Sell debts: turn your unpaid invoices into cash

What selling a debt means

Selling a debt means assigning your right to collect against whoever owes you (the debtor) to a third party —usually an investor— in exchange for an immediate payment. Legally it is an assignment of the claim: the buyer becomes the new owner of the debt and takes on the risk and time to collect it. You receive certain money today instead of an uncertain expectation tomorrow.

You do not need the debtor’s permission to sell: the assignment is valid between you and the buyer, and the debtor only needs to be notified. You can sell a single invoice, a promissory note, a judgment in your favour or a whole portfolio.

Why sell instead of waiting

Claiming through the courts can take months or years, costs money and does not guarantee payment: winning a case does not make the debtor solvent. Meanwhile the money does nothing for you. Selling transfers the risk and the time to the buyer.

How much buyers pay

You almost never get 100% of the face value: the buyer pays below it because they take on the risk of non-payment and the time to collect. That gap is the discount. As a market reference, discounts of 35%-45% are common, within a wide 25%-75% range depending on the case.

What raises the price: solid documentation, a recent, non-time-barred debt, a solvent debtor and, above all, competition between buyers. What lowers it: old debts, no evidence, or untraceable debtors.

Estimate your figure

Enter the amount and the details of your debt to see an indicative estimate of what you could receive. It is not an offer: real offers come from buyers.

The process step by step

1. 1

   You list the debt

   You state the amount, the type of debtor, the documentation and the nature of the debt. We never ask for the debtor’s personal data.

2. 2

   You receive offers

   Interested investors send purchase offers through the platform, confidentially.

3. 3

   You accept the best one

   You compare and choose. Only then is the detailed documentation shared with the buyer.

4. 4

   You sign the assignment

   Seller and buyer formalise the assignment and the debtor is notified. You get paid.

What paperwork you need

An investor pays for what you can prove. The stronger the evidence, the better the price and the faster you close:

• Unpaid invoices and delivery notes.
• Contract or signed quotation behind the debt.
• Communications demanding payment (formal notices, emails, letters).
• Promissory notes or bills of exchange, if any.
• A judgment or court order, if the debt is already recognised.

Legal basis: assignment of the claim

Selling a debt is legally an assignment of the claim, recognised across jurisdictions. The debtor can raise against the new creditor the same defences they had against the original one, and each country sets a limitation period after which the debt can no longer be enforced —so selling early, before the debt ages, protects its value. In the EU, Directive 2011/7/EU on late payment sets payment terms and default interest in commercial transactions, strengthening the creditor’s position. Debtalia does not take part in the assignment: it only connects the parties.

Confidentiality & debtor data

The listing shows general data —type of debtor, amount, sector, region— but does not reveal the debtor’s identity. In fact, whoever lists a debt is not asked for any personal or contact data of the debtor, only the amount, the documentation and the nature of the debt. That data is only exchanged between seller and buyer if they reach an agreement, directly between them.

Mistakes that sink the price

• Asking for 100%: scares off offers. A realistic asking price attracts more buyers.
• Waiting too long: every month the debt is worth less and closer to time-barring.
• Incomplete paperwork: without proof, the discount jumps.
• Not comparing: accepting the first offer without letting buyers compete.

What kinds of debt you can sell

Almost any certain, documented right to collect can be assigned. The most common cases sold on the marketplace are:

• Invoices to businesses or individuals, overdue and unpaid.
• Promissory notes and bills of exchange left unpaid.
• Loans between individuals or businesses with a contract or acknowledgement.
• Unpaid rent, residential or commercial.
• Compensation and amounts recognised by a judgment or settlement.
• Portfolios bundling many unpaid accounts into a single block.

What they share is an enforceable payment obligation and a way to prove it. If you can show you are owed, you can almost always sell that right.

What to expect (and what not to) when selling

Selling is the route to certain money, but set expectations right to negotiate well:

• You will not get 100%. The discount is the price of shifting risk and time to the buyer.
• Offers are not instant. Listing is fast; strong offers depend on the quality of your file.
• A time-barred debt is almost unsellable. Act before the deadline runs out.
• Evidence rules. Without solid documentation, the discount jumps or no one bids.

Keep reading