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✓ No Collection, No Commission

Debtor Tracing Agency

Our specialist in-house debtor tracing team uses proven strategies to verify debtor addresses and help recover your debts.

OverviewReportingPricingInternational Debt Recovery

Debtors relocating or moving premises is a common problem faced in commercial debt recovery cases, with many businesses writing off these debts or using time and money trying to find them – with little success. It’s critical to locate your debtors quickly, as this will open communication channels and maximise chances of recovery.

But that’s not the most effective way to deal with the “gone away” problem. Instructing a debtor tracing company like STA International can help save your company time, money and effort, recovering your debt more quickly and efficiently. Our thoroughly trained team of expert debtor tracing agents have years of experience in how to find a debtor in the UK and internationally, all whilst carefully complying with the Credit Services Association’s Code of Practice.

Our professional collectors, in-house law firm (STA Legal) and international network of affiliated partners combine with our debtor tracing service to offer unparalleled end-to-end support at all stages of your B2B debt collection case, powered by over 65 years of experience in helping UK businesses just like yours. We work on a “no collection, no commission” basis and on average we recover unpaid invoices in just 3-4 weeks.

Let your cash flow.

STA recovers your debts effortlessly to give you:

✓ No Collection, No Commission
  • No upfront costs or hidden fees
  • You only pay when we recover your money
  • GDPR compliant & ethical approach
  • Average recovery in 3-4 weeks

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Step 1 of 5: Your Company Location

Where is your company based?

United Kingdom
Outside of the UK

Where is the debtor company based?

United Kingdom
Outside of the UK

How much are you owed?

Your recovery quote

Outstanding amount:-
Late payment interest:-
Our success fee (—):-
Total we'll chase:-
If we recover the full amount, you receive:
-

Start Your Recovery

🔒
ISO & FCA accredited
✓
GDPR Compliant

How our Debtor Tracing Works

Techniques for debtor tracing (sometimes referred to as “skip tracing”) can vary, but we employ a compliance first process that uses a variety of databases and other information on the subject to result in a 90% success rate when tracing a debtor.

Place your debts & debtor checks
To get the process started you can place your debts to our ‘Your Debts Online’ (YDO) portal, where you can easily submit invoices through a form or upload in bulk via CSV or Excel. You should let our team know if you suspect the debtor has relocated without notice, along with any information you have (full name, date of birth, last known address, any known trading names etc.) which will help us undertake our initial checks.
Transfer to debt tracing team
After our own review, we’ll be able to confirm that the debtor does require a trace. With your permission, we’ll transfer your case to one of our professional tracing agent team. They will review all of the information you’ve provided and begin to investigate, collating information from credit reference agencies and consented and public information databases to gain as much information about the debtor.
Debtor investigation
Once as much information as possible has been collected, our specialist trace analysts can begin their investigation based on your specific case. We’ll use information from the electoral roll, telephone directory, insurance information, credit activity, loan applications, Companies House, The Gazette and a variety of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods we’ve curated to maximise chances of a successful debtor trace.
Independent trace verification
After following our debt tracing process, we are typically left with information on the current whereabouts of your debtor. The next step is to verify that the address or new information we have is accurate; this will typically involve a telephone call wherever possible, or sending a soft letter. We’re proud that this verification results in around a 90% success rate in finding a debtor, all whilst complying with GDPR and other regulations.
What happens next?
After being able to locate your debtor successfully, we can continue to support your case all the way through to recovery. Our dedicated team of collectors will develop a collaborative (never combative) approach to recovering your funds, tailored to your specific circumstances. We’ll work in your best interests to communicate with your debtors to recover the full amount owed, along with any statutory interest and Late Payment Act charges. You’ll receive regular, transparent updates and weekly BACS remittances in all cases where money is recovered. In some cases where recovery isn’t possible, our law firm STA Legal can seamlessly take over to appropriately escalate and support you with enforcement and other legal debt recovery options.

Get paid today, contact STA

Get in touch today to see how we can help recover your overdue invoices
Get a Quote

Proven Debtor Tracing & Recovery Success

Regardless of the size of your business or number of debtors you need to locate, our debtor tracing agency can help. We’ve recovered £20m over the last 12 months for businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to FTSE100 companies, with debtor tracing playing a significant role in some cases. We approach both small business debt recovery and much larger cases with the same personal approach and diligence, so you can trust us to recover your money as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We only had one case available and STA treated this with a level of service I would expect if I was a major customer. I would recommend their services whatever value of debt you are dealing with.

