FAQ

Before recovering the collection costs from a consumer in legal proceedings, the judge checks whether a 14-day letter/final reminder has been sent that meets all legal requirements. If this has not been sent by the creditor, the collection costs will be rejected. Sending a reminder is therefore mandatory if you wish to successfully recover the collection costs from a consumer when going to court. This does not mean that you are breaking the law if you do not send a 14-day letter. There are many companies that send payment reminders with a different payment term. There are also many companies that send multiple payment reminders out of customer focus, while legally only a final reminder needs to be sent. There is of course nothing wrong with this, but these reminders have no value in a judicial assessment or collection costs are allocated. In short: As long as you do not want to claim collection costs, you do not need to send a final reminder. If you want to recover the collection costs from the non-payer, we always recommend sending a final reminder.

There are a number of specific requirements that the judge considers when checking the correctness of a final reminder. Requirements that you as an entrepreneur may think are not important, but which a judge strictly uses! It is therefore important to follow these correctly. We list the most important ones:

• The debtor must be given at least 14 days to pay. This period of 14 days must be explicitly stated. Because the postman does not deliver mail on Sundays, Mondays and public holidays, if the 14-day letter is sent by post, the debtor in question must also be explicitly informed that these days do not count.
• The 14 days period starts after receipt of the letter. This too must be explicitly communicated to the debtor. In general, it can be assumed that mail is delivered the next day. However, if a postal letter is sent on a Saturday, it will not be delivered until at least a Tuesday and the period of 14 days only starts after 3 days. In fact, in this case, the debtor has at least 17 days to pay.
• The amount of collection costs must be stated explicitly in order to be able to claim these costs, if payment is not made on time.

Tip: If you only send invoices with low amounts, here’s an easy mnemonic: The collection costs for all claims between 0 and 266 euros are standard 40 euros.

• If you as a creditor are not liable for VAT, this must also be stated. In that case, the VAT on the collection costs will be charged to the debtor. The amount of the VAT costs must also be stated exactly.

Contrary to what the name 14 day letter / last reminder might suggest, sending the last reminder lends itself perfectly to be sent by e-mail. In fact, sending the final reminder by e-mail has several advantages. For example, an e-mail is deemed to have been received by the judge on the same day, whereas a letter takes on average 1 to 3 days to reach the address.

In addition to the fact that the period of 14 days starts immediately, there is another advantage. If the e-mail is sent with a read receipt which is accepted, the sender also has actual proof that the reminder has been received. Thanks to Credifin Nederland’s special collection software, the so-called registered e-mail, we are even able to demonstrate exactly when the non-payer has received and opened the e-mail. This way a discussion about whether or not to receive the reminder can easily be prevented.

It is also easier for the non-payer to respond to this if there are any questions about the invoice. In short: A final reminder by e-mail is faster, more efficient and cost-effective.

A final reminder is also called a 14-day letter or WIK letter, where WIK stands for Wet Incasso Kosten. This name arose because, since the entry into force of this law, the sending of a final reminder was introduced. Other names are a 14-day reminder or fortnightly letter. Sending a payment reminder or reminder can also mean a 14-day letter, but this is not always the case.

Sometimes entrepreneurs assume that if they have given the debtor a total of more than 14 days to pay after the invoice payment term has expired, they meet the 14-day requirement. This is not the case: If, for example, 3 reminders are sent in which the debtor is given 10 days to pay per reminder, the debtor has at least 30 days to pay. Nevertheless, the collection costs will be rejected in legal proceedings, because the 14-day term is not explicitly stated in a payment reminder.

Drafting a final reminder requires careful consideration. Credifin Nederland is happy to help you send a correct reminder. That’s why we offer a free sample on our website. Feel free to copy the contents of this letter!

You can also have the final reminder sent by our office. For only a few euros you are assured of sending a correct reminder that meets all requirements. In addition, you do not have to calculate the collection costs yourself, because our system calculates these costs automatically. In addition, if you enter an e-mail address of the debtor, we will send the letter with our special software, which not only increases the chance of payment, but also provides full legal proof of receipt of our reminder.

If your debtor does not pay within the set term, the case is automatically converted into a collection order. In short, you don’t have to worry about it. Well organized, right?

Debt collection for associations is free of charge. We do not charge subscription costs, administration costs or success fees. All our services are based on 100% No Cure No Pay. We recover the collection costs, our income, from the non-paying members. And is it possible to collect in full? Then you will receive 100% of the invoice amount, if you are unable to get your member to pay, we will close the file free of charge. You pay nothing.

Read more about the collection rates >

Create an account quickly and easily via the direct debit button. Enter your details of your association and create a username and password.

NB! tick “not subject to VAT” so that we pass on the VAT on the collection costs to the members.

You will immediately receive an e-mail from us with the login details to enter our portal. You can then create an excel file via the clubcollect system, mail this file to collection-credifin.nl, we will import the file into our system, so you don’t have to worry about it yourself. Through our portal you can follow the file of your members 24/7, process comments and payments in the system. If you have any questions about the import file, please do not hesitate to contact one of our employees on 020-3452675, we will be happy to help you.

Submit direct debit >

You can easily create an account via the submit direct debit button. Enter your association details and create a username and password.

