Debt collection · Freelancers & creatives
Debt collection for freelancers, contractors and creative professionals — matched to your case, free
Freelancers get paid last and chased least — clients know a one-person business has no credit control department and worries about reputation. But a sole trader has exactly the same recovery rights as a plc: statutory interest, fixed compensation per invoice, and the courts. The difference is knowing which tool fits a £900 debt versus a £9,000 one.
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Sound familiar?
- The client went quiet the day the invoice landed
- 'We'll pay when the end client pays us' — indefinitely
- Scope creep done in good faith, now used to dispute the bill
- The debt feels too small to do anything about
What good recovery looks like in your sector
Small debts need cost-proportionate tools. Statutory late-payment rights apply to sole traders supplying businesses: 8% plus base rate interest and £40–£100 fixed compensation per invoice — on several late invoices, the compensation alone adds up. For debts under about £1,000, a fixed-fee letter before action from a recovery partner often does the job for a two-figure cost; no-win-no-fee suits larger balances. And ghosting rarely survives a third party: the moment recovery is professionalised, 'too busy to reply' becomes 'suddenly able to discuss payment terms'.
Common questions
My unpaid invoice is £750. Is that too small for an agency?
Some minimums start around £150–£500, so no — and where a percentage fee wouldn't make sense, a fixed-fee demand letter is the economic tool. We only match you with agencies whose minimums fit your debt, and the statutory compensation you can add often covers the cost.
Will chasing properly burn the client relationship?
A client who won't pay has already ended the relationship — you're just the last to be told. Professional recovery is firm but civil, and freelancers consistently report the real damage came from months of unpaid limbo, not from the letter that ended it.
Get matched with an agency that knows freelancers & creatives
Tell us about the debt and we'll match it with a vetted agency that knows your sector's paperwork and pressure points. Free, no obligation.