Global Debt Recovery Services: Building an International Collection Strategy

Global debt recovery is a coordination problem disguised as a collection problem. The collection part — contacting debtors, negotiating payment, filing in courts — is always local. What makes it "global" is managing these local efforts across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously. How you structure that coordination determines whether you get efficient recovery or an expensive bureaucratic exercise.

The Coordination Challenge

A business with debtors in Spain, Germany, the UAE, and Brazil faces four different legal systems, four languages, and four sets of enforcement tools. Each country has its own procedures: Spain has the monitorio, Germany has the Mahnverfahren, France has the injonction de payer. Trying to manage these from your home office, without local expertise in each jurisdiction, is an exercise in frustration.

The two structural options remain the same: network agencies that coordinate across countries through referral partnerships, or direct engagement with local agencies in each jurisdiction. The right choice depends on your debt portfolio's geographic concentration.

If 70%+ of your debts are in one or two countries: go direct to local agencies. For Spanish debts, engage a Spain-based agency. Direct engagement produces better collection quality, faster communication, and lower total cost. The overhead of a coordinating network isn't justified when your debts are concentrated.

If your debts are spread across 10+ countries: a network agency provides administrative simplicity. Single point of contact, centralised reporting, standardised processes. You're paying for coordination, not collection capability — the collection is still done locally. Ensure the network's local partners in your key markets meet the same standards you'd apply to a direct agency.

Evaluating Global Services for Spanish Debts

Whether you're using a network or going direct, the evaluation criteria for Spanish debt recovery capability are the same:

Physical presence in Spain. B2B commercial specialisation. Integrated legal capability (in-house attorneys or formal law firm relationship). No-win, no-fee terms for the amicable phase. Recovery data segmented by debt type and age.

The additional question for global services: who specifically handles Spanish cases? If the answer is an unnamed "local partner" with no transparency about their identity, capability, or track record, the Spain coverage is nominal, not operational.

Managing a Multi-Country Debt Portfolio

Centralised tracking. Regardless of how collection is structured, you need visibility across all jurisdictions. Case status, expected timelines, recovery amounts, and cost-to-date for every active case. Network agencies typically provide this through centralised dashboards. Direct engagements require you to consolidate reporting from multiple sources.

Consistent engagement standards. Define minimum requirements that apply to every agency handling your debts: first contact within 48–72 hours, regular reporting (weekly for active cases), clear escalation triggers, and honest assessment of case viability. Apply these standards consistently whether you're working through a network or directly.

Currency management. Recoveries from Spanish debtors arrive in euros. Convert at settlement or instruct the agency to pay in your home currency (though exchange rates may be less favourable). For large portfolios, currency risk becomes a factor worth managing actively.

FAQ

Can one agency handle all my international debts?

No single agency has genuine operational presence everywhere. "Global" agencies coordinate through local partners. The quality varies by market. Evaluate the specific capability in each country where you have significant exposure — don't assume that a strong agency in Germany is equally strong in Spain or Brazil. More on network vs. direct approaches here.

How do I consolidate reporting across multiple agencies?

Create a simple tracking framework: debt ID, debtor country, amount, age, assigned agency, current status, expected timeline, costs incurred. Update weekly from agency reports. For portfolios above 20 active cases, spreadsheet tracking becomes unwieldy — consider a dedicated receivables management tool.