NB! tick “not subject to VAT” so that we pass on the VAT on the collection costs to the members.

After creating the account you will immediately receive an e-mail from us with the manual and confirmation. You can start entering your first file via the login you received.

Do you have multiple files to enter? Please contact us about automatic delivery or delivery by excel file. We are happy to help you.

Submit direct debit >

The files are settled weekly after full payment of the amount to the third party account of Credifin Nederland. We first send a statement and then immediately transfer the outstanding amount from your original invoice (so without the collection costs, because these are our earnings that the debtor has paid us).

Yes, that is possible, we can provide you with the opportunity to submit the outstanding contribution of members to us by means of a link.

There are a number of options:

1. If you use club collect, you can download an Excel file via clubcollect, we will upload the file in the system. If you do not use clubcollect, no problem, we will provide you with a sample file, after which you can use it to supply your members with the file.

2. There is a possibility to link your accounting package to our system, this is possible with Exact, Afas, Twinfield, Accountview, Microsoft Dynamics and many more.

3. Are you familiar with the API technology, we have a state-of-the-art API connection available for you. Think of Webservice, Webhooks and Single Sign-On (SSO) login. This makes exchanging your member data faster and considerably easier.

Our technical specialists will of course always help you with connection and implementation. For more information you can contact us on 020-3452675

You can view the status of your debt collection process 24/7 via our online debt collection portal. All your documentation and communication such as invoices/emails/letters and telephone conversations can be found here.

Log in here

We ask our customers to no longer maintain direct contact with the debtor with regard to the submitted claim from the moment the collection is submitted. In this way we prevent that we communicate via 2 channels, which causes noise. All communication about the case must go through Credifin Netherlands. If the debtor nevertheless contacts the creditor directly, you can refer them to our office.

We always ask the debtor to pay to our office. This saves both us and our customers the time and burden of checking payments received and checking whether payments have been received. In addition, we can better monitor agreements and arrangements made in this way. If you nevertheless receive a direct payment, we request that you report this as soon as possible in the file.

Nowadays almost everyone has an e-mail address of their debtor. The majority of the correspondence of our collection procedures therefore takes place by e-mail. If the debtor does not respond to e-mails and we cannot reach the debtor by telephone, the debtor will also receive a summons by post.

The collection process is the period in which we write to the debtor to pay. The process normally starts immediately on the day of filing the case.

In principle, we handle almost all types of claims. Whether it is an unpaid invoice, a loan that has not been repaid or an amount that has been transferred to someone by accident. We are at your disposal if you need to pay (back). When repaying a loan, a signed agreement must be present.

We offer our customers the option of putting together a collection process themselves. At debt collection agency Credifin Nederland, we understand that every customer is unique. Everyone has their own reasons for engaging a collection agency, and everyone also has their own wishes for how the customer in question will be approached. Do you want to keep the relationship with your customer as good as possible or do you opt for a more intensive approach, in which you want to receive your money as soon as possible?

Read more about our debt collection processes >

That often ranges from 1 week to maybe 2-3 months, depending on your customer’s willingness or ability to pay.

If your customer cannot pay immediately, we as a collection agency propose a payment agreement or payment arrangement. We do keep a close eye on your debtor, because ‘a deal is a deal’. If the appointment is not kept, we will immediately follow up.

In more than 90% of the cases we succeed in collecting payment, if this is not the case you can choose to start legal proceedings.

Read more about a judicial collection >

If the debtor wishes to avoid bankruptcy, he will also have to pay the costs of the application by the creditor.

The application must be made by a lawyer. Credifin Netherlands works together with various lawyers who can take care of this process. In addition, you have to take into account the costs at the court, such as the court fee. On average, the costs of an application are € 2000,- excluding VAT

There are two important requirements. First of all, it must be an undisputed claim. The debtor may therefore not have defended the claim.

In addition, it must be made clear in the application that the debtor has ceased to pay by referring to at least another creditor who also does not get his bill paid, the so-called support claim (the plurality requirement). There must therefore be at least two parties that have an outstanding claim against the defaulter.

Sometimes Credifin Nederland has several claims against a debtor and a second creditor is quickly found. If no second creditor is known, we can start an investigation. In this study, a number of fellow debt collection agencies and bailiffs are approached with the question whether they are aware of a claim against the debtor. The costs of such an investigation amount to 99 euros excl. VAT.

Read more about an aid claim >

From the date of the order until the date of the court hearing at which the bankruptcy may be declared, the average term is several weeks.

No, the costs of an average bankruptcy filing are on average higher than those of a regular summons procedure. The pressure to pay, on the other hand, is greater.

No, the costs of an average bankruptcy filing are on average higher than those of a regular summons procedure. The pressure to pay, on the other hand, is greater.

No, a payment reminder is a friendly reminder that you often send before the reminder or last reminder. A reminder has a mandatory character, you also indicate what the consequences are if your invoice is not paid on time.

Sending a letter is actually a thing of the past, it is of course always an option, but there are so many other variants that work faster and much more effectively, such as e-mail, SMS and whatsapp.

