No collection, no fee debt collection is a pricing model, not a promise that someone will chase your invoice for nothing. In UK B2B work it usually means a partner agency agrees a fixed percentage / commission of what they recover, and that fee is only taken if funds come in. This guide is free. Recovery is not free, and recovery is not guaranteed.
Debt Collection UK (a trading style of PASECOM GROUP LTD) introduces B2B files to independent partner agencies. We are not solicitors, we are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority, and we do not collect consumer credit. PASECOM GROUP LTD was incorporated on 7 April 2026. We introduce commercial claims; we do not issue proceedings. Partners collect. Recovery is not guaranteed.
What “no collection, no fee” actually means
In marketing, “no collection, no fee” signals that the collector’s success fee is contingent: if nothing is recovered, you do not pay that percentage. On files introduced through this site, partners usually work on a fixed percentage of recovered sums, agreed in writing before they act. Our marketing states 15% only when the client is paid — that is the contingent commission model, not a claim that the whole process costs nothing.
What it does not mean:
- that uploading a claim or reading this guide is the same as free recovery;
- that court fees, solicitor costs, or enforcement after judgment are wrapped into the percentage unless the partner’s written terms say so;
- that every overdue invoice will be collected.
The short money-page overview is at no collection, no fee; this hub guide explains how the fee sits alongside credit control, statute, and instruction.
Fixed percentage vs hourly solicitor billing
Businesses often compare a collection partner with instructing a solicitor on time-spent rates. They are different tools:
- A fixed percentage / commission on recovered money aligns the partner’s fee with cash actually returned (subject to their terms).
- A solicitor may bill for letters, advice and, if you authorise it, issuing a claim — whether or not the debtor pays.
- A debt collection agency path via an introducer is usually pre-legal commercial chase, not litigation conducted by us.
Neither path guarantees payment. Percentage-based recovery can suit undisputed unpaid invoices where chasing has stalled. A solicitor may suit complex disputes or planned litigation. We do not provide legal advice; take advice if the file is contested or high-value.
How the 15% “only when you are paid” model works
On the Debt Collection UK path:
- 1. You upload the invoice, contract or context through the secure form.
- 2. We introduce the file to an independent partner agency.
- 3. The partner’s written terms set the commission (marketing on this site describes 15% only when the client is paid).
- 4. If funds are recovered under that instruction, the agreed percentage applies to the recovered sum as their terms define it.
- 5. If nothing is recovered, you do not pay that contingent collection commission — which is the “no collection, no fee” idea.
Court issue fees, counsel, or enforcement after a judgment are separate decisions you may take later with proper advice. They are not the same as the partner’s collection percentage. We remain an introducer: partners collect; phrases such as “we deal with it” still mean an assigned partner does the recovery work.
What the Late Payment Act has to do with fees
GOV.UK explains that you can claim interest and debt recovery costs if another business is late paying for goods or a service. On a qualifying commercial contract, the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 can add statutory interest and fixed compensation once payment is late.
Section 5A sets fixed compensation once statutory interest begins to run: £40, £70 or £100 per qualifying late payment, by debt band, with a further right to claim reasonable recovery costs not met by that sum. That framework can support a proportionate demand. It does not automatically mean the debtor must reimburse every pound of a partner’s commission. Whether any part of collection cost can be added depends on the contract, the Act’s conditions, and what is reasonable. Do not invent a right to pass the full percentage to the debtor.
Before you instruct: undisputed B2B debt only
No-collection, no-fee pricing does not fix a weak file. Partners need proof and a clear debtor: invoice and statement; terms or purchase order; delivery or performance evidence; the correct legal entity; and a balance that is past due and not genuinely disputed in substance.
For company-versus-company debts, follow Practice Direction – Pre-Action Conduct and Protocols: set out the claim clearly and allow a reasonable time to reply — typically 14 days in a straightforward case. That letter is the commercial letter before action. The Pre-Action Protocol for Debt Claims applies to claims against individuals including sole traders; do not send the wrong pack to a limited company. More on company recovery: how to recover unpaid invoices from a limited company.
Pause collection where there is a genuine dispute, a documented set-off, the wrong entity billed, or a formal insolvency process that changes how you must claim.
Free guide vs free recovery
Keep “free guide”, “free upload” and “free recovery” separate. A free guide or upload is not free recovery. “No collection, no fee” means a contingent fixed percentage if funds are recovered (marketing: 15% only when the client is paid). If an advert promises “free debt collection” with no percentage, ask what they earn from and who collects.
A calm path from internal chase to partner instruction
- 1. Confirm the invoice is overdue and the legal debtor is correct.
- 2. Send a clear final reminder with the statement and core attachments.
- 3. If ignored, send a proportionate letter before action and diarise the reply window.
- 4. If still unpaid and not genuinely disputed, instruct business debt collection via a partner on agreed fixed-percentage terms.
- 5. You decide whether to issue a county court claim. GOV.UK explains how to claim money owed. Issuing is not payment. We do not issue proceedings.
See also how it works for the high-level steps on this site.
Frequently asked questions
Is no collection, no fee the same as free debt collection? No. It usually means the partner’s commission is contingent on recovery. This guide and the upload are free. Recovery itself is charged as a fixed percentage of recovered sums (marketing: 15% only when the client is paid), agreed before work starts. Recovery is not guaranteed.
Who receives the 15%? PASECOM GROUP LTD introduces the file. The partner agency’s own terms and commission apply once you instruct them. We are not the collector.
Can I add the partner’s fee to the debtor’s invoice? Sometimes reasonable recovery costs can be claimed under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 on a qualifying contract. That does not always cover the full commission. Confirm what can lawfully be added before you assert it.
Does no collection, no fee cover court fees? Not unless the written terms say so. Court issue fees, solicitor costs and enforcement after judgment are usually separate. Ask before you authorise litigation.
Are you FCA-authorised or solicitors? No. Debt Collection UK is a trading style of PASECOM GROUP LTD. We introduce B2B commercial debts to independent partners. We are not solicitors and we are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. We do not handle consumer credit debts.
When should I stop chasing and instruct? When reminders and a proper letter before action have failed, the documents support the balance, and there is no genuine dispute worth trying. Upload the invoice and terms rather than sending another polite chase into silence. This guide is free. Instructing a partner to recover an overdue commercial invoice is not: fees are usually a fixed percentage of what they recover (often structured as no-collection, no-fee; marketing on this site describes 15% only when the client is paid), agreed before they start. Recovery is not guaranteed. When internal credit control has stalled on an undisputed B2B balance, pass the file via a debt collection agency instruction or business debt collection — then leave the chase with a partner.