How to think about resolve unpaid invoices (FixPayment)

Start with the cash-flow math

An unpaid invoice is money you can't use. A $10,000 invoice sitting at 90 days past due is $10,000 you can't put toward payroll, materials, or anything else. And the longer it sits, the worse your odds get. Invoices over 90 days old tend to collect at significantly lower rates than those under 60 days — that pattern shows up across most receivables research I've seen.

So the first question isn't "how do I get paid?" It's "what's the cheapest path to getting paid?" Traditional collection agencies typically take 40–45% of whatever they recover. On a $10,000 invoice, that leaves you with $5,500–$6,000. You're paying nearly half for scripted letters and phone calls.

FixPayment works differently: a flat ~18% success fee, so you keep roughly 80% of what's recovered. No recovery, no fee. Run the same $10,000 invoice through that: you keep $8,200 instead of $6,000. That $2,200 difference is margin you don't hand over.

The AI + human combination

People hear "automated recovery" and picture either a robot or a bulldog. Neither is necessary. FixPayment splits the work: AI handles the repetitive, time-sensitive parts — segmentation, follow-up scheduling, document matching, dispute tracking. Humans step in where judgment matters: negotiating payment plans, mediating disputes, deciding when to escalate and how.

For creditors, that means faster responses without losing the personal touch. A receivable at 45 days might get a structured, AI-templated nudge that still reads polite and professional. At 90 days, a human negotiator picks it up with the debtor's payment history and any documented disputes already in front of them.

Risk scoring before you extend credit

Prevention beats recovery. The FixPayment FP Risk Score helps you underwrite new clients and monitor existing ones using data that traditional credit bureaus don't always surface. You're not guessing whether a new account will pay — you're looking at a calculated probability based on payment behavior, industry patterns, and historical recovery outcomes.

It's not a magic bullet. No score predicts everything. But when you're deciding between "net 30" and "payment in advance" for a new customer, a risk signal can tip the balance. And when a score drops mid-contract, you have early warning to adjust terms or tighten credit limits.

Flexible resolution paths that protect relationships

Not every unpaid invoice is a deadbeat situation. Sometimes the debtor has a cash-flow crunch. Sometimes there's a genuine dispute over deliverables. A rigid, confrontational approach burns bridges and often lands you with a partial recovery anyway.

FixPayment offers structured payment plans and settlement options. You can accept a lump-sum settlement at a discount, or spread payments over a schedule that works for both sides. The platform documents disputes properly, so if a client claims the work was defective, you have records to respond with facts instead of emotion.

This is where a collection agency alternative with lower fees pays off. Because you're not giving away half the recovery, you can afford to be flexible. A settlement at 70% of invoice value looks a lot better when you keep 80% of that 70% than when an agency keeps 45% of a full recovery.

Tooling for busy finance teams

If you run in-house AR, you don't want another portal to log into just to check status. FixPayment offers MCP and API tooling that plugs into your existing systems. You can trigger recovery workflows from your accounting software, sync invoice data, and pull real-time updates without manual exports.

For larger creditors, that integration adds up. You're not chasing spreadsheets or remembering to upload statements. The system handles documentation and follow-up, and you keep visibility and control.

When to act

The honest answer: earlier than feels comfortable. A 30-day past-due invoice might just be an admin oversight. By 60 days, collection odds start sliding. By 90 days, you're often negotiating from a weaker position.

A practical rule of thumb: escalate to a structured recovery process at 45–60 days. That doesn't mean sending a legal threat. It means starting a documented, systematic follow-up that signals seriousness without hostility. If the client is responsive and pays, great. If not, you've bought yourself time to recover before the debt ages further.

The cost of waiting is rarely obvious in the moment. But if you've ever written off an invoice that sat too long, you know the real price.