Debt recovery FAQs: how comparing agencies works
46 straight answers to the things creditors actually ask before instructing anyone: whether comparing really is free, who sees your enquiry, what an agency will charge, how long you have to chase a debt, and what changes if your debtor is in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. No sales pitch, and no agency named.
Using Collect Compare
How the comparison works, what it costs you (nothing), and what you are and are not committing to when you choose an agency.
Is Collect Compare really free for creditors?
Yes. Comparing agencies, being matched and using the late-payment calculator cost you nothing, and there is no account, subscription or card required. The agency you choose pays us an introduction fee, which is how the service is funded. You are never charged, never invoiced, and never steered toward whoever pays most, because every listed agency pays the same published scale.
What is the catch if it is free?
There is no hidden charge, but here is the trade. To use the service you tell us about the debt, and when you choose an agency we pass your enquiry and contact details to that one agency so it can help you. That introduction is what we are paid for. Our pricing to agencies is published openly, so you can see exactly how the money works.
Do I have to instruct the agency I am introduced to?
No. The introduction is not a contract. Choosing an agency means we pass your details on and they get in touch to discuss the case; any agreement for recovery work is made separately and directly between you and them. You can hear them out, ask for their terms in writing, and walk away owing nobody anything.
Why are the agencies anonymous until I choose?
So you compare on substance rather than brand. With names hidden you weigh the things that actually change your outcome: fee model, the debt types a firm really takes, its minimum debt value, coverage and independent ratings. It also keeps the marketplace honest, because no agency can buy a higher position. The name, logo and full profile appear the moment you choose.
How do you decide which agencies to show me?
Your answers set hard filters. Where the debtor is, the type of debt, its age, the amount owed and whether you already have a judgment all have to match what an agency says it covers, including its minimum debt value. Agencies that have paused or hit their volume cap do not appear at all. Nothing in the ordering is for sale.
What is the difference between comparing and Match me?
Compare shows you a shortlist side by side and you pick from it; Match me applies the same filters and returns a single best-fit agency. Use compare if you want to weigh fee models and specialisms yourself, or match if you would rather not. Both are free, both use the same impartial rules, and neither commits you to anything.
Can I use Collect Compare for a single unpaid invoice?
Yes. One invoice is a perfectly normal enquiry and plenty of agencies take single, low-value debts. The practical limit is each agency’s minimum debt value, shown on every comparison card, so a small debt simply means you see the agencies whose floor it clears. Ledgers of dozens or hundreds of debts are equally welcome.
Do I need to be a limited company to use it?
No. Sole traders, freelancers, partnerships, landlords and limited companies all use the service. What matters is that the money is genuinely owed to you and you can evidence it with an invoice, contract, tenancy agreement or judgment. Who your debtor is changes the process more than who you are, because chasing an individual or sole trader brings the Pre-Action Protocol into play.
Are you a debt collection agency or a law firm?
Neither. Collect Compare is a comparison and introduction service. We do not chase debts, we do not litigate and we do not give legal advice. We check and list agencies, show them to you anonymously, and introduce you to the one you pick. The recovery work, the terms and the client relationship all sit with that agency.
Who is behind Collect Compare?
Collect Compare was founded by Nathan McDonald, who worked inside the UK debt recovery industry before building it. Collect Compare Ltd is registered in England and Wales, company number 16514658, and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Seeing how unevenly the sector performs from the inside is why the comparison is blind and why no agency can pay to rank.
What it costs you
What we are paid, what the agency will charge, and how much of it you can pass on to the debtor.
Does Collect Compare take a cut of what is recovered?
No. We are paid a one-off introduction fee by the agency at the point we introduce you, on a published scale banded by the size of the debt you tell us about. It is fixed at that moment: it does not rise with what the agency goes on to recover, and it does not change if the case escalates. So we have no stake in you being pushed toward litigation you do not need. The agency’s own charges are agreed separately with you.
What will the agency charge me?
Three models dominate. Commission or no-collection-no-fee takes an agreed percentage of what is recovered; fixed fee charges per debt or per letter regardless of outcome; hybrid arrangements suit larger ledgers. Rates move with the debt’s age, value and volume. Get the percentage, any minimum charge, and what happens if nothing is recovered in writing before you instruct.
