Invoice recovery

Recover unpaid invoices and protect cash flow

Do not let overdue B2B invoices sit on the ledger. Upload them here and a vetted UK partner agency can take up the recovery.

• Single invoice or a ledger

• No upfront portal fee

• Commercial debts only

• B2B only

• Partner agencies

• No collection, no fee options

• Secure upload

The real cost of an unpaid commercial invoice

An unpaid invoice is not a clerical inconvenience. The debtor is using your cash as an unauthorised overdraft. Hours spent chasing are hours not spent on paid work. In a tight month, one slow payer can delay your own suppliers.

This portal exists to move a overdue B2B invoice from your credit-control stack to a vetted UK partner agency, without you running a procurement exercise.

When a late payment becomes a debt

If a B2B invoice remains unpaid 30 days after your agreed terms, and reminders are ignored or met with stalling, treat it as a commercial debt. That is the point to instruct a partner through this form — not months later.

Why internal chasing often stalls

Statements, stop-credits and polite calls work on honest customers with a temporary problem. They do little against serial late payers. Until a third party is involved, some debtors assume there is no consequence. A formal demand from a specialist agency changes that assumption.

Your rights under the Late Payment Act 1998

Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 you may, on qualifying B2B contracts, claim:

• Statutory interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate, from the day after the invoice became due.
• A fixed compensation sum of £40, £70 or £100 per overdue invoice, depending on the amount.
• Reasonable costs of recovering the debt, which can include a partner agency’s fees where those costs are justified.

Whether those add-ons fully offset a partner’s commission depends on the file. No recovery rate is promised.

What partner agencies typically do

1. Validate the company status and contact details.
2. Issue a Letter Before Action consistent with the Pre-Action Conduct practice direction.
3. Speak to the debtor’s accounts team or directors and, where appropriate, agree a short payment plan.
4. If the debtor still will not pay, advise you on a county court claim. You decide whether to proceed.

When the invoice is legally late — and what to do next

Lateness is a calendar date, not a feeling. When a commercial payment is legally late sets that date from the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998: agreed terms, the 30-day default, the 60-day business outer limit, and the 30-day public-authority cap. Interest starts the day after.

Once that date has passed you may be able to claim statutory interest and the £40, £70 or £100 compensation. Adding those figures does not collect the invoice. If a county court claim is in view, send a compliant letter before action first (hub: what to include). A partner debt collection agency can take the file from there.

Use the free template below if you are writing the letter yourself. It is a practical B2B template for limited-company debtors, not legal advice and not a solicitor’s letter. If the debtor is a sole trader, use the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims instead.

Free letter before action template

Leave your details and copy the letter. It is a practical B2B template, not legal advice.

Not legal advice

This is a practical B2B template, not a solicitor’s letter and not legal advice. You must fill in the [SQUARE BRACKETS] and send it on your own letterhead.

If the debtor is a sole trader or an individual, do not use this letter. Use the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims instead.

PASECOM GROUP LTD trading as Debt Collection UK is an introducer, not a law firm, and is not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority.

Letter before action template (UK B2B)

Copy letter Download .txt

Can I submit a single unpaid invoice?

Yes. The portal accepts one high-value invoice or a ledger of smaller overdue accounts. Partner agencies handle both.

What if I do not have a signed contract, only an invoice?

A signed contract helps but is not always essential. An unpaid invoice together with proof of delivery, a purchase order, or email correspondence is often enough for a partner to pursue a commercial debt.

Will chasing an invoice ruin the client relationship?

A customer that will not pay is already damaging the relationship. Partner agencies are instructed to act professionally and to prefer pre-legal mediation. You remain in control of whether you trade with that customer again.

How old can an invoice be?

Under the Limitation Act 1980, a simple-contract commercial debt is generally actionable for six years from the due date (or from a written acknowledgement). Older invoices are harder to collect. Submit them as soon as internal credit control has been exhausted.

What if the debtor disputes the quality of the work?

Late, undocumented disputes are a common delay tactic. Partner agencies will ask the debtor for contractual evidence of the dispute. A genuine dispute may need to be resolved before collection continues; a baseless one should not stop a well-evidenced invoice.

When is an unpaid invoice legally late?

The day after the relevant day in the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998. That is your agreed payment date, or 30 days from the later of delivery and the buyer having notice of the amount if no date was agreed — subject to a 60-day business outer limit and a 30-day cap for public authorities. Lateness starts the day after, not on the due date.

Can I send a letter before action myself?

Yes, for a limited company or LLP debtor. The Advice Hub has a free B2B template you can copy after leaving your details. It is not legal advice and not a solicitor’s letter. If the debtor is a sole trader, use the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims instead of that template.

Can I add statutory interest to an unpaid invoice?

On a qualifying commercial contract, yes: simple interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed £40, £70 or £100 per overdue invoice. Adding the figures does not collect the debt. A partner agency can calculate and demand them if the Act applies.