Debt collection: get paid sooner.
For businesses whose customers always pay late.
We predict delays and automate payment reminders and collection.
When needed, our partner lawyers step in.
Reminders ready for approval
Late payment is the norm
In Italy only 42% of businesses pay on time. Among medium-sized companies the share falls to 35.7%, and 4.4% of businesses pay more than 90 days late (Cribis, June 2026). For the company waiting to be paid, every delay costs twice: in cash flow and in the accounts team’s time.
Spotting unpaid invoices early
Unpaid invoices can be seen coming: customers who pay late tend to do so every time, with similar delays. We study your invoice and payment history and work out how each customer pays. The system flags at-risk invoices before they fall due and suggests the right action: a reminder, a phone call, a request for a deposit.
- Average days late for each customer.
- Customers who are getting worse, month on month.
- This week’s at-risk invoices.
- Expected cash, week by week.
Pays 23 days after the due date on average
Delay on the last six invoices. Next due date: 4/11, payment expected on 27/11.
Automated payment reminders
A reminder works when it goes out at the right time, in the right tone, to someone who still owes money. For each group of customers we set the sequence: a reminder before the due date, first and second reminders, formal notice of default. The wording draws on the invoice data and the customer’s history. Before each send, the system checks incoming payments; the accounts team approves the key steps.
Matching payments to invoices is covered in Payment reconciliation.
Formal demands and payment orders (decreti ingiuntivi), with our partner lawyers
When reminders go unanswered, the case reaches our partner lawyers ready to act on. Invoices, reminders sent, customer replies and the late payment interest calculation sit in a single file. The lawyers assess the route, from a formal demand to a payment order and, if needed, litigation. The company decides whether and when to proceed.
Debt collection for businesses: how we work
The same method, department by department, is in Processes.
What the client keeps
- More predictable incoming payments, week by week.
- An accounts team free from manual reminders.
- Rules, customer history and procedures that stay with the company.
Debt collection: frequently asked questions
What is debt collection?
It is the set of actions a company takes to get overdue invoices paid. There is an out-of-court stage, made up of payment reminders, phone calls and a formal demand, and a court stage, with a payment order and enforcement. The sooner you act, the easier it is to get paid.
How do you reduce late payments from customers?
Start with the history: customers who pay late tend to do it again. Reminders before the due date, follow-ups at fixed intervals and clear payment terms in the quote keep delays under control. For the riskiest customers, consider deposits or lower credit limits.
What does an automated payment reminder system do?
It sends reminders based on the receivables ledger, with wording and timing set by the company. More advanced systems also estimate when each customer will pay and put at-risk invoices at the top. AIR sets it up in the tools you already use and leaves approval of the key steps to people.
How is this different from a debt collection agency?
An agency steps in on debt that is already overdue, usually for a percentage of what it recovers. AIR builds the system inside the company that anticipates delays and automates reminders. For the legal stage it works with its partner lawyers.
What late payment interest can you charge a business that pays late?
Between businesses, Legislative Decree (D.Lgs.) 231/2002 applies: the ECB reference rate plus 8 points, i.e. 10.40% a year for the second half of 2026. Interest runs from the day after the due date, plus a flat €40 for recovery costs.
When do you move to a formal demand or a payment order?
When reminders go unanswered or the customer raises spurious disputes. The formal demand, sent by PEC (certified email) or registered post, sets a final deadline; the payment order is requested from the court with the invoices and proof of the debt. Our partner lawyers make the assessment, on the file prepared by the system.
Does it work with the company's management software?
Yes. We work from the exports the office already uses: receivables ledger, account statements, e-invoices. The management software stays as it is, off-the-shelf or custom-built.
Who handles customer data?
The data stays with the company. AIR processes it as a data processor, under a written agreement, with access limited to the project team.