasing and service contract.
Therefore, usage compensation is charged for each additional overdue month until the whereabouts of the leased bike are clearly resolved.
- If the leased bike cannot be returned or taken over after the lease ends because the employee does not hand over the bike, the employer generally has the option to take the leased bike into company ownership.
Further clarification regarding the handover or whereabouts of the leased bike must then be handled directly between employer and employee.
- In such cases, we recommend seeking legal advice and possibly taking further steps.
Therefore, we recommend resolving the matter as soon as possible.
Why was usage compensation not collected via SEPA direct debit?
- Even if a SEPA direct debit was authorized for the lease payments under the leasing contract, this does not apply to invoiced usage compensations.
Usage compensation is not a regular lease payment within the agreed contract term but a payment arising from use or unresolved status of the leased bike after the lease ends.
Therefore, usage compensations are generally invoiced with the payment method bank transfer and are due immediately and without deduction.
This ensures that the invoice and the note about the already ended lease receive special attention and are not accidentally overlooked. Payment must therefore be made independently by the invoice recipient.
Translation Note: This article has been translated using automatic translation software to provide the reader with a basic understanding of the content. Despite reasonable efforts to provide an accurate translation, we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
If there are any questions regarding the accuracy of the information in the translated article, please refer to the German version of the article, which is the official version.