Outsourced credit control services for UK businesses

How each invoice is chased

Day 0Invoice sent from Xero the day the work is done or the goods go out, with your payment terms and bank details on it

Before the due dateA reminder to the customer, so the invoice is in their next payment run

Due datePayments matched in Xero. Anything unpaid goes on the chase list

A week overdueA written chase and a phone call to whoever pays the invoices

Still unpaidYou decide whether to add statutory interest and a recovery charge, hold further work, or pass it to a debt recovery service

The wording, the timing and who we may call are agreed with you before the first chase goes out.

In-house or outsourced credit control

A credit controller on your payroll chases your customers in your name and knows them well. Outsourcing to Buzz puts the chasing with the team that already keeps your books, so every chase starts from a sales ledger that is right that week.

	Buzz Financial Controller level	A credit controller on your payroll
Cost	From £1,500 + VAT a month	A salary of about £21,000 starting and £32,000 experienced, plus employer’s National Insurance and pension
What it covers	Credit control, weekly bookkeeping in Xero, payroll, VAT returns, supplier payments and a monthly board pack	Chasing, and whatever else the job description adds
The sales ledger	Kept by Buzz every week	Kept by whoever does your bookkeeping
Holidays and sickness	The Buzz finance team carries on	Chasing waits until they are back
Speaking to your customers	In your business’s name, with wording and timing you agree	Your own employee

Salaries: National Careers Service, credit controller, checked November 2026.

A business invoicing £720,000 a year

Customers take an average of 58 days to pay. Steady chasing brings that down to 35.

Sales invoiced a day (£720,000 ÷ 365): £1,973
Owed by customers at 58 days: £114,411
Owed by customers at 35 days: £69,041
Cash released: £45,370

The cash comes in once, as the amount owed settles at the lower level. A year of the Financial Controller level from £1,500 a month is £18,000 + VAT.

An illustrative example. The business is invented and so is every figure. Sales are before VAT; with VAT on the invoices every figure is higher.

What the law lets you charge a late payer

When no payment date is agreed, a business customer’s payment is late 30 days after they get the invoice, or after you deliver, if that is later. An agreed date between businesses must usually be within 60 days.

On a late business payment you can claim statutory interest at 8% plus the Bank of England base rate, unless your contract sets a different rate. You can also charge a fixed sum once for each payment: £40 on a debt up to £999.99, £70 from £1,000 to £9,999.99, and £100 on £10,000 or more.

Source: gov.uk, late commercial payments and claiming debt recovery costs, checked October 2026.

We work out the interest and the charge on each overdue invoice and tell you the amount. Whether to claim it from a customer you want to keep is your decision.

Credit control comes with the Financial Controller level

Chasing works when the sales ledger is right, so the Financial Controller level includes the weekly bookkeeping as well: invoices posted and payments matched every week.

Suppliers are paid on time with each payment run sent to you to approve, and you get an alert when the bank balance drops below a level you set.

Financial Controller

From £1,500+ VAT a month

The cash coming in and going out, and a monthly report on how the business is doing.

Includes all the Finance Manager work.

Monthly board pack

Management accounts set out as a clear report you can send to investors, lenders or your board.

Customer invoicing

Customers invoiced promptly and late payers chased, so cash arrives sooner.

Supplier payments

Suppliers paid on time, with each payment run sent to you to approve.

Cash monitoring

An alert when the bank balance drops below a level you set, in time to act.

Both finance team levels

Questions about outsourced credit control

What is outsourced credit control?

Another firm sends your invoices, reminds customers before payment is due and chases them once it is late, in your business’s name. At Buzz the finance team that keeps your books does it, so each chase works from a sales ledger that is up to date.

What does outsourced credit control cost?

At Buzz it is part of the Financial Controller level, from £1,500 + VAT a month, which also covers the weekly bookkeeping, payroll and VAT. Employing a credit controller costs a salary of about £21,000 to £32,000 a year (National Careers Service), plus employer’s National Insurance and pension.

What is the difference between credit control and debt collection?

Credit control keeps customers paying on time: invoices out promptly, reminders and chasing. Debt collection starts when a debt has gone unpaid and the customer has stopped responding. Buzz does the credit control and passes debt collection to a service or solicitor you choose.

Will you speak to my customers?

Yes, if you want us to. We chase by email and phone in your business’s name, using wording and timing you agree first. You can mark any customer you would like to chase yourself.

Can I buy credit control on its own?

Credit control is part of the Financial Controller level, from £1,500 + VAT a month, because chasing relies on a sales ledger that is kept up to date every week. That level includes the bookkeeping, payroll and VAT.

Do you take legal action against customers who do not pay?

We prepare the statement, the interest calculation and the chase history. Court claims and debt collection are passed to a debt recovery service or a solicitor that you choose.

What if my customers are big companies with long payment terms?

We get the invoice onto their system with the purchase order number they need, check it is approved, and chase on the day it falls due. Long agreed terms are shown in the cash flow so you can plan for them.

Talk to us

Tell us about the business and which level you are looking at, or book a 30-minute call.

Book a call

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07476 989568

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