Collection - what if my customer doesn't pay the invoice?

Sometimes it can happen that the customer doesn't pay the invoice you sent for some reason. You can check the following first:

• Is the customer's information correct?
• Has the invoice gone to the customer's spam?
• Was there an error when sending the invoice?

If everything above has been checked, have you agreed on a due date so that the customer is aware of it? Have you entered into a written assignment agreement that defines payment matters?

If these are OK, see the operating instructions below:

If your customer does not pay your invoice by the due date, you can send your customer a reminder invoice from your own UKKO account.

If your customer does not pay the invoice by the due date, you can send your customer a reminder invoice from the system. If the customer did not pay your invoice despite the reminder, you have the right to transfer the invoice to collection when the following conditions have been met:

• Your customer has not paid the invoice by the due date
• You have sent a reminder invoice to the customer from the system, and 14 days have passed since it was sent
• Your customer has not complained about the invoice
• The invoice has not been refunded

If the above conditions are met, transfer your open invoice to a debt collection company.

Collection

As an entrepreneur, you can also transfer the invoice to a collection agency for collection if your customer does not pay it on time.

If you want to collect a consumer customer's invoice, you must first send a payment reminder. When 14 days have passed since the reminder was due, collection can begin.

A reminder with a 7-day payment period must also be sent to the business customer before collection. After the reminder is due, collection can be started.

Often, there are no costs for the person trying to collect, because the collection costs are charged to the customer. However, it is always worth clarifying the matter with the debt collection agency in order to avoid surprises.

Collection processes can be long and it can take a long time to receive payment. The debt collection office takes the necessary steps so that the amount of the invoice ends up with the entrepreneur and, if necessary, places the customer insolvent. If the customer is found to be insolvent, the amount of the invoice can be recorded as a loss for the entrepreneur.

If you received a payment for the invoice, see the following instructions

1. If the debt collection company has settled the receivable under collection to our customer reserve account, please contact our customer service at kevytyritys@ukko.fi. With the help of the debt collection report, we can allocate the payment to your invoice if your invoice is still open.
2. If the debt collection company has paid the claim directly to your own account, pay the open invoice yourself so that we can make the necessary deductions and withholdings. Add the debt collection company's collection costs as an expense in your UKKO account, do not deduct the costs from the invoice amount directly. You can contact our customer service if necessary.

Sometimes the customer may want to complain about the invoice for one reason or another. In this case, it is worth agreeing with the customer on how to resolve the matter in order to move forward.

Checking the customer's credit information

As an entrepreneur, you can also always check your customer's credit information before you sell for an invoice. There are two credit information services in Finland that you can use to check credit information: Suomen Asiakastieto and Bisnode.