Selling unpaid invoices in Ireland: the alternative to debt collection

Late payment is one of the biggest problems facing small businesses in Ireland. When a customer does not pay, the business loses more than the income — it loses time, resources and cash flow. Selling unpaid invoices is an increasingly popular alternative to traditional debt collection.

Which invoices can be sold?

Any invoice that is due, payable and provable: sales of goods with signed delivery dockets, services with a contract or accepted quotation, construction certificates, rent arrears — whether or not you have already issued court proceedings.

Advantages over traditional debt collection

• Immediate cash: you receive the agreed price when the assignment is signed, without waiting months or years.
• No legal costs: solicitors and court fees become the buyer's problem if they decide to litigate.
• Closure: the invoice comes off your books and you stop wasting resources on it.
• No insolvency risk: if the debtor goes under tomorrow, it is no longer your concern.

And compared with invoice factoring?

Factoring advances money against not-yet-due invoices from solvent customers, and usually requires assigning your whole sales ledger with ongoing fees. A debt sale, by contrast, focuses on invoices that are already unpaid, deal by deal, with no ongoing commitment. They are complementary products, not substitutes.

If VAT is tied up in the unpaid invoice, it is also worth checking Revenue guidance on bad debt relief before you sell.

➜ Sell my debt on Debtalia

How do I sell an unpaid invoice on Debtalia?

1. Register the debt with its basic details: amount, year, type of debtor, available documents.
2. Your listing is published anonymously — no names or identifying details are shown.
3. Interested investors contact you by email and you negotiate the price and the assignment directly.

Debtalia is a marketplace that connects sellers with buyers — it does not buy your invoices itself. There is no commission on the sale: 100% of the agreed price is yours.

Final tip

Do not let your unpaid invoices age. Every month that passes, the invoice loses market value and edges closer to being statute-barred. If the friendly route is exhausted, put the debt up for sale and let the market work for you.