Is no-win-no-fee always the cheapest option?
Not always. Paying only on success removes the risk of funding a failed recovery, but the commission on a successful one is usually higher than a fixed fee would have been. On a recent, well-documented debt against a solvent debtor, a fixed fee often costs less overall. On an old or evidentially shaky debt, paying only on success is worth the premium.
Will I be charged if the debtor pays me directly?
Usually yes, once an agency is instructed. Most agreements treat any payment received after instruction as a recovery, whoever it lands with, because the agency’s contact is what prompted it. Read that clause before you sign, ask how long it continues after the case closes, and tell the agency promptly whenever a debtor pays you direct.
Can I pass the collection costs on to the debtor?
Often, on commercial debts. The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 lets you add statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 per invoice depending on its value, and reasonable recovery costs above that compensation where they exceed it. Consumer debts and residential rent arrears work differently.
Does it cost anything if I never choose an agency?
No. You can run the comparison, read the profiles, use the calculator and leave without picking anyone. Nothing is charged and no agency receives your details, because agencies only learn who you are at the point you choose one. If you stop partway through, your enquiry is not sent anywhere.
Your data, your debtor and confidentiality
Who sees what, at which point, and what your debtor can and cannot tell about how you found the agency chasing them.
Who sees my enquiry before I choose an agency?
Only us. While you are comparing, agencies see nothing that identifies you: not your name, your business, your email or your phone number. Contact details are collected at the point you choose, and passed to that one agency alone. We do not sell data and we do not share it with agencies you did not pick.
Will my debtor know I used a comparison site?
No. Collect Compare never contacts your debtor, and nothing we do is visible to them. When the agency you chose makes contact, it does so in the ordinary way as your instructed agent. What your debtor sees is a professional demand from a recovery firm, not a record of how you found it.
Does using an agency go on my debtor’s credit file?
Not the collection itself. Instructing an agency to chase a debt creates no entry on anyone’s credit file. A county court judgment is different: judgments are entered on the public Register of Judgments, Orders and Fines and are visible to credit reference agencies, which is exactly why the prospect of a claim moves debtors who have been ignoring letters.
What happens if my chosen agency cannot take the case?
We email you and offer the next best-fit vetted agency instead. When the original agency confirms it cannot assist, we ask it to delete your details, so once the new introduction is made only that agency holds them. You are always told when this happens rather than finding out from a stranger’s phone call.
Where is my data held, and can I have it deleted?
Collect Compare Ltd is the controller for what you give us and is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office. Some suppliers, such as email delivery and hosting, may process data outside the UK under appropriate safeguards. Email [email protected] to access, correct or delete what we hold. Once you are introduced, the agency is a separate controller with its own privacy notice.
Is the “describe it in your own words” box safe to use?
Yes, and it is worth knowing exactly what it does. The text is read by an AI model on our hosting provider’s infrastructure purely to prefill the form, it is not used to train models, and it is only stored if you go on to submit. If you submit and choose an agency, your description goes to that agency alone so it starts with the full picture.
Choosing the right agency
How agencies get onto the comparison, what to ask before you sign, and what happens if the fit turns out to be wrong.
How do you vet the agencies?
Every agency is checked before it can appear: credentials, regulatory standing, track record and complaint history. We only list firms we would be comfortable using ourselves, and we remove any whose standards slip. Vetting reduces risk rather than guaranteeing an outcome, so it is still worth reading the terms and asking for references before you instruct.
What should I ask an agency before instructing them?
Ask five things, in writing. The exact fee and the moment it becomes payable; whether it applies to payments the debtor makes direct to you; what you owe if nothing is recovered; who handles the file and how you will be updated; and whether they can escalate to litigation and enforcement if the first approach is ignored. Vague answers are the warning sign.
What if I pick the wrong agency?
Nothing is locked in at the introduction. Until you accept the agency’s terms you have no obligation, so if the conversation does not convince you, say no and that is the end of it. If you have already instructed them, your right to withdraw depends on their terms, which is why the fee clauses matter. Tell us if a listed agency falls short.
