Success rate is the metric everyone asks about and almost nobody defines consistently. When an agency claims an 85% success rate, they might mean 85% of money owed, 85% of cases accepted (not submitted), 85% of debts under 90 days old, or 85% of debts where the debtor is solvent and communicating. Without knowing the denominator, the numerator is meaningless.
Here's how to think about debt collection success rates in a way that actually informs your decisions.
What the Numbers Actually Mean
Industry-wide average: 20–30%. This figure includes every type of debt — consumer credit cards, medical bills, student loans, and decade-old accounts that nobody seriously expects to recover. It tells you almost nothing about your specific situation.
Commercial B2B average: 50–70%. Dramatically higher than the overall average because business debtors have registered offices, filed accounts, identifiable assets, and reputational incentives to resolve debts. The structural conditions for recovery are fundamentally better.
B2B debts referred within 90 days: 70–85%. This is the number most relevant to overseas creditors with recent Spanish commercial debts. Early referral to a professional agency produces recovery rates that make the economics compelling — even after commission, you're recovering the vast majority of what's owed.
B2B debts aged 6–12 months: 30–50%. Still viable, but the probability curve has shifted. More effort required, legal proceedings more likely, and partial settlements more common.
B2B debts beyond 12 months: 15–30%. Recovery is possible but the economics change. Legal costs represent a larger proportion of potential recovery, and the debtor's financial position may have deteriorated.
The Factors You Can Control
Timing of referral. The single largest determinant of success. Every month between day 60 and day 180 reduces your recovery probability by approximately 3–5 percentage points. The cost of waiting — in lost recovery probability — almost always exceeds the cost of engaging an agency early. If your internal collection efforts haven't produced results within 60 days, professional referral is overdue.
Documentation quality. Debts supported by signed contracts, purchase orders, invoices, and proof of delivery recover at significantly higher rates than those relying on informal agreements or verbal commitments. In Spain, the monitorio procedure specifically rewards well-documented claims with fast-track processing. Poor documentation doesn't make recovery impossible — it makes it slower, more expensive, and less certain.
Agency selection. A Spain-based agency with B2B specialisation, integrated legal capability, and local staff outperforms a generic international network covering Spain through referral arrangements. The capability gap translates directly to recovery rate differences.
The Factors You Can't Control
Debtor solvency. The most competent agency in Spain can't recover money from a company that doesn't have any. Pre-collection solvency assessment (through the Registro Mercantil, ASNEF, RAI, and commercial credit reports) identifies this risk before resources are invested — but it can't change the underlying reality.
Genuine disputes. A debtor with a legitimate quality or delivery complaint has a legal basis for withholding payment (or part of it). These cases require resolution of the underlying dispute before collection can proceed, which reduces the success rate and extends the timeline.
Market conditions. Economic downturns increase the volume of debtors in genuine financial difficulty, which reduces recovery rates across the board. This is a systemic risk that no agency can fully mitigate.
How to Use Success Rates in Decision-Making
The useful calculation isn't "what's the success rate" — it's "what's the expected net recovery." Multiply the estimated recovery probability by the debt amount, subtract expected costs (commission + potential legal fees), and compare that to writing off the debt entirely.
For a €100,000 debt, 90 days overdue, with solid documentation and a solvent debtor: 75% probability × €100,000 = €75,000 expected recovery. Minus 8% commission (€6,000) = €69,000 expected net recovery. That calculation makes the decision straightforward.
For a €15,000 debt, 8 months overdue, with weak documentation and uncertain debtor solvency: 35% probability × €15,000 = €5,250 expected recovery. Minus 12% commission (€630) and potential legal costs (€2,000–€3,000) = break-even at best. That calculation suggests amicable collection only, with early closure if it doesn't produce results.
FAQ
My agency claims a 90%+ success rate. Should I believe it?
Ask how they define it. A 90% rate on pre-screened, accepted cases under 90 days old is plausible — agencies reject cases they don't expect to win, which inflates the success rate on accepted cases. A 90% rate on all submitted cases would be unprecedented. The definition and denominator matter more than the headline number.
How do Spanish recovery rates compare to other countries?
Spain's amicable recovery rates for commercial debts are comparable to France and Italy, slightly below Germany and the Netherlands. Where Spain diverges is in contested legal proceedings, which take longer than in Northern European courts. This makes the amicable phase even more important — early professional collection that resolves the debt before litigation is worth considerably more in Spain than in markets with faster court systems.
Alan Perez
💥 World citizen / 🛵 Tourist, Senior Debt Collection Manager, Business Debt Claims Expert
