Is it permissible to pay for the water meter in installments, with additional charges levied in the event of late payment?

The condition stipulated by the company, that the debtor bears the expenses of the car and the worker sent to the meter when the customer delays payment, falls under the penal clause for non-fulfillment of debt, which is explicit usury (riba). The Islamic Fiqh Academy has ruled that it is impermissible to stipulate a penal clause in contracts where the primary obligation is a debt.

However, if the contract is made without this condition, and the solvent debtor procrastinates, the creditor may charge them for the expenses incurred in pursuing and collecting their debt.