No, sending a payment reminder is essentially an extra service, you point out to your customer that you have not yet received a payment. It is always possible that your customer has not received the invoice. Enclosing the original invoice is recommended, so that the process is not delayed any further and your customer can immediately pay the payment arrears.

We do not send a separate payment reminder, but we do provide credit management for companies. Do you want to outsource the debtor management and in this way ensure that you no longer have to worry about your payment reminders?

A payment reminder lends itself perfectly to be sent by e-mail. In fact, sending the payment reminder by e-mail has several advantages;

• The email is often read the same day.
• You can add the original invoice as an attachment.
• It is now possible to send an iDeal link so that your customer can pay immediately.
• You can send your payment reminder by registered e-mail, so that you can immediately see whether your customer has read it.

A collection agency is a company that is engaged to collect outstanding debts on behalf of a creditor. For example, this could be a company that owes money to another organization or to an individual. If the debtor does not pay voluntarily, a regular collection agency can be called in to help collect the money.

Debt collectors have a long history, dating back to ancient times, when lenders used a variety of methods to collect unpaid debts. Over the years, these practices have evolved and adapted to changing economic conditions and legal frameworks. In modern times, collection agencies are professional organizations that work within the confines of the law to collect debts on behalf of their clients. They play a vital role in the economy by helping to maintain cash flow and minimize credit risk.

After you have entered the overdue invoices (and associated documents), we will immediately start working for you as a collection agency. We approach your customers in a friendly manner. We approach this differently, appropriate to the situation and the contact details we have for your debtor, for example by e-mail, SMS or even via Whatsapp or social media. We pass on the collection costs in full to your customer (100% no cure no pay).

Read more about the collection process >

It costs nothing to engage us as a collection agency. We work on a No Cure, No Pay basis. We charge our collection costs to your debtor, so are you unable to collect the amount? Then you pay nothing, not even subscription or file costs. We do not charge hidden costs.

View our collection conditions >

Yes, you can engage a collection agency once if you want to hand over a claim once in a while. We do not charge any subscription or file costs, we work on a 100% No Cure No Pay basis, you can test us without being committed to anything.

You can submit a direct debit for any amount. We will get to work if you are entitled to the amount that you have not been paid. We do this for large and small amounts, for multiple invoices or a single assignment.

Yes that is possible. We only deal with matters related to rental agreements and loans.

This means that we can help you if you have problems collecting rent from a tenant or if you have lent money and it is not being paid back.

With money loans, it is important that you have a signed loan agreement, because this provides clarity about the agreements made.

Unfortunately, we cannot help you with alimony and family matters. You can think of, for example, divorces, visitation arrangements and alimony issues.

If you have any questions or would like to discuss your case, please call us. We can be reached on working days between 08:30 and 17:00 on telephone number 020-3452675.

Our employees are happy to talk to you and can give you more information about how we can help you with your specific situation.

Yes, as a collection agency we can collect personal loans. As a private individual, you can hand over the claim and submit a collection order for loans, provided that a signed agreement is present.

Please note that we do not handle alimony and family matters. When creating an account, you can enter your last name and ‘private’ under company details. If you have any questions, you can call us on 020-3452675.

Credifin Nederland, as a collection agency, does indeed also collect rents.

For example, we offer rental collection services for both private and business landlords who are experiencing problems with collecting rent. We help landlords to collect overdue rent and ensure a fast and effective approach. We work as a collection agency on a ‘no cure, no pay’ basis, which means that no costs are charged if the claim is not successfully collected. Due to our extensive experience and expertise in the field of rent collection, we are able to assist landlords in a professional manner and to provide an effective solution.

Submit a rental collection and use our No Cure NO Pay collection conditions. Click for here

As a collection agency, we at Credifin Nederland are indeed specialized in collecting claims for associations.

We understand that associations often have to deal with unpaid contributions, sponsor contributions and other outstanding receivables. That is why we offer an effective and efficient approach to collect these receivables. Our aim is to maintain the relationship between the association and its members, while at the same time striving for a successful collection. We apply a ‘no cure, no pay’ principle, which means that associations only pay if the collection is successful. Our transparent working method as a collection agency for associations and our online collection portal ensure that associations are always aware of the progress of their collection processes.

We also work closely with club collect, you can also submit cases to us via club collect. For more information, please contact us at 020-3452675

Yes, debt collection agency Credifin offers the possibility to resubmit old claims that have previously been handled by another debt collection agency. As long as the claim has not expired, there are still options to collect it.

When submitting a re-collection, there must be at least one year between the previous direct debit order and the current direct debit order to increase the chance of success. Different payment conditions apply to re-collections because the chance of payment is smaller and the older a claim is, the smaller the chance of payment.

Debt collection agency Credifin has years of experience and a database with tens of thousands of debtors, which helps with the (still) successful collection of receivables. Filing a case takes little time and can still yield a significant amount of money.

For more information, see our debt collection agency page re-collection

Of course. We collect throughout the Netherlands. Our office is located in Amsterdam, you can engage us as a larger debt collection agency throughout the Netherlands, from Amsterdam we offer national coverage. This is possible with collection agency Amsterdam, collection agency Utrecht, collection agency Rotterdam, collection agency Alkmaar, collection agency Eindhoven, collection agency Arnhem, collection agency Leeuwarden and collection agency Groningen.

