Commercial debt recovery, without the upfront cost.
ARS Financial recovers money that customers owe South African businesses. You hand over an overdue invoice, we chase it professionally, and you only pay a commission if we collect.
In short
- No recovery, no fee: nothing to pay upfront or while we work your case.
- Commission is typically around 12% on invoices under R25,000 and around 15% from R25,000.
- Recovery starts the same business day you hand a case over.
- Every reminder, call and payment shows live in your client portal.
- Letters of demand are included on every case at no extra charge.
- Based in Cape Town, working with businesses nationwide: Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein and East London, and everywhere in between.
What commercial debt recovery is
Commercial debt recovery means collecting money your business is owed for goods or services you have already delivered: overdue invoices, unpaid accounts and payments that bounced. Most of the time the debtor is another business, but it can also be an individual customer who has not paid.
A recovery firm takes the chasing off your hands. It contacts the debtor, keeps the pressure steady and professional, negotiates a settlement or payment plan where needed, and keeps a written record you can rely on if the matter ever has to go further.
How our process works
- 01
Send us the invoice
Upload the unpaid invoice (a PDF or a clear photo) and the debtor’s contact details in your portal, or send them by email or WhatsApp.
- 02
We open the case the same day
We check the details, tell you plainly where you stand and start recovery the same business day.
- 03
Structured, professional follow-up
The debtor gets a planned sequence of email reminders and phone calls. We stay firm and courteous, so your reputation and, where possible, the customer relationship stay intact.
- 04
A formal letter of demand
If they keep stalling, we send a letter of demand on ARS letterhead. It often gets payment moving before anyone mentions court.
- 05
Settlement or a payment plan
We agree a payment date, or a payment plan the debtor can actually keep, and follow up on every instalment.
- 06
You get paid
Recovered money reaches you and shows in your portal. Our commission only applies to what we actually recover.
What it costs
There is nothing to pay upfront, no monthly fee for recovery and no charge if we recover nothing. We earn a commission on what we actually collect: typically around 12% on invoices under R25,000 and around 15% on invoices of R25,000 or more. The exact rate is agreed when we review your case, before any work starts.
When to hand a debt over
- The invoice is 30 days or more past its due date and your own reminders haven’t worked.
- The customer has stopped replying, or keeps promising to pay and doesn’t.
- A payment bounced or was reversed.
- You would rather spend your time running the business than chasing money.
- The amount is worth recovering, but not worth paying a lawyer upfront.
The sooner, the better. The longer an invoice sits unpaid, the harder it usually is to collect, and most ordinary debts in South Africa prescribe (expire) after three years.
Where we work
ARS Financial is based in Cape Town and recovers debts for businesses nationwide, in every province. We regularly work with clients and debtors in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein and East London, as well as smaller towns. Because recovery runs by phone, email and letter, with every step visible in your portal, it makes no difference where you or your debtor are based.
Who we work with
Small and medium businesses across South Africa that invoice on credit: builders and contractors, trades, suppliers and wholesalers, professional services, transport and logistics, and anyone else who has delivered work and is still waiting to be paid.
Why businesses choose ARS Financial
- You never pay commission unless we collect.
- You don’t have to chase us for updates: your portal shows every step as it happens.
- We keep it professional, so the relationship can survive where that matters to you.
- Your customers’ information is handled in line with POPIA.
Frequently asked questions
With ARS Financial there are no upfront or monthly fees for recovery. We charge a commission only on money we recover: typically around 12% on invoices under R25,000 and around 15% on invoices of R25,000 or more. If we recover nothing, you pay nothing.
It depends on the debtor. We start the same business day you hand a case over, and you can see exactly where it stands in your portal at any time. Larger debts are often settled through a payment plan over a few months.
The unpaid invoice (a PDF or a clear photo) and the debtor’s contact details. Anything else you have, such as a signed quote, purchase order, delivery note or emails, makes the case stronger.
No. We’re based in Cape Town and work with businesses nationwide, including Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha, Bloemfontein and East London. Most of our follow-up happens by phone, email and letter, so location doesn’t slow a case down.
We tell you honestly where the case stands and what your options are, including whether legal action makes sense for the amount involved.
Hand us the invoice. We’ll take it from here.
No recovery, no fee, and a live view of every step in your client portal. Based in Cape Town, working nationwide.