Claim money online for an unpaid invoice

If another business still owes you for work you have already done, you can claim money online through the government’s Money Claim Online service. It is the usual route in England and Wales for a straightforward unpaid invoice. This page explains the process, the fees, and where a court-ready pack sits, without treating any of it as legal advice.

Money Claim Online is the digital way to start a county court money claim. You fill in the claim details, pay the court fee, and the court issues the claim. The other side then has a set time to respond. You can read the official steps on GOV.UK: make a court claim for money.

This guide is for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland use different courts and forms. Check the relevant government site if your contract or the debtor is based there.

When a Money Claim Online makes sense

Use it for a business-to-business debt you can prove: a clear invoice, agreed terms, and a sum that is due. It is not for consumer credit, personal loans, or disputes you cannot evidence.

Before you issue anything, send a Letter Before Action. The court expects you to have tried to settle. A properly worded letter sets out the amount, any statutory interest and compensation, a deadline, and that you may start a claim if they do not pay. Duly Paid can prepare that letter and, if you later choose, a pack you can use to issue the claim yourself. Nothing is sent without your say-so. See how it works.

You remain the claimant. Duly Paid does not represent you, does not collect the debt, and does not file the claim for you.

Money Claim Online fees and costs

Court fees depend on how much you claim, including interest and compensation you add. They change, so always check the live table: GOV.UK court fees for a money claim.

Typical points for a small unpaid invoice:

• You pay the issue fee when you submit the claim online.
• If the other side pays in full before you take further steps, you may still have paid the fee.
• If you win and the court orders costs, you may recover the fee in some cases. That is not guaranteed.
• Hearing fees and other costs can apply later if the claim is defended. Those are listed on the same GOV.UK page.

Do not guess the fee. Use the official calculator on that page for the exact figure on the day you issue.

Statutory interest and fixed compensation sit on top of the invoice if the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 applies. Interest is 8% plus the Bank of England base rate. Fixed sums are £40, £70 or £100 depending on the size of the debt. Work them out to the day with the Duly Paid calculator and read the rules on GOV.UK late commercial payments. More detail is on our Late Payment Act guide.

The Money Claim Online process, step by step

1. Confirm the debt is due and you have the paperwork: invoice, terms, emails, delivery notes.
2. Send a Letter Before Action and keep proof of sending. Give a clear deadline (often 14 days, but follow current pre-action practice).
3. If they still do not pay, gather the figures: principal, interest to the claim date, compensation, and the court fee.
4. Create a GOV.UK account and start a money claim online. You will complete the money claim online form with names, addresses, the amount, and a short particulars of claim.
5. Pay the issue fee by card.
6. The court issues the claim and serves it (or you arrange service, depending on the option you choose).
7. The defendant has a set period to pay, admit, or defend. Deadlines are on the claim form and on GOV.UK.
8. If they do nothing, you can ask for judgment in default. If they defend, the claim may go to a hearing or mediation.

Making a money claim online is form-driven. The particulars must match your evidence. Vague wording or the wrong legal entity (trading name versus limited company) causes delays.

What you need before you issue

• Correct legal names and addresses for you and the debtor.
• Invoice number, date, and what was supplied.
• Payment terms and the date the invoice became overdue.
• Interest and compensation calculated to a stated date, with the rate you used.
• Copies of the Letter Before Action and any replies.

A court-ready pack from Duly Paid is designed so you can copy those details into Money Claim Online without starting from a blank page. You still log in, pay the fee, and submit. That keeps you in control and keeps the tone polite until the last moment.

Small claims track and what happens next

Most unpaid invoice claims of this size fall into the small claims track. Procedure is simpler than higher tracks, but you still have to follow the timetable. If the other side pays after issue, tell the court. If they offer a payment plan, you decide whether to accept. None of that is automatic.

Do not treat a claim as a threat you never intend to follow through. Issue only if you are prepared to see the process through or to discontinue if they pay.

Common mistakes when you claim money online

• Claiming the wrong person (a director personally when the contract was with the company).
• Adding interest that does not apply, or using the wrong rate.
• Issuing before a proper Letter Before Action.
• Missing the response deadline yourself later in the case.
• Assuming the court will chase payment after judgment. Enforcement is a separate step, with its own fees, listed on GOV.UK.

Stay factual. Courts dislike gloating language. Polite, exact particulars work better.

How Duly Paid fits

Duly Paid chases overdue invoices for UK sole traders and small businesses: polite reminders on working days, statutory interest and compensation worked out to the day, a Letter Before Action when you need one, and a court-ready claim pack if you decide to issue. You approve every legal step. The tagline is Polite. Persistent. Paid.

If you would rather not draft the claim from scratch, start with the reminders and the pack, then issue yourself on Money Claim Online when you are ready.

Check the live court fees, complete the form carefully, and keep copies of everything. For the pack and the earlier stages, use how Duly Paid works.