Many foreign clients also know where to find us for debt collection in the Netherlands.

Yes that is possible. There are three options for submitting bulk direct debits:

• Delivery via an Excel file, which we then upload into our system.
• A link with your own accounting system, such as Exact, Afas, Twinfield, Accountview, Microsoft Dynamics and many others.
• Using our automatic API connection, such as Webservice, Webhooks and Single Sign-On (SSO) login. This makes the exchange of data faster and considerably easier.

If you have any questions or if you would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone, you can reach collection agency Credifin on 020-3452675.

Yes, we also send a final reminder / WIK letter prior to the collection process.

If you want to give your customer one last option to pay the invoice, you can enable us to send a polite and neat final reminder. This is always done on your behalf and on our letterhead, as in most situations this results in faster payment without jeopardizing your customer relationship. Discover more about how we send a Final notice.

With us you always benefit from ‘No Cure, No Pay’ direct debit. If it unexpectedly fails to collect the invoice, we will close the file for you at no cost.

Alternatively, you can choose to start legal proceedings with us. In this procedure, we will make every effort to recover the claim from your debtor. Our team of experts will guide you through the entire process and ensure the best possible outcome. You can find more information about the legal procedure with us.

Legislation is on the way, the 1st and 2nd chamber have set the implementation date of the Debt Collection Services Quality Act (Wki) for collection agencies on 1 July 2023. This finally provides clarity about the implementation of this law.

Debt collection agency Credifin is pleased about this, because unfortunately there are still collection agencies that behave inappropriately towards people with problematic debts. With this law, stricter supervision will finally be exercised and rules will be introduced for debt collection agencies.

However, it is important to note that there is not yet a complete overview of all requirements that must be met. Although the legal text of the Wki is known, the Quality of Debt Collection Services Decree (Bki) has not yet been completed. The Bki is the General Administrative Order that describes the necessary requirements that debt collection agencies must meet when applying for a permit.

Here is a summary of any legal rules / upcoming measures that are coming:

The Wki aims to:

• Protecting debtors against improper and unreasonable collection practices.
• Improving the quality of debt collection services and ensuring fair competition.
• Promoting better cooperation between bailiffs and collection agencies.

To achieve these goals, the Wki proposes a number of measures, such as:

• Debt collection agencies must have a license to offer collection services. In order to obtain a licence, collection agencies must meet certain requirements in the areas of professional competence, integrity and financial security.
• There will be a central register, where you now all have a Dutch Association of Debt Collection Companies, in which all permit holders are included. This makes it easier for consumers and businesses to check whether a debt collection agency has the correct permit.
• Rules of conduct are drawn up for debt collection agencies, which they must adhere to. These rules relate to matters such as communication, transparency and the amount of collection costs.
• There will be an independent supervisor to ensure that debt collection agencies comply with the rules and who can take action in the event of violations. In case of violation of the rules, sanctions can be imposed, such as fines or withdrawal of the permit.

Here are some articles about the law:

Read more about the Debt Collection Services Quality Act >

Read more MARKET RESEARCH IN THE COLLECTION INDUSTRY >

Read more about the legislation and ACM

With us you always use No Cure, No Pay direct debit. Are you unexpectedly unable to collect the invoice? Then we close the file and you do not pay any costs. Or you can start legal proceedings with us. Read more about Legal proceedings

Cases are closed on a weekly basis after full payment of the amount has been received by the third-party accountholder, Credifin Nederland. We will first send a confirmation and then immediately transfer the outstanding amount of your original invoice (not including the collection costs, these are the earnings that the debtor has paid to us).

Through our online collection web portal, you have 24/7 access to all collection processes that are active through us, as well as the cases that have been closed. All invoices, accompanying documentation and correspondence (email, telephone contact, WhatsApp messages etc.) can always be accessed here. This way you always know the status of the collection process. Read more about online debt collection web portal .

The difference between a collection agency and a lawyer mainly lies in the powers and method of collecting outstanding claims.

As a collection agency, we specialize in collecting claims without the intervention of a court or writ of execution. We offer an accessible service based on No Cure No Pay. Unlike bailiffs and lawyers, who often charge hourly rates and court costs, we only charge statutory collection costs on top of the principal sum, without extra hourly rates or commissions. This makes our services considerably cheaper than those of bailiffs or collection lawyers, especially because the debtor must pay the collection costs.

Although bailiffs and debt collection lawyers have heavier leverage, research shows that 90% of outstanding claims are settled without the intervention of a judge.

In these situations, we as a collection agency offer the most suitable solution for both debtor and entrepreneur. Therefore choose our collection agency, create an account and submit a test case. We ensure that your outstanding receivables are collected in an efficient and cost-effective manner without putting expensive lawyers or bailiffs to work.

If a collection process does not work, we can take legal action. In that case, a bailiff will eventually be involved. In 95% of cases, the collection agency succeeds in collecting the outstanding payment(s).