Lisa Wheal
I would recommend their services

I have used the services of STA International for a number of outstanding accounts and they have always collected the payments. Their approach is very professional and they keep you informed throughout the process. If there are any problems they liaise with you and negotiate with the debtor on your behalf. A first rate service that I would recommend to anyone.

David
First rate professional service

I have found STA extremely professional and supportive in supporting us with our business needs. They have easy to communicate features via their portal and their collection rates are great. Whilst debt collection is never a nice thing to have to address, they make this as stress free of a process as possible.

Aaron R
Professional and supportive

This is our first experience of using a debt recovery agency. We were pleasantly surprised by how simple and effective STA made the whole process, saving an enormous amount of time and energy for our Finance Manager to redirect to more productive activities. Thank you.

Tom R
Simple and effective
24/7 Online Portal
When entrusting us to trace and recover your debt, you’ll have 24/7 access to our YDO online portal, the easiest way for you to keep track of progress in your case. Developed to streamline the process as much as possible, you’ll be able to access a variety of reports, case notes, requests for instruction, statements and more from your dedicated point of contact and specialists from our team.
See our Your Debts Online User Guide for more information

''Companies owe money, but people pay bills.''

This ethos sits at the heart of our debtor tracing services, and our dedication to a co-operative, amicable first approach. We’re proud to be unlike many other debt tracing agencies with more confrontational strategies, and we’ve proven that collaborating with your debtors results in higher recovery rates, preserves customer goodwill and protects your reputation.
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Pricing & Member Benefits

Tracking debtors and recovering unpaid balances doesn’t need to cost the earth. We work on a ‘no collection, no commission’ basis which means that in many cases, recovery can be cost-neutral for your business. Read more below.

No Collection, No Commission

10%

For multiple debts, and single debts over £50,000, a lower rate of commission applies
We automatically add our commission charge to your debtor’s invoice(s), along with interest. When your debtor pays the costs and interest, we remit it in full and invoice you for our commission, leaving you with your principal sum and the interest. Conversely, if your debtor fails to pay the costs and interest, we invoice you for our commission.
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Member benefits

We are proud to partner a growing number of credit insurance underwriters who have appointed STA to offer their policyholders worldwide debt collection services.

Check to see if you’re eligible to our preferential rates of commission.

Learn More

Get paid today, contact STA

Get in touch today to see how we can help recover your overdue invoices
Get started

Debtor Tracing FAQs

If you’re looking for more information about how we can help find a debtor in the UK or internationally, check out our frequently asked questions and answers below to see how we can help you.

Debtor tracing is the process of locating an individual or organisation that owes money to another party. Typically this is performed by a tracing agency using information from databases and other sources of information, with the goal of establishing communication and attempting to recover the amount owed.

Tracing debtors in the UK is usually done by accessing information in publicly available and consented databases, credit reference agencies and Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) methods such as the electoral roll, telephone directories, loan applications, Companies House, The Gazette and many more. It’s important that any techniques used are ethical and legally compliant, which is why it’s valuable to instruct a professional tracing agent from a reputable company.

Yes, STA International specialises in international debt collection and tracing overseas when required. The majority of overseas cases are able to be collected from our UK base, but when needed, we also have a trusted network of international tracing agents who are able to help find debtors locally.

For single unpaid invoices, our minimum case value is £500. If you have lots of different invoices you wish to place in bulk that require some form of debtor tracing, we’re happy to help you recover lower individual amounts.

The term “no collection, no commission” simply means that unless we are able to locate and secure payment from your debtors, you don’t need to pay us anything. Our standard rate of commission for our collection services is 10%, and if your debts are international, the rate is 15%. However for large debts or repeat usage, this can be discounted.

Importantly, we also work to collect statutory interest (base rate + 8%) and a fixed fee of £40, £70, or £100 depending on the size of the overdue invoices under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act. This means that in many cases, our fee is paid for by the debtor.

On average across all cases, we recover debts within 3-4 weeks. However, in cases where we need to locate debtors first, this will widely vary due to the individual nature of your case and how hard it is to find your debtor. This means your case may take a shorter or longer amount of time than this average.

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)

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

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)

ECA – we’re the only UK member of the European Collectors Association, giving us reach in 150+ countries (Proof of ECA membership)

Ready to Trace Your Debtors?

Don’t hesitate to contact our team if you’re looking for a debtor tracing agency that will work to find your debtors quickly and recover unpaid balances efficiently. Get in touch with our friendly and professional team today who’ll be happy to help.
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