Debt collection agency
Comparing debt collection agencies on their commission rate alone tells you almost nothing about the real cost of a case. An advertised 8% rate with a minimum charge costs more than a 10% rate with no minimum as soon as the invoice falls below a few thousand euros. And a provider that marks up commissaire de justice (judicial officer) and court registry fees makes you pay twice for the same procedure.
Quick answer
Himilco is a debt collection agency based in Paris, registered with the Public Prosecutor (Procureur de la République), handling both B2B and B2C claims. 10% excl. VAT for amicable B2B, 20% excl. VAT for amicable B2C, 15% excl. VAT for B2B legal phase, 25% excl. VAT for B2C legal phase. No set-up fees, no fixed fees, no minimum claim amount. Legal costs are recharged at actual cost, receipts attached, with no mark-up. Nothing is owed if nothing is recovered.
Firm, agency, company: what is the difference?
None in legal terms. Debt collection firm, debt collection agency, debt collection company, debt recovery business: four ways of naming the same activity.
French law recognises only one category: persons who regularly carry out amicable debt collection on behalf of others, governed by Articles R.124-1 to R.124-7 of the French Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures (Code des procédures civiles d'exécution). These professionals must declare their activity to the Public Prosecutor, hold professional liability insurance and a financial guarantee, and pass recovered funds through a dedicated account.
What really sets two providers apart is therefore not their name, but three verifiable points: their fee schedule, whether or not there is a minimum charge, and how legal costs are handled.
Not to be confused with the commissaire de justice (French judicial officer), who alone is authorised to serve legal documents and carry out enforcement measures. Himilco works with a network of partner commissaires de justice for the legal phase.
What you pay, line by line
Three items make up the bill for a case. A serious provider publishes all three.
| Phase | Business debtor | Individual debtor |
|---|---|---|
| Amicable | 10% excl. VAT | 20% excl. VAT |
| Legal phase | 15% excl. VAT | 25% excl. VAT |
- 1. The commission — taken only from the sums actually collected. No recovery, no fee.
- 2. Set-up fees and minimum charge — none, in either case. No opening fee, no minimum flat fee, no minimum claim amount. A €300 invoice is handled like a €30,000 invoice.
- 3. Legal costs in the legal phase — recharged at actual cost, receipts attached, with no mark-up. They are only incurred once you have agreed in writing to move to the legal phase.
Funds paid out on the 25th of the month following collection. Rates are shown excluding VAT: for a VAT-registered client, the VAT on the commission is recoverable.
An €800 invoice
A B2B claim unpaid for 90 days, recovered in the amicable phase.
| Claim recovered | €800 |
| Set-up fees | €0 |
| Minimum charge | €0 |
| Amicable B2B commission, 10% excl. VAT | €80 excl. VAT |
| Net paid out to the creditor | €720 |
On the same invoice, a provider advertising 8% but applying a minimum charge would bill that minimum, not €64. That is the mechanism to check before comparing two rates.
What a debt collection agency actually does
- Amicable phase — finding the right contact at the debtor's end, graduated multichannel reminders, negotiating immediate payment or a payment plan. In most cases, an unpaid invoice is not a refusal to pay but tight cash flow, an oversight or an unresolved disagreement. This is where most of the outcome is decided.
- Legal phase — if the amicable phase fails, and only with your written consent: preparing the file, applying for a payment order (injonction de payer) or issuing a summons, then service and enforcement by a commissaire de justice.
Himilco handles both regimes, business and consumer, which do not follow the same rules.
| B2B claim | B2C claim | |
|---|---|---|
| Limitation period | 5 years (art. L110-4 French Commercial Code) | 2 years (art. L218-2 French Consumer Code) |
| Late payment penalties | Automatic by law | Only if provided for in the contract |
| €40 fixed recovery fee | Applies automatically by law | Not applicable |
Timescales and safeguards
- Case checked on receipt, first reminder within 4 days (median)
- Mandate signed online, with no minimum term
- Online tracking and a report for each case
- Legal phase only with the creditor's written consent
- Activity declared to the Public Prosecutor (art. R.124-1 to R.124-7 CPCE)
- Professional liability insurance, recovered funds held in a dedicated account
- A non-aggressive approach to the debtor: no harassment, compliance with the GDPR, the French Consumer Code and statutory time limits
Are your unpaid invoices owed by business clients? Our B2B debt collection page sets out the rules specific to claims between businesses: statutory payment terms, penalties, the €40 recovery fee, limitation periods.
Choosing a debt collection agency
Which debt collection agency is the cheapest?
There is no single answer, and the advertised rate is not enough to compare. A low rate with a minimum charge, or a mark-up on commissaire de justice (judicial officer) and court registry fees, costs more than a slightly higher rate with no extras. Three questions make a real comparison possible: are there set-up fees, is there a minimum charge, are legal costs recharged at actual cost with receipts. At Himilco: no, no, and yes.
Is debt collection worthwhile for a small invoice?
Yes, provided no minimum charge applies. On a €400 invoice, a 10% commission comes to €40 excl. VAT. A minimum flat fee, by contrast, takes a much larger share of the claim. Himilco applies no minimum amount.
Are there hidden fees in debt collection?
There should not be. The items to check before signing a mandate are case opening fees, the minimum charge, any mark-up on legal costs, and subscription or platform fees. Himilco applies none of them: the commission is taken from the sums actually collected, and legal costs are recharged at actual cost with receipts.
Debt collection firm, agency or company: what is the difference?
None in legal terms. These names all describe the same activity, governed by Articles R.124-1 et seq. of the French Code of Civil Enforcement Procedures (Code des procédures civiles d'exécution). What matters is the fee schedule, whether there is a minimum charge, and how legal costs are handled.
Do you pay if the agency recovers nothing?
It depends on the model. At Himilco, no: our fee is taken only from the sums collected. No set-up fees, no fixed fees. Legal costs, however, remain payable by the creditor and are only incurred with their written consent.
Can a debt collection agency seize my assets?
No. An amicable debt collection agency has no powers of enforcement: it cannot seize assets, take payments, or come to your home without your consent. Only a commissaire de justice (French judicial officer), holding an enforceable title issued by a judge, can carry out enforcement measures.
How long does debt collection take?
The amicable phase generally plays out over a few weeks. The legal phase depends on the court involved and how the debtor responds. The most decisive factor remains the age of the claim: the more recent it is, the better the chances of recovery.
Debtor outside France? See international debt collection: European order for payment, European enforcement order, procedures outside the EU.
Published prices. No hidden fees.
Hand over a first claim with no commitment. Mandate signed online, case taken on within 24 hours, no fees until something is recovered.
Pricing and choosing a provider
Debt collection prices (in French) · Fee schedule · Choosing your debt collection agency (in French) · Switching debt collection agency (in French) · Debt collection with no fees (in French) · Small claims (in French) · Debt collection simulator
Debt collection by city (in French)
Debt collection in Paris · Debt collection in Lyon · Debt collection in Marseille · Debt collection in Bordeaux · Debt collection in Toulouse · Debt collection in Nantes · Debt collection in Lille · Debt collection in Strasbourg
Debt collection by sector (in French)
Construction · Transport · Restaurants · Retail · B2B services
Guides & resources
📊 Unpaid invoices barometer 2026 (in French) · My client is not paying: what to do? (in French) · Payment order (injonction de payer) (in French) · Formal notice template (in French) · Reminder letter templates (in French) · Late payment penalties (in French) · Limitation periods (in French) · Irrecoverable debts (in French) · Debt collection FAQ
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