Calling in a collection agency is always a good idea if there is an outstanding payment that the customer does not pay. Which agency you engage determines whether you choose the right approach. Please note that there are different types of desks:

• Old-fashioned and non-digital
  The old-fashioned collection agency (90% of most collection agencies) still works on paper instead of digitally. That’s a pity, because that way it takes a lot of time to get started for you. Your outstanding payment remains unpaid for a long time, so you will not be helped quickly.
• The big collection agency
  Would you hire a large collection agency? With a small outstanding payment or a single invoice that is not paid, you are probably just a number. The office is difficult to reach, making it difficult to communicate and switch quickly.
• The subscription model
  Some modern collection agencies use subscription models. That seems cheap and easy, but costs more in the long run. We do not charge any subscription or file costs. We do not charge any hidden costs at all.

We work digitally and online, to make it easy for you. In addition, we take a friendly yet forceful approach when necessary. It is not for nothing that many clients that we remind and demand to pay eventually become our customers themselves.

Contact us or create an account right away and start your first case : Submit debt collection

A debt collection agency specializes in collecting outstanding claims. As a result, there is a good chance that a collection agency knows how to deal with frequently heard excuses and reasons not to pay, so that the claim is still paid. By using collection software, a collection agency can also keep a closer eye on a case and it is easier to draw up a payment arrangement and allow the debtor to pay easily, for example by means of Ideal or a QR Code. The more payment options the collection agency offers, the greater the chance of payment.

With our simple online debt collection system, you have 24/7 access to your debt collection process along with all documentation. After you’ve created an account, you simply upload the overdue invoices (and relevant documents) and we immediately get to work for you.

We approach your customers in a friendly manner with the aim of keeping your customer relationship as good as possible. We continue to do so, even if it becomes very difficult. In more than 90% of our cases we collect the outstanding amount in full (including collection costs). Read more about how it works.

We collect throughout the Netherlands and Belgium and offer your debtors simple online payment options to make it as easy as possible to transfer payment. Via an online web portal, your debtor also has full access to the outstanding invoices and correspondence. For bulk collections we can automatically load Excel files you’ve provided or make a link with your own accounting system. After collection you will receive the outstanding amount the same week. Read more about the online web portal for debtors.

That often varies from 1 week to 4-5 months depending on the extent to which your debtor is willing, or is in a position, to pay. If your customer still hasn’t paid after that period, we propose a payment plan or payment agreement. We keep a close watch on your debtor, because an agreement is an agreement. If the agreement is not fulfilled, we follow it up for you.

We manage to collect payment in more than 90% of our cases. If, for whatever reason, it doesn’t work, then you can give us the go-ahead to proceed with a Credit check to collect payment or to assess the financial situation or, worst case scenario, start legal proceedings for you.

If your debtor isn’t going to pay, we will assess whether or not it makes sense to start a judicial procedure. After your written approval, we will deal with the case from the moment the summons is issued until the time the verdict is announced.

Through our online collection portal, you can view the status of your collection process 24/7. All your documentation and communication such as invoices, emails, telephone calls and even WhatsApp messages can be found here.

Since recently we also have the ability to give your debtors access to the relevant (to them) part of your online debt collection file, so that your debtor can (anonymously) gain insight into their own file. And via this portal, your debtor can also make direct payments to make it as easy as possible for your debtor to transfer payment. Read more about online debt collection web portal for debtors.

You can view the status of your debt collection process 24/7 via our online debt collection portal. All your documentation and communication such as invoices/emails/letters and telephone conversations can be found here.

Log in here

We offer debtors as a collection agency simple online payment options to make it as easy as possible for them to make the payment. Your debtor also has full access to the outstanding invoices and correspondence via an online web portal. For example, she can easily pay the outstanding collection with iDeal, request a settlement and even chat with us.

Read more about the web portal for debtors >

With the web portal for debtors, we like to make it easy for your customer to pay quickly and securely. With the iDeal button that is available, your customer can make the payment. Would your customer like to pay, but is unable to do this in one go? No problem, your customer can make a payment proposal in the portal. In addition, we offer your customer the opportunity to chat with us if there are any questions. And just as important, thanks to the web portal and the friendly approach, your good relationship with the customer is not immediately at stake. Read more about the online collection web portal for debtors.

No cure no pay means that if nothing is paid by the debtor during a collection process, we will close the file free of charge.

Cure,No Pay means that if the debtor pays our claim in full, you will receive the full invoice amount. By full payment we mean the invoice amount, the interest and collection costs. You do not pay any commission costs on the amounts received, administration costs, subscription costs or other costs with us for carrying out a collection order.

Credifin Nederland works on both a No Cure, No Pay and a Cure, No Pay basis: If nothing is paid in a collection process, it will cost you nothing. If your debtor pays in full, you will receive the full invoice amount!

No, you can submit unlimited collection cases and use our online web portal free of charge.

There are never any costs associated with outsourcing a collection assignment to Credifin Nederland. From a legal point of view, all partial payments received are first deducted from the collection costs and then from the invoice amount. The debtor therefore pays our collection costs. In the unlikely event that the collection procedure does not lead to full payment, but a part has been paid, the collection costs paid by the debtor will be deducted from the payment.

There are collection agencies that advertise with so-called collection on a No Cure, No Pay basis, but if you read the fine print, many exceptions appear to apply, so that you eventually lose (a lot of) costs bent. For example, an agency can use that as conditions for no cure no pay;

• The claim is at most 1 year old
• The claim is undisputed/undisputed
• The claim contains at least an X amount, etc.

