Credit control support
For SMEs tired of chasing money they’ve already earned
Practical credit control support for SMEs dealing with overdue invoices, late-paying customers and weak payment processes.
Overdue invoice checklist
What to check, what to send, when to call and when to escalate.
CLEARER DEBT. BETTER DECISIONS. STRONGER PAYMENT PROCESSES.
Practical credit control and collections experience
for SMEs that need fewer invoices drifting, better chasing decisions and stronger payment processes.
Collect Wise helps small and medium-sized businesses get clearer on what’s owed, what needs chasing, what’s causing payment delays and what should happen next.
For aged debt, loose credit control processes, awkward payment conversations and customers who keep promising payment next week.
Aged debt reduction in under three months
CHOOSE YOUR STARTING POINT
Start with the payment problem in front of you
Invoices are already overdue
Get a clear aged debt action plan for who to chase, what to say and when to escalate.
Credit control feels too loose
Review and rebuild the payment terms, chasing rhythm and internal process behind late payment.
Your team needs to chase better
Train admin, finance and operations staff to handle payment conversations with more confidence.
WHY LATE PAYMENT BUILDS
The invoice was sent. The work was done. The money still hasn’t arrived.
Late payment rarely starts with one bad customer. It usually starts with small gaps in the process.
Payment terms are unclear. Invoices go out late. Nobody checks whether the right person received them. Chasing happens when someone remembers. Disputes appear after the invoice is overdue. The awkward call gets avoided because no one wants to damage the relationship.
That’s how aged debt grows quietly. Then suddenly it’s a cash flow problem.
Customers keep promising payment next week
They sound reasonable. The money still doesn’t land.
Your aged debtor report keeps growing
The numbers are there. The next steps aren’t.
Invoices get disputed too
late
The issue should have been picked up before the due date.
Chasing is
inconsistent
A reminder goes out. Then silence. Then panic.
Payment terms aren’t
doing enough
The terms exist, but they don’t protect the business in practice.
No one knows when
to escalate
The business stays polite for too long, then reacts too late.
THE COMMERCIAL COST
Late payment is costing UK SMEs more than awkward conversations.
Late payment is still one of the biggest payment problems facing small and medium-sized businesses.
Recent research found that 44% of invoices were paid late, with £112bn locked up in late payments. Government-backed research also estimates that UK businesses are owed £26bn in late payments at any given time, with affected businesses spending an average of 86 hours a year chasing payment.
The issue usually sits in the gaps: unclear terms, weak onboarding, inconsistent chasing, late disputes and no clear escalation point.
That’s the bit Collect Wise helps with.
We help SMEs improve the credit control process, make better collections decisions and deal with overdue invoices in a way that is firm, clear and commercially sensible.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT SUPPORT
Credit control support for the stage you’re at
01
Aged debt action plan & templates
02
Credit control review & setup
03
Credit control training
WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DEBT
From overdue to action
Overdue
The invoice is unpaid and the customer has gone quiet, delayed again or raised a late dispute.
Checked
We review the terms, invoice details, customer history, contact route and reason for non-payment.
Prioritised
The aged debt is segmented into what needs chasing, what needs querying, what needs escalation and what needs a different approach.
Chased
The right person gets the right message at the right stage, with clearer wording and stronger follow-up.
Escalated
Payment plan, statutory interest, final demand or formal recovery route, depending on the situation.
Improved
Debt reduced, process improved and fewer invoices left drifting in the background.
FREE PRACTICAL RESOURCE
Got an overdue invoice and not sure what to do next?
Download the overdue invoice checklist. A simple step-by-step guide covering what to check, what to send, when to call and when to escalate.
Why Collect Wise
The gap between reminders and recovery is where most SMEs get stuck
Most businesses can send a reminder. Most bookkeepers can chase a statement.
The harder part is knowing whether the customer is avoiding payment, genuinely disputing the invoice, stalling for time or ready for escalation.
Is this an easy win, a slow payer, a risk account or one that needs firmer action?
Should the team keep chasing, offer a payment plan, charge interest or move towards formal recovery?
Collect Wise helps SMEs make better credit control and collections decisions before overdue invoices drift, relationships sour or formal recovery becomes the only option.
Paula Bolton
Our Process
A clearer route from overdue to action
1
We review the situation
We look at what’s owed, where payments are getting stuck and how your current credit control process works.
2
We identify the gaps
That may include unclear terms, inconsistent chasing, weak onboarding, late disputes, missing escalation points or no owner for credit control.
3
We give you the tools
4
You improve the process
Clearer credit control. Better collections. Fewer invoices left outstanding.
Do you know how long it really takes customers to pay?
Your Days Sales Outstanding figure shows how long it takes, on average, to collect payment after a sale. Use the free DSO calculator to get a quick view of your debtor position and whether slow payment is starting to affect cash flow.
Case Studies
Practical changes. Measurable results.
Collect Wise has helped SMEs reduce aged debt, improve chasing processes and strengthen the way payment is managed.
Example proof points:
Reduction in aged debt within four months.
Aged debt outstanding by January 2026.
Huge Reduction in Aged Debt For Go Live Data
Who we help
Built for SMEs that need payment sorted properly
Collect Wise supports businesses that:
- Have overdue invoices sitting on the aged debtor report
- Rely on owners, admin staff or bookkeepers to chase payment
- Don’t have a dedicated credit controller
- Have customers who pay late but still need careful handling
- Want better credit control without jumping straight to full outsourcing
- Need clearer payment terms, chasing routines and escalation points
- Want professional commercial credit control and collections support for their business.
Do you know how long it really takes customers to pay?
Your Days Sales Outstanding figure shows how long it takes, on average, to collect payment after a sale. Use the free DSO calculator to get a quick view of your debtor position and whether slow payment is starting to affect cash flow.