What happens after you place an account with a collection agency

When you place a past-due account with us, nothing dramatic happens to you—you hand us the debtor details and go back to running your business, and we do the work at no upfront cost. If you've never placed a receivable before, the process can feel like a black box: you send an invoice into the void and hope money comes back. It shouldn't feel that way. Here is exactly what happens from the moment you submit a claim to the moment funds land in your account—and what we'll ask you for to get started.

TL;DR: You send us the debtor and invoice details, we give you an honest free evaluation within one business day, we investigate before we ever make contact, specialists work the account (with a 15,000+ investigator network behind them when calls stall), and recovered funds are held in a segregated trust account and remitted to you net of our contingency fee—25% / 33% / 40%, no recovery no fee.

What do I actually have to do to place an account?

Very little. To get started we need three things: the debtor company's name, address, and contacts, the amount past due, and the dates of the first and last unpaid invoices. Supporting documents—the contract, order form, or usage logs—help but aren't required to start. You submit that through Get Started, and from there the work shifts to us. There's no retainer, no signup fee, and nothing to pay unless we collect.

What is the free evaluation, and is it honest?

Within one business day of receiving your claim, we give you a straight read on it—free. This is not a sales pitch dressed up as an assessment. If we look at the debtor, the age of the balance, and the paper trail and conclude the account isn't worth pursuing, we'll tell you to write it off. We only make money when you get paid, so there's no incentive for us to take an account we can't work. An honest "this one's a write-off" costs you nothing and saves you months of false hope. If it is collectible, we tell you what recovery realistically looks like before you commit.

What are the five steps once I place the account?

Every placement follows the same disciplined path—investigation before contact, escalation only when it's warranted:

1. Free evaluation within one business day. We review the claim and give you an honest assessment of whether—and how—it can be recovered.
2. Credit analysis and investigation before contact. Before we ever pick up the phone, we assess the debtor's financial position, standing, and ability to pay, so our approach is informed rather than a blind dunning call.
3. Strategic contact by specialists. Trained commercial recovery specialists—not a random dialer—engage the debtor with the leverage the investigation surfaced.
4. In-field pressure when calls stall. If the debtor goes quiet or dodges, we escalate through our 15,000+ investigator and attorney network, putting real, local, in-field pressure on the account instead of leaving voicemails.
5. Documented resolution and payment. When the account resolves, recovered funds are held in a segregated trust account and remitted to you net of our fee, with an itemized statement showing exactly what was collected and what was deducted.

How do I get paid, and how do I know the numbers are right?

Recovered money never gets commingled with our operating funds—it sits in a segregated trust account until it's remitted to you. When we remit, you receive an itemized statement: the amount collected, our contingency fee, and your net. Our fee is 25% on accounts under 12 months past due, 33% on older accounts, and 40% on second placements—and it only applies to money we actually recover. No recovery, no fee. We're licensed and bonded in all 50 states and SOC 2 Type II certified, so both the funds and your data are handled to audited standards. You can read the full mechanics on How We Work.

How long does the whole thing take?

Faster than most first-time placers expect. Our average resolution is 23.6 days, and on claims over $5,000 placed within 12 months of going past due we recover successfully 85.3% of the time. Age is the single biggest variable—the fresher the debt, the higher the recovery—which is why placing early rather than waiting matters more than almost anything else you control.

Frequently asked questions

What do you need from me to get started?

Three things: the debtor company's name, address, and contacts; the amount past due; and the dates of the first and last unpaid invoices. The contract or invoices help but aren't required to begin. Submit it through Get Started and you'll have an honest evaluation within one business day.

How long does it take?

Our average resolution is 23.6 days. On claims over $5,000 placed within 12 months of going past due, we recover successfully 85.3% of the time. The sooner you place a past-due account, the higher the odds and the faster the turnaround.

What does it cost?

Nothing upfront and nothing unless we collect. We work purely on contingency—25% on accounts under 12 months past due, 33% over, 40% on second placements—deducted only from money we actually recover. No recovery, no fee.

What if you can't collect?

Then you owe us nothing. If our evaluation shows an account isn't collectible, we'll tell you honestly to write it off rather than take it on. And because there's no upfront cost, even attempting a recovery is risk-free—see our FAQ for more.