If you do not meet these conditions, in many cases you will still have to pay costs.

At debt collection agency Credifin Nederland we really work on a 100% No Cure, No Pay basis. So it does not matter how old your claim is, how high the amount is and whether it is a disputed claim: if payment is not made during the collection process, we will simply close the file free of charge!

A collection procedure mainly consists of sending payment requests/summations, whereby we make it as easy as possible for the debtor to pay. This is usually done by e-mail, telephone, SMS and by post. Carrying out a home visit, having an investigation carried out into the creditworthiness of a company or starting legal proceedings / attachment are additional services that do not fall under the standard collection process.

No Cure,No Pay always only applies in the collection process. The moment a court action is made, you as a creditor always have to deal with various costs that we have to pay to the court, which we invoice to the client. Of course we will never just start legal proceedings without discussing this with you. You will receive a thorough cost/benefit analysis from us. For further information see > judicial proceedings

We will then demand that your customer pay us the interest and collection costs. We will do everything we can to get the costs paid, so that they are not for your account. It can also happen that the interest and collection costs are not paid, for example because of a dispute or for financial reasons. In that case you can choose to start legal proceedings or to bear the collection costs yourself.

That differs per collection agency. At most debt collection agencies the collection costs are charged to your debtor (No Cure No Pay). There are other costs that you sometimes have to pay, such as subscription and administration costs (that’s not the case with us). If your debtor still doesn’t want to pay following an extensive collection process, you can request that we proceed with a Credit check or, ultimately, initiate a judicial collection procedure. Collection agencies charge in advance for this, but will always try to recover these costs from your debtor after a positive verdict through a bailiff. Read more about how much it costs to call in a debt collection agency …

No) Cure No Pay means that your customer (the debtor) pays for the collection process on top of the initial outstanding amount. In the event that we do not manage to collect, you also pay nothing. Not even if, for example, your debtor is declared bankrupt during the collection process. Read more about No cure no pay .

No, you can submit unlimited collection cases and make use of our online web portal free of charge.

Debt collection agency Credifin Nederland was founded in 2005. Since then, we have helped more than 11,500 customers collect outstanding receivables. We are located at the Amsterdam Zuidas. We carry out collection orders throughout the Netherlands. We understand better than anyone how annoying it is when your bills are not paid. It is our passion to help you collect your claim. Learn more about us >

Credifin Netherlands cooperates with the Feedback company, an independent review party that assesses customers of Credifin Netherlands. See how customers experience our collection services. Click here

We first send a statement and then immediately transfer the outstanding amount from your original invoice (so without the collection costs, which are our earnings that the debtor has paid to us).

Representation by a lawyer is not mandatory in a subdistrict court. Everything under € 25,000 can be done without a lawyer and is much cheaper through a collection agency and/or bailiff. We also have in-house lawyers who can advise you on whether or not to proceed with legal proceedings without hiring a lawyer.

No, it is up to the debtor to respond to the content of the summons. Always in writing, if your debtor does not speak Dutch, she can explain it orally to the court.

The bailiff will have to serve the summons again. After the court’s decision, your debtor will be given the last opportunity to pay the entire amount or to make a payment arrangement with the bailiff. If your debtor does not voluntarily make payment, the bailiff will take further legal action. This may mean that the bailiff proceeds to seize the property.

No, the judicial officer cannot immediately seize the property after the judge’s decision. A big misconception is that the order opens as soon as the judge has ruled. The moment a judgment has been handed down, it is only certain that you are right from a legal point of view and that your debtor owes a certain amount. You are then so to speak “halfway”: The verdict has been received, the money still has to be collected.

A bailiff is the only one appointed in the Netherlands to implement court decisions. Just like the need to engage a notary to draw up a will, you need to engage a bailiff for the attachment. A bailiff is not only bound by codes of conduct, but also by laws and regulations.

After obtaining the judgment, the bailiff will use its legal options to collect the money. This can be done by garnishing wages, a bank account, (im)movable property, a social benefit or pension. It is of course possible that the debtor has no money or that there are no further possibilities for redress. This may mean that collection is not forthcoming or that it may take a long time. It is also possible that the bailiff cannot collect anything, for example due to bankruptcy or emigration.

Beforehand, we can conduct an investigation to map out your debtor’s financial situation and what the options are for collecting the outstanding amounts. Based on this, you can consider whether you want to proceed with an attachment via judicial proceedings.

Both the extrajudicial and any judicial collection activities and the other activities are for the own account and risk in advance, such as:

• Writing a summons
• Service of bailiff
• Registration fees
• Hours are made for handling the case
• Story information reports

These costs will be recovered from the debtor as far as possible, after receipt of a positive judgment. We will give you sound legal advice in advance, based on which you can decide whether it makes sense (financially) to proceed with legal proceedings or not.

No, it is up to the debtor to respond to the contents of the summons. Always in writing, if you do not speak Dutch then a verbal explanation is provided.

