B2B Debt Collection Agency

If we don't recover anything, you pay nothing. No placement fees, no upfront costs, no hourly billing: our commission is a percentage of what we bring in, so our incentive matches yours from day one. If you decide to take a case to court, STA Legal agrees its costs with you in writing before anything is issued.

We recover from debtors worldwide, and over the last year we collected in 154 countries. Most international cases are handled from our UK office and settle without proceedings, which matters, because litigating abroad often costs more than the debt. Commission is 15%. If a case needs to transfer to a local agent, the rate increases, but only with your approval.

There's no minimum spend or contract term. The online quote takes claims from £500; for smaller debts, call us and we'll tell you straight whether recovery makes sense. A single unpaid invoice is worth placing: you only pay commission if we recover, and on UK business debts statutory interest and compensation are added to the debtor's balance, which often covers our fee. Several small debts can be placed together.

Yes, if you and your customer are both businesses. Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 you can claim interest at 8% above the Bank of England base rate (11.75% on debts that fall overdue from 1 July to 31 December 2026), plus fixed compensation of £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the invoice, unless your contract sets its own substantial remedy. We add both to the debtor's balance when we chase. Work out the figure with our late payment interest calculator, or get a quote to see the interest, our fee and what you'd receive.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you generally have six years from when payment fell due to start court action. In Scotland most commercial debts prescribe after five years, which extinguishes the debt altogether. A written acknowledgement or part payment before then restarts the clock. The older a debt gets, the fewer the options, so place it early and we'll tell you honestly whether it's worth pursuing.

Normal recovery action usually stops. You'll generally need to register your claim with the insolvency practitioner and wait: assets are paid out by creditor ranking, secured before unsecured, so there's often little left after costs. We check solvency when you place a debt, and if an insolvency process is already underway we'll tell you what's realistically recoverable rather than run up costs on a lost cause.

B2B debt collection is the process of recovering money owed to a business by another business. Methods of doing so range from pre-legal routes of communication and education, but can extend to legal escalation, in either case including the recovery of statutory interest and additional compensation on top of the principal sum.

Often, a company may choose to partner with a B2B collection agency in order to streamline the process and maximise chances of recovery.

Business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) collections differ by who owes the money, and the type and size of debt. B2B collections involve businesses being owed money by another business, and typically involve larger and more complicated debts. B2C collections typically involve smaller debts where an individual consumer owes money to a business, such as a credit card bill.

These terms show we’re independently regulated and accredited by multiple industry standard bodies:

FCA authorised – we follow strict rules on fairness and transparency. (Proof of FCA authorisation (opens in a new tab))

ISO 27001 & 9001 – we’re certified in international standards for data security and quality management. (Proof of ISO 27001 & 9001 certification (opens in a new tab))

CSA – we’re a member of the Credit Services Association, the sole UK national trade body for debt collection. (Proof of CSA membership since 1995 (opens in a new tab))

ECA – we’re the only UK member of the European Collectors Association (Proof of ECA membership (opens in a new tab)). Last year we collected in 154 countries.

Three to four weeks on average. Every case is different, so yours may be quicker or take longer.