How do I recover the small debts I am owed?
They know they owe you. It was only a small amount, so they didn’t pay. And you didn’t chase it, because it costs too much to chase a small debt.
So they won. They think they can get away with it again.
SimplyPaid helps with a way out of this exact hole. We help you send a final demand and the real threat that, if they still don’t pay, a registered collector on our network will collect the debt on your behalf.
Doing nothing leaves you with nothing. We can help you get most of it.
The small-debt problem
Companies and close corporations cannot use Small Claims Court. Magistrate’s Court on a small amount is going to cost way more in both time and money. So you, the honest business owner, eats it.
The debtor learns a rule: under a couple of thousand rand, you don’t collect. That rule is expensive. It is also optional.
How we can help you
1. We will send your final demand
We send out a final demand letter to the debtor in your name. They are asked to pay you, this week. We remind them of the extra costs and consequences of not paying. If they pay, you keep 100% of that payment. Case closed.
2. If they don’t pay, we hand the debt to a registered collector
The collector is registered with the Council for Debt Collectors. They will collect the debt on your behalf. For that, they retain a collection commission of the debt recovered.
What it costs you
| You pay | You get | |
|---|---|---|
| To list | R50 once | A final demand, and a file ready for handover |
| If they pay on the demand | nothing more | 100% of what they pay you |
| If a collector recovers the debt | 30% of the debt recovered | 70c of every rand |
| Collection costs | nothing | They are added to the debtor’s account |
The R50 listing fee is one-off. If nothing is recovered after handover, you pay no commission.
A R585 story
A customer owes you R585 for a service you provided. You have already decided it is not worth the fight. That is the debtor winning.
But, if you list the debt on SimplyPaid for only R50, you can get most of it back.
Week 1. The customer gets your final demand: they pay you, this week, or a collector is instructed.
If they pay, you have R585. You are R50 down on the listing and R535 up on a write-off. This is the clean win.
If they don’t pay, the file goes to a registered collector.
The collector contacts the debtor and all of their costs are added to what the debtor owes (they stay with the collector).
As the debtor pays, the collector recovers their costs as well as your money up to 50% of each payment received. You will be paid out monthly as money is collected (minimum payout of R200).
When the full R585 is paid, you receive R409.50 (70% of the debt recovered) in your pocket (less the R50 listing fee). You get R359.50, more than you would have if you had done nothing.
The other path — do nothing — gets you R0, and a customer who will do it again.
What’s your story?
Enter what you’re owed. We’ll show what you’d keep after the R50 listing fee.
Clean win — they pay the demand
R535.00
Full amount, less the R50 listing fee
Collection — 70% recovered
R359.50
70% of the debt, less the R50 listing fee
What you need to list
- Who they are (legal name, ID or company number if you have it, phone, email, and address. The more information you can provide, the easier it is for the collector to contact them.)
- The invoice and a statement or other proof of the debt
- The amount and the due date
- Your bank details
If you don’t have a complete file we don’t list it. Incomplete files are why collectors say no.
Don’t let them get a free pass because the amount is small.