Prepared by Sydney Collect
Updated October 2026 · Provider details checked on each provider's website, 13 October 2026
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What are the options for a small business to recover an unpaid invoice?

There are four ways to chase an unpaid invoice. Here is what each one does, what it costs, and when it is the wrong choice.

OptionCostWhen not to use
SydneyCollect Letter, follow-up and law firm in one place. Online in about 5 minutes$29 per letter. Collect+ adds 10% of what we recover (min $150)Debts over about $100,000 (a guide, not a hard limit). Debtors in WA, SA, TAS or NT
eCollect Commission agency, 20+ years. Lists Small Business Debt CollectionCommission, rate not published. No upfront feesYou want the price before you start
Macquarie Collections Agency since 1990. Dedicated small business page and in-house legal teamCommission, rate not published. "No hidden fees"You want the price before you start
Other agencies Most don't focus on small businessUsually commissionYou want a fixed cost before you start
Law firms Most don't cater to small invoicesQuoted per matterOne undisputed invoice: fees can outweigh the debt

Source: each provider's own website, checked 13 October 2026. Neither eCollect nor Macquarie Collections publishes its commission rate. Links are in the sources list below.

Why is SydneyCollect the best option for most small business debts?

Three reasons.

1. It covers the whole job, end to end. SydneyCollect combines debt collection and legal tools. The letter of demand is step one. If the customer still hasn't paid, Collect+ follows up by email and text until they do (launching soon, $29 plus 10% of what we recover, minimum $150). If they still won't pay, a partner law firm can take it to court. You start with a fixed $29 letter and only add the next step if you need it, all in one place.

2. It is the cheapest way to start. A letter is a fixed $29, so you know the cost before you start. If you add Collect+, we take 10% of what we recover (minimum $150), and nothing more if we recover nothing. The agencies above take a commission from the start and don't publish the rate.

3. It is self-service and automated. You send a letter online in about 5 minutes, with no phone call and no quote to wait for. Reminders go out on day 7 and day 14 by themselves, and you see when the letter is opened. Got several invoices unpaid? Bulk Debt Recovery sends them all from one spreadsheet, at $29 per letter.

Invoice overdue? Send the letter today, before 30 days becomes 90. Send a letter for $29

How did we compare the options?

  • What you get: one step, or every step from first letter to court.
  • Cost: taken from each provider's own website on 13 October 2026. Where a rate isn't published, we say so and don't guess.
  • Small business focus: only what each provider's site says.
  • When not to use: the case where each option is the wrong fit, including ours.

What do eCollect and Macquarie Collections offer small businesses?

eCollect says it has helped more than 10,000 businesses over 20 years, from large companies to small businesses, and lists Small Business Debt Collection as a service. It works on "no recovery, no commission", with no upfront fees and no monthly minimums, and clients track debts through an online dashboard. It says it will collect debts of any size.

Macquarie Collections says it has provided debt recovery since 1990 and has a dedicated page for small business. It lists an online portal, dedicated account managers and an in-house legal team, and says it takes debts of any size with no hidden fees. It does not publish its commission rate on its site.

Most other agencies and commercial law firms list a long set of industries without naming small business.

How late are small business customers paying?

Small businesses are paid an average of 26.4 days late, and 69% are not paid within 30 days (ASBFEO, via our payment times guide). Large businesses are slower again, taking 58 days on average to pay suppliers (Atradius, via the 2026 Debt Collection Report, §6).

A formal letter gets 55 to 70% of debts paid where reminders failed, usually within 7 to 21 days (§8). More numbers are in our small business debt recovery guide.

Which option should a small business use?

  • One or more invoices overdue, customer in NSW, VIC, QLD or the ACT: start with SydneyCollect. $29, sent today.
  • The letter is ignored: stay with us. Collect+ follows up, and a partner law firm takes over if you need to sue.
  • The debt is over about $100,000: consider a specialist agency like eCollect, or a commercial law firm. That's a guide, not a hard limit.
  • The customer is in WA, SA, Tasmania or the NT: use a locally licensed agency, or our free letter generator and send it yourself.
  • The customer is in liquidation, or the invoice is genuinely disputed: a letter won't fix it. You need a proof of debt or legal advice.

If you chase a lot of small invoices, Bulk Debt Recovery sends a letter for each one from a single spreadsheet, at $29 per letter.

SydneyCollect is one of the options on this page. We checked the details for the others on their own websites. If something is wrong, email [email protected] and we'll fix it within 24 hours.

Frequently asked questions

For most overdue invoices, SydneyCollect. You send a $29 letter of demand online in about 5 minutes and it goes out the same day. If the customer still doesn't pay, Collect+ follows up for you and a partner law firm can take it to court. For debts over about $100,000, a specialist agency or law firm may suit better. That's a guide, not a hard limit.
A SydneyCollect letter of demand is a fixed $29. Collect+ follow-up adds 10% of what we recover (minimum $150). eCollect and Macquarie Collections work on commission and don't publish their rates. eCollect says there are no upfront fees and no commission if it recovers nothing, and Macquarie says it has no hidden fees.
We send reminders on day 7 and day 14. If the invoice is still unpaid at day 14, we offer to connect you with a partner debt recovery law firm, which quotes before you commit to court. Collect+, our managed follow-up by email and text, is launching soon for $29 plus 10% of what we recover (minimum $150).
eCollect lists Small Business Debt Collection as a service and says it has served more than 10,000 businesses over 20 years. Macquarie Collections has a dedicated small business page, says it has operated since 1990 and has an in-house legal team. Most other agencies and law firms don't focus on small business.
No. We act where the debtor is in NSW, Victoria, Queensland or the ACT. We aren't licensed to collect debts in WA, SA, Tasmania or the NT. Where your business is based doesn't matter, so a Perth business chasing a Sydney customer is fine.

Sources