DEBT COLLECTION AGENCY · NO RECOVERY, NO FEE
Chargetree recovers unpaid invoices for small businesses in NSW, Victoria and Queensland. Lodge a debt and we contact your customer the same day by email, SMS, phone and letter. If we don’t recover anything, you pay nothing.
BASED IN SYDNEY · CHARGETREE PTY LTD · ABN 56 671 867 137
What you get when you lodge a debt
Every debt you hand over ends up somewhere clear, and you can check where it’s up to at any time in your dashboard.
The money lands in your account. Your customer pays through our Pay Portal by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or direct debit, and Stripe sends it to you.
Customers who can’t pay in full can pay part now or set up instalments, and you see each payment arrive.
If a customer disputes the invoice or says they’re in hardship, contact pauses and we tell you, so you know which debts need a decision from you.
Every email, SMS, call recording and payment is logged. That record is the evidence you’ll need if a debt ends up in court.
Payments reconcile in Xero automatically, with a history of every change.
RESULT
A Sydney landscaper recovered $16,121 in 14 days
Using Chargetree, a Sydney landscaping business recovered $16,121.35 and cut its overdue invoices by 30% in 14 days.
When your own reminders stop working
Look, chasing money is the worst part of running a business. By the time an invoice is 60 or 90 days overdue, most owners have already sent the invoice, a friendly nudge and a “just checking in” email, and heard nothing back.
That’s usually when the debt gets written off, or handed to a debt collector who sends a few letters and takes weeks to report back. Chargetree is built for debts at that stage.
What makes Chargetree different from other debt collectors
We start the day you lodge. Sync the invoice from Xero or upload it, and the first email and SMS go out the same day.
Payments go straight to you through Stripe instead of sitting in an agency trust account.
You can see every message and call as it happens, without ringing anyone for an update.
We follow the ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guideline on every debt, whether a business or a person owes it.
Debt collection built for small businesses
Most debt collection agencies are set up for banks, telcos and utilities with thousands of accounts. Chargetree is built for small businesses with a handful of overdue invoices that matter a lot.
Business debts (B2B) and debts owed by individuals, such as homeowners, pet owners and patients
Invoices from 60 days to 12 months overdue
Debts from $200 upwards
No recovery, no fee: how Chargetree compares
If we don’t recover anything, you pay nothing. If we do, our fee is 15% of what’s recovered on debts under $5,000, or 10% on debts of $5,000 or more. Here’s how that stacks up against the other ways to recover a debt. Debt collection fees has the full breakdown of what agencies charge.
Chargetree
Traditional agency
Lawyer
Do it yourself
Upfront or listing fee
None
Some charge per-debt, letter or search fees
Usually a retainer or fixed fee
Court filing fees
Monthly subscription
None
Some do
No
No
Lock-in contract
None
Varies
Engaged per matter
Not applicable
Fee if nothing is recovered
None
Usually none, but fixed fees still apply
You pay legal fees either way
Your time and filing fees
Fee if money is recovered
15% under $5,000, 10% from $5,000
Usually 5–30% commission
Hourly or fixed legal fees
Nothing beyond costs
When work starts
The day you lodge
Often a few days after set-up
When the firm takes it on
When you find the time
Where payments go
Straight to your account
Often the agency’s trust account first
Often the firm’s trust account first
Straight to you
What you can see
Every message, call and payment, live
Periodic updates
Updates from your lawyer
Whatever you keep track of
If they still won’t pay
We send a formal letter of demand. Where you’ve switched it on, or the debt is above your threshold, we refer it to our legal partner to start proceedings. We only mention steps to your customer that will actually happen.
Industries we work with
Chargetree collects for businesses in every industry. If you’ve sent an invoice and it hasn’t been paid, we can help. We’ve written guides for a few of the industries we see most:
Trade suppliers and wholesalers: commercial debt collection for trade accounts past terms
Vets and allied health clinics: unpaid treatment bills, collected with care
Residential tradies: homeowners who stopped answering after the job was done
Every other business that invoices customers, including professional services, manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, cleaning and IT
Where we collect
Chargetree is based in Sydney and collects for businesses in Sydney and NSW, Melbourne and regional Victoria, and Brisbane and regional Queensland. We collect remotely, so we don’t make field visits.
Frequently asked questions
What does a debt collection agency do?
A debt collection agency recovers money that customers owe a business after the business’s own reminders have failed. In Australia most agencies contact the customer by letter, email, SMS and phone, offer payment options, and escalate to a letter of demand or legal action when needed.
How does Chargetree charge?
No recovery, no fee. There’s nothing upfront and no subscription for collections. If we recover money, our fee is 15% on debts under $5,000 and 10% on debts of $5,000 or more. See debt collection fees for what agencies usually charge.
How quickly does Chargetree start collecting?
The same day a debt is lodged. The first email and SMS go out once the invoice details are confirmed.
Will using a debt collector damage my customer relationship?
It doesn’t have to. Chargetree keeps a firm, respectful tone, follows the ACCC/ASIC Debt Collection Guideline and pauses contact when a customer raises hardship or a dispute. Customers can pay online, in part or by instalments.
Does Chargetree need a licence to collect debts?
Not in the states we work in. NSW only licenses field agents who approach people in person, Victoria doesn’t license debt collectors unless they’ve been barred, and Queensland has used negative licensing for remote collection agents since 2014. Chargetree doesn’t make field visits, and it follows the ACCC/ASIC guideline and each state’s conduct rules. See how we collect.
Get your overdue invoices paid, starting today
Lodge an invoice and we’ll contact your customer the same day. Every payment goes straight to your account, and you pay nothing unless we recover: 15% on debts under $5,000, or 10% from $5,000.