Can I compare again later or use a second agency?
You can come back with a new debt whenever you like. For the same debt we introduce you to one agency deliberately, so you are not handed round several firms all chasing the same debtor at once, which weakens your position and muddles the file. If an introduction does not work out, tell us and we will look at it.
Are the ratings and reviews real?
The ratings shown come from independent sources and from verified reviews left by creditors we actually introduced, so they cannot be padded by strangers. Read collection reviews carefully in general: agencies attract angry reviews from debtors, which tell you little about how creditors are treated. Look for what clients say about communication, accuracy and fee transparency.
Which route should I compare agencies for first?
Start with collection in most cases. A professional demand costs less, risks less and resolves the majority of undisputed debts without a hearing. Court makes sense where a debtor who can clearly pay is deliberately stonewalling, or where you need a judgment in order to enforce. Where the debt is genuinely disputed on the facts, take advice before issuing.
Money, interest and time limits
The figures and deadlines that decide what a debt is worth and whether it is still worth chasing.
General information for creditors, not legal advice. England and Wales is the default here; Scotland and Northern Ireland are flagged where they differ.
How much interest can I add to a late commercial invoice?
Statutory interest on a commercial debt is 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, using the base rate in force on the reference date for when the invoice fell overdue. On top you can add fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 per invoice depending on its value. The free calculator works out both and dates them correctly.
Full answer: statutory interest and compensation → · Open the free calculator →
How long do I have to chase an unpaid debt?
Six years from the date payment fell due in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Scotland is five years, and the difference matters: once the prescriptive period runs out there, the debt is extinguished altogether rather than merely unenforceable. A part-payment or a written acknowledgment can restart a clock that is still running. Recovery gets harder with age either way.
What does “statute-barred” mean?
It is the point at which a debt can no longer be enforced through the courts because the limitation period has run out. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the debt does not disappear: you may still ask for payment, but you cannot sue for it, which removes almost all your leverage. Scotland works differently, because prescription extinguishes the obligation entirely rather than just barring the remedy. Work out the date payment fell due, count six years from there (five in Scotland), and check whether the debtor has since acknowledged the debt in writing or part-paid, either of which can restart a clock that is still running.
Do I have to send a letter before action first?
In practice, yes. Courts expect pre-action correspondence, and where your debtor is an individual or a sole trader the Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims prescribes what the letter must contain and gives a 30-day reply window before you can issue. Ignoring it can cost you at the costs stage even when you win. The calculator generates a compliant commercial letter.
What will a court claim cost me?
Issue fees are banded by claim value on a published court scale, and a hearing fee can follow later. On the small claims track you generally cannot recover legal costs beyond fixed amounts, so representation is a real cost you absorb. Court fees themselves are claimable from the debtor if you win, assuming the debtor can actually pay.
Is it worth chasing a debtor who may be insolvent?
Check before you spend. A judgment against a company with no assets is an expensive piece of paper. Look at filed accounts, any judgments already registered against them and whether they are still trading. A good agency assesses ability to pay before you commit anything, and will tell you honestly when the sensible answer is to write it off.
I already have a judgment. Can you match me for enforcement?
Enforce it. Judgments of £600 or more, outside regulated consumer credit agreements, can be transferred to the High Court and enforced by High Court Enforcement Officers under a writ of control; smaller ones go to county court bailiffs. Third-party debt orders and charging orders are the alternatives, and attachment of earnings where your debtor is an individual. That machinery is England and Wales: Northern Ireland routes enforcement through the Enforcement of Judgments Office instead, and Scottish decrees are enforced by diligence. Enforcing a judgment six or more years old needs the court’s permission.
Landlords and rent arrears
Recovering the money is a separate track from recovering the property, and the rules changed in 2026.
General information for creditors, not legal advice. England and Wales is the default here; Scotland and Northern Ireland are flagged where they differ.
Can I use a debt collection agency for rent arrears?
Yes. Unpaid rent is an ordinary civil debt, whether the tenant is still in the property or has moved out, and agencies that specialise in arrears combine tracing with collection. Recovering the money and recovering possession are separate tracks with separate rules and separate timetables, so decide which one you actually want before you instruct anyone.
