International Debt Collection

Letters, emails and calls are used as part of our amicable process. The exact sequence of our letters and calls varies by country, based on Atradius Collections’ experience of what is most effective in the area. For all countries, a first reminder letter is sent within 48 hours of receipt of the case. For some countries, we visit the nonpayers premises at additional expense, but this situation is irregular.

The next steps depend on the country where the debt is located. These steps include a follow-up call made between 1-10 days after the first reminder. Additional reminders and calls are made to the nonpayer at differing intervals if there is no immediate positive response from the nonpayer.

We try to reach the debtor by email, phone calls and sometimes even by fax, depending on the information at hand. We also attempt to find additional information and trace the debtor in order to get in contact. In some circumstances, agents may be used to trace or visit the debtor's business premises.

The collector has several ways to reach a settlement on the outstanding debt. This usually depends on the debtor’s situation, but settlement conversations are always conducted in a respectful manner. Settlements may result in a repayment plan or a deal proposal (i.e. a discount), if the entire amount cannot be paid at once.

When you place a debt with us, we request as much information as you can provide. We usually need invoices and contracts, but also statement of accounts and correct debtor contact information.

Atradius Collections is authorised by you to collect the debt. The debtor will be asked to make payment into an Atradius Collections bank account, before the funds are sent to yours. Our success fees are normally retained by us from any amounts paid by your debtor.

It usually takes about 90 days to handle an amicable case. This sometimes varies based on the status of contact with the debtor. If we are not successful in the amicable phase, we will provide you with our recommendations for further actions.

Yes, you can place as many cases as you would like us to handle. You can also place one case with us and continue to place cases as they become overdue.

Collect@Net is our online tool that helps our client be aware of anything that is happening on the case. You can:

• Access each case that they have placed with us
• View the history of the case
• Contact the collector working on the case
• Produce different reports

We only charge commission based on the amount of money we collect. We also apply cost and interest which are charged to your debtor, at the statutory rate, if that applies based on the country’s respective laws.

There are usually two types of collections:

• Domestic case – if we are able to collect these costs and interest, we will pay back this amount to you.
• Export case – if we are able to collect cost and interest on export cases (i.e. cases outside of your registered business location), we will retain these costs.

Please note that an extra 2% commission will be charged on top of the standard commission rate for invoices that are 180+ days overdue, upon successful recovery.

There is no set threshold for us to collect. However, the amount of the debt determines the rates that we charge.

If you choose to withdraw the case against our recommendation during the amicable phase, a withdrawal fee may apply. However, you can choose to close the file at the end of our amicable phase at no extra charge.

It depends on the country. In general, we do not have any upfront costs. We only charge an introduction fee based on the location of the debtor. This is a one-off fee, following this we only charge commission on successful collection.

You become a customer as soon as you place a case with us. That means that any payments made by your debtor after our involvement will be subject to our success fees. Please note that our debt collectors immediately initiate debt collection activities.

When it comes to collecting overdue debts, time really is money. We do accept old invoices but in general, the older the case, the lower the chance of full collection. If the oldest invoice is 180+ days overdue, an extra 2% commission will be charged on top of the standard commission rate after a successful recovery.