Both extrajudicial and potentially judicial collection processes and other activities are for your own account and risk, such as:

• Preparing summons
• Service bailiff
• Court registry fees
• Hours made for handling the case
• Legal redress

These costs will be recovered from the debtor to the maximum extent after a positive verdict is announced. We will give you sound legal advice in advance so that you can decide whether it is (financially) viable to move ahead with legal proceedings or not.

You pay an advance in advance for the work that entails a summons. This advance is used to pay the court fee and the first service, so that the legal proceedings can start. Any costs after obtaining the judgment are not included in the advance and will be recovered from the debtor as far as possible in the event of a positive judgment.

The course of a procedure is difficult to estimate. The procedure can be done in absentia? sometimes take one month, but with repeated defense this can take 4 to 5 months. The duration of an enforcement process largely depends on the cooperation and financial position of your debtor. If it does have substantial assets, the process can go many times faster.

That is different. The judicial officer will request a hearing date from the court. After obtaining the date of the hearing, the bailiff will hand over the summons to the debtor, so that the debtor is given the opportunity to respond in writing or appear at the hearing. Your debtor can also request an extension if they are unable to do so or if they engage a lawyer.

In this case, the court will normally grant the claim in absentia. This means that in most cases a positive judgment is pronounced.

You pay an advance on the costs for issuing a summons. This advance is used to pay the court fee and the first hearing, so that the legal proceedings can be initiated. Any costs after obtaining the verdict are not included in the advance and will be charged to the debtor to the maximum extent following a positive verdict.

In this case, in the absence of the debtor, the court will normally assign the claim. In most cases this results in a positive verdict for you.

That’s something else. The bailiff will request a date for the hearing. Once a date for the hearing is assigned, the bailiff will hand over the summons to the debtor, so that he has the opportunity to respond in writing or to appear at the hearing. Your debtor can also request postponement if they are unable to appear or if they decide to call in a solicitor.

The duration of this procedure is difficult to estimate. The procedure can, in absence, sometimes take one month, but in the case of a repeated defense/appeal  this can take 4 to 5 months. The duration of the execution  process depends largely on the cooperation and financial position of your debtor. If they have substantial financial assets, the process can be much faster.

If a claim is not immediately collected, the question remains whether it will ever be fully met. We will give you sound legal advice in advance so that you can decide whether it makes sense (financially) to proceed with a judicial collection procedure or not and how long the process might take.

Representation by a solicitor is not mandatory at the subdistrict court. Anything below € 25,000 can be settled without a solicitor and it’s much cheaper through a collection agency and/or bailiff. We also have solicitors who can advise you on whether or not to go ahead with legal proceedings without having to call on the services of a solicitor individually.

The bailiff will have to repeat the summons. Following the verdict of the court, your debtor will be given the opportunity to pay the full amount or to make a payment agreement with the bailiff one last time. If your debtor does not voluntarily proceed to payment, the bailiff will take further legal action. This may mean that the bailiff proceeds towards a possession order to seize assets.

The bailiff will, after obtaining the verdict, use their legal capacity to collect the money. This can be done by means of seizing (a part of) the salary, a bank account, fixed property, a social benefit or pension. It is possible that the debtor has no money or that there are no further solutions. This may mean that the debt collection fails or can take a long time. It’s also possible that the bailiff is unable to collect anything, for example due to bankruptcy or emigration.

No, after the judge’s verdict the bailiff can not claim the same amount by seizing assets. A big misunderstanding is that the payment is handed over as soon as the judge has announced their verdict. A soon as a judge’s verdict has been announced, the only certainty is that your debtor legally owes you a certain amount of money. You’re only halfway there: The verdict is in, the money is yet to be transferred.

A bailiff is the only person in the Netherlands that can receive the possession order from the courts to seize assets. Just like a solicitor can draw up a will, you have to call in a bailiff in order to make the claim. A bailiff is not only bound by codes of conduct, but also by laws and regulations.

Prior to this, we can conduct an investigation to assess the debtor’s financial status and what the possibilities are for collecting the outstanding amounts. Based on this you can decide whether or not you want to proceed with your claim through legal proceedings.

No. We request that you only enter the basic invoice amount. Credifin Netherlands is already claiming the legally permitted collection costs. If the invoice also includes collection costs or similar costs, the debtor pays double collection costs, this is not allowed.

If there is a claim between companies, the parties can make different agreements about the collection costs. These must be recorded in the general terms and conditions. These costs must be reasonable. As a guideline, an amount of 15% collection costs on the invoice amount is considered reasonable.

In this case too, if there is a claim between companies, the parties can make different agreements about the minimum collection costs. For example, a company can indicate that the collection costs are at least 15% with a minimum of 100 euros instead of the legal 40 euros. In this way, the counterparty is encouraged to meet its obligations in a timely manner.

No, the collection costs are a fixed cost item. These costs therefore remain the same from the first to the last summation.

In principle, anyone can start a debt collection agency, no legal provisions have been drawn up for this. It is therefore important that you thoroughly familiarize yourself with the background, reliability and proven expertise of a collection agency.