Do the 2026 tenancy changes affect chasing the arrears?
Yes, but the bar is higher. Section 21 was abolished on 1 May 2026 by the Renters’ Rights Act 2025, so every possession claim now needs a legal ground. Ground 8, the mandatory arrears ground, requires three months’ arrears, or 13 weeks where rent is weekly or fortnightly, both when notice is served and at the hearing, with four weeks’ notice.
Can an agency handle a commercial rent arrears case for me?
Commercial Rent Arrears Recovery lets a commercial landlord instruct certificated enforcement agents to take control of a tenant’s goods without going to court first. It needs a written lease of commercial premises and at least seven days’ rent owed, and notice of enforcement is 14 clear days. It covers principal rent with VAT and interest, never service charges.
The tenant has left owing rent. Can I still recover it?
Yes. Former-tenant arrears are an ordinary debt, recoverable by tracing, written demand and, if that is ignored, a county court money claim. Claim against the protected deposit first, but expect a shortfall on serious arrears. Check the deposit was properly protected before you start anything, because a failure there can trigger a counterclaim that offsets what you are owed.
Where we work, and who we cannot help
Coverage follows your debtor, not your own address. The three UK jurisdictions differ in ways that decide which agencies can act.
General information for creditors, not legal advice. England and Wales is the default here; Scotland and Northern Ireland are flagged where they differ.
Do you cover Scotland?
Yes, with agencies that genuinely operate there. Scottish recovery differs in the mechanics: prescription is generally five years and extinguishes the debt entirely, small money claims run through Simple Procedure in the sheriff court, and enforcement is by diligence rather than English writs and warrants. We only show you agencies whose stated coverage includes Scotland.
Do you cover Northern Ireland?
Yes. The principles are close to England and Wales, including a six-year limit on most debts, but Northern Ireland has its own courts and its own Enforcement of Judgments Office. An agency therefore has to actually operate there rather than simply claim UK-wide coverage, so we only match you with agencies whose coverage genuinely includes Northern Ireland.
What about Wales?
Wales shares the courts and the debt law of England, so recovering a commercial debt or unpaid invoice works identically. Residential tenancies are the exception: Wales runs its own regime under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, with occupation contracts and contract-holders rather than tenancies and tenants, and it still has a no-fault route under section 173, requiring six months’ notice on contracts that began on or after 1 December 2022, that England no longer has.
My debtor is overseas. Can you help?
Sometimes. If the debtor is outside the UK we only match you with agencies that list international recovery, because cross-border work needs local partners and a different fee structure. Tell the form where the debtor actually is, since coverage follows the debtor rather than you. Where no listed agency covers that country we will say so rather than make a poor introduction.
Does it matter if the agency is not local to my debtor?
Far less than people expect. Recovery runs on letters, phone calls, negotiation and the courts, so what counts is that the agency genuinely covers the debtor’s location and knows that jurisdiction’s rules. We filter on stated coverage, so every agency you see can act where your debtor is. Physical proximity to your own office is irrelevant.
What kinds of debt can you not help with?
We match creditors chasing money genuinely owed to them: unpaid commercial invoices, rent arrears, judgment enforcement and litigation support. We cannot help if you are the one being chased, or if you want advice about your own borrowing. Where a sum is genuinely disputed on the facts, that is a matter for advice or the courts before any collection starts, and a good agency will tell you the same.
A debt collector is chasing me. Can you help?
No, and it is better to say so than to waste your time. Collect Compare works only for creditors who are owed money, so we have nothing useful to offer if a collector is chasing you. Free, independent debt advice is available from Citizens Advice, StepChange and National Debtline, none of whom charge you and none of whom are connected to us. Never ignore court paperwork: respond within the time it states.
Answers current as at August 2026. We never name the agencies on the comparison, because names are hidden until you choose. If your question is not here, ask us directly and we will answer it and add it to this page.
Ready to see who could take your case?
Compare vetted UK debt recovery agencies blind, on fees, specialisms and verified track record. Free for creditors: the agency you choose pays us for the introduction, and no agency can pay to rank.