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Collection essentials

Preparing a debt for collection.

A practical checklist for discussing an unpaid business account with Marshall Freeman.

By Marshall Freeman

The short answer

Start with the unpaid invoices, customer details, outstanding balance and any agreement or correspondence about the account. You do not need everything ready before making an initial enquiry.

Your preparation checklist

  1. Invoices and statements: Invoice numbers, invoice dates, due dates and the unpaid amounts. Include a statement if several invoices make up the balance.

  2. Customer details: The customer’s correct name, business details where applicable, and the contact information you hold.

  3. The agreement: Accepted quotes, orders, credit applications, terms of trade and relevant signed agreements.

  4. Records of supply: Delivery confirmations, completion records, timesheets or other relevant evidence of the goods or services supplied.

  5. Payments and correspondence: Part-payments, credit notes, reminders, payment commitments and any complaint or dispute.

Include relevant guarantees, the customer’s ABN where applicable, and their last known address, phone and email.

Check the amount outstanding

Apply payments, credits and adjustments before calculating the amount owing. If several invoices are involved, make it clear how the total is made up.

Identify any proposed interest or recovery charges separately and provide the agreement relied on. Do not assume that adding a charge to your statement establishes the customer’s liability for it.

The minimum is a combined outstanding balance of $2,000 across the business invoices you want help with, subject to suitability.

Include records relevant to your work

The most useful evidence depends on what your business supplied.

  • Trades and construction: accepted quotes, scope, agreed variations and completion records.
  • : Transport and logistics: orders, consignment records and proof of delivery.
  • : Wholesale: purchase orders, delivery records, returns and credits.
  • : Professional services: engagement terms, agreed work and relevant time or delivery records.

Tell us about any dispute

Provide the customer’s explanation, the documents relevant to their concerns and your response. Include information that may affect the assessment, even if it does not support your position.

Useful context, not just more documents

A short timeline can help: what was agreed, when it was supplied, when payment fell due and what happened next.

Read the disputed invoice guide →

Do I need to upload documents to enquire?

No. The initial enquiry is an opportunity to discuss your situation and explain what information is needed next.

Formal debt lodgement through OCS is a separate step. Follow the instructions provided for your account and contact the team before submitting if the matter needs discussion.

You do not need to upload documents to enquire. Have them handy for the conversation.

Start with what you have

We consider business accounts with a combined outstanding balance of at least $2,000, subject to suitability. You can discuss an account even if your records are not yet organised.

Talk through my invoices ↗

Further preparation resources

See letters of demand for unpaid business invoices, 10 key pieces of information you need on an invoice and your legal options for collecting unpaid invoices.

Considering legal action or reviewing your credit terms?

Explore our legal and credit-management guides →

General information for Australian businesses. The appropriate action depends on the account’s circumstances.

Related guides

Questions about preparing a debt.

What if I don't have all of these records?

Enquire anyway. Tell us what you have and we'll talk through whether the debt is suitable and what else would help.

What if an invoice is disputed?

Tell us about the dispute when you enquire. A disputed account is worked through with you before anything escalates.

Which debts aren't covered?

Personal loans, tenancy debts, court orders and unreturned deposits are outside the service. Check whether your debt is suitable.

What are my chances of recovering an unpaid debt?

You may have a better chance than you think. Even debts that have been ignored for months can sometimes be recovered with the right approach.

However, no collection agency can guarantee recovery. The age of the debt, the debtor's financial circumstances and whether the debt is disputed can all affect the outcome.

The important thing is not to give up simply because your customer has stopped responding.

Does waiting make a debt harder to recover?

Often, yes. The longer a debt remains unpaid, the more difficult recovery can become. Customers can become harder to contact, businesses can close, and financial circumstances can deteriorate.

An overdue invoice that may be recoverable today could become much harder to collect in six months. Taking action sooner gives you the opportunity to pursue payment before your options become more limited.

What happens if you can't recover my debt?

Not every debt can be recovered, and we won't promise otherwise. Our commission is based on money successfully collected, so if no payment is recovered, there's no collection commission.

We'll explain any other applicable fees upfront and keep you informed of progress so you can make decisions about the next steps.

What types of debts do you recover, and is there a minimum amount?

We specialise in recovering unpaid invoices and overdue accounts for businesses, including money owed by other businesses or individual customers for goods and services supplied.

We can assist with a single debt or multiple overdue accounts, provided the combined outstanding balance is at least $2,000.

We generally don't accept private loans between friends or family, personal financial disputes, or debts below our minimum value where recovery would not be commercially viable.

What will it cost?

Our commission is charged only on money successfully recovered. We'll explain our commission and any other applicable fees upfront, so you can make an informed decision before proceeding.

You’ve done the work.Let’s help you get paid.

  • A structured, five-stage recovery process

  • Less stress. We handle the difficult calls.

  • Get back to running your business

Google
“…great communication, easy to set up…”
Sarah Godsell · Google review excerpt

Get a free debt appraisal

Tell us about your unpaid invoices. A specialist will call to discuss your options.

  1. Step 1 of 2: Your invoices
  2. Step 2 of 2: Your details
Google“…great communication, easy to set up…” · Sarah Godsell, Google review excerpt

Tell us about your invoices

Two short steps to request your free appraisal.

What are you owed for? (required)
How many customers have overdue invoices? (required)
Total amount outstanding (AUD) (required)

Include one overdue invoice or add together several overdue invoices.

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