There are no statutory deadlines for B2B claims to determine whether or not you may engage a collection agency. The law does state the following, Article 6: 96 of the Dutch Civil Code, paragraph 4 : The amount (collection costs, statutory interest) is due without notice from the day following the day on which the statutory or agreed payment deadline has passed. This cannot be deviated from to the detriment of the creditor. As a rule, this is allowed for 30 days, unless the general terms and conditions state otherwise.

Different rules apply to consumers, before you can engage a collection agency, you must first send your customer a ‘Wk letter’ stating that your customer has still not paid despite previous payment reminders. In it you indicate that you expect to receive the payment within 14 days, otherwise a collection agency will be called in and the resulting costs will be for your customer, also indicating the exact amount that will be charged in collection costs after the expiry of these 14 days. may be brought.

There is a statutory limitation period of five years for outstanding invoices. So it is wise to engage a collection agency in time, then you also have the best chance that the invoice will still be paid.

The amount of the costs to your debtor are limited for claims that can be collected since July 1, 2012, fall under the Reimbursement for extrajudicial collection costs Decree. This is to protect debtors against very high collection costs. The amount of these costs can never exceed € 6,775 and is calculated as follows. See the scale below;

Minimale incassokosten: Er geldt een wettelijk minimum bedrag van € 40 voor incassokosten. Het incassobureau mag dit bedrag altijd vorderen. Is uw rekening bijvoorbeeld € 300,-?  Dan mag het incassobureau 15% over € 300,- = € 45,- vragen.

There are no legal deadlines to determine when you can hire a collection agency. There is, however, a legal limitation period of five years for outstanding invoices. So, it is wise to call a collection agency in time, then you also have the best chance to receive payment for the invoice.

Before you can call on a collection agency, you first have to send the customer a notice of default stating that your customer has still not paid despite previous reminders having been sent. You indicate that you expect to receive the payment within x number of days (min. 14 days for consumers), otherwise a collection agency will be called in and the resulting costs will be charged to your customer.

In principle, anyone can start a debt collection agency. No legal provisions have been drawn up for this. It is therefore important that you research the background, track record and proven expertise of a collection agency, unfortunately there are still unreliable collection agencies out there that make a claim for the collection on your behalf and then leave without notice.

In addition to the collection costs, the collection agency can also let you pay interest. The collection agency can also calculate VAT on the collection costs. This often happens with dentists, orthodontists and other medical specialists. These are themselves not liable for VAT. In that case you have to pay the VAT.

The interest starts to run from the moment the payment term has expired without a notice of default being required. The statutory consumer interest is 2% in 2022 and the statutory commercial interest for companies is 8.0% in 2022. Credifin always automatically includes this interest in the amount to be claimed.

The interest will start from the moment the payment date has passed without any type of notice of default being required. The legal consumer interest rate is 3 to 4% and the statutory interest rate for companies is 8.05%. This interest is always included automatically by Credifin in the amount due.

A collection agency acts as an intermediary to give your customer one last chance to pay the invoice before moving towards a judicial collection procedure in which the final verdict is followed up by the bailiff. A debt collection agency is therefore not allowed to move towards a possession order and only requests your debtor, urgently, to transfer the outstanding amount with the aim of keeping the customer relationship as good as possible for you.

It is also possible that you do not agree with the outstanding invoice, for example because you believe that the work has not been delivered properly or if no valid agreement has been concluded. Then send us an e-mail in which you indicate that the claim is unjustified or upload this defense in our online web portal. Always keep a copy of your defense and proof of shipment.

Incasso@credifin.nl

Online web portal

As a debtor, you can view your online collection file in our online web portal. And you can also make direct payments via this portal. You will find the login details in an e-mail or in a letter we have sent. Read more about the >

Online collection web portal for debtors

Always check first whether the invoice is correct and whether the invoice has already been paid or not. Have you not paid it yet or have you accidentally forgotten to pay the invoice? Then pay the principal as soon as possible, including the collection costs, so that the costs do not continue to rise. This can be done easily via our online payment system.

Online web portal

If you are unable to pay the amount in one go, please send an e-mail to collection@credifin.nl or submit it via our online web portal and request a payment arrangement that you can certainly comply with. Incidentally, we are not obliged to make a payment arrangement. But usually we do cooperate in order to keep the customer relationship as good as possible.

Incasso@credifin.nl

In our online web portal you can view your online debt collection file as a debtor. And you can also make direct payments via this portal. Read more about the online debt collection web portal for debtors. You will find the login details in an email or in a letter that we have sent to you.

Always check first whether the invoice is correct and whether the invoice has already been paid or not. Have you not paid it yet or have you accidentally forgotten to pay the invoice? Pay the principal sum including the collection costs as quickly as possible so that the costs do not continue to rise. It’s easy to do via our online payment system.

If you can’t pay the amount in one go, send a registered letter to us or submit a request via our online web portal and ask for a payment agreement that you’ll definitely be able to fulfill. Incidentally, we are not obliged to make a payment agreement. But most of the time we aim to keep the customer relationship as good as possible.

It may also be that you disagree with the outstanding invoice, for example because you feel that the work has not been delivered properly or if no valid agreement has been made. Send a registered letter stating that the claim is unjustified or upload this letter via our online web portal. Always keep a copy of the letter and the shipping bill.

A collection agency has various resources through which they can gain access to contact details and debtors’ address information.