Unpaid invoices sucking creativity?
Owed to Joy helps creative freelancers and small agencies get invoices paid.
Our firm but friendly approach gets your overdue invoices settled while protecting your client relationship. Invoices paid directly to you; success-only fees to us. Get time back to do what you love.
Still not paid...?
Taking you from Owed to Joy
£
Clear pricing
Success-based fee
means we only earn when you get paid
Relationships preserved
Your trusted negotiator, not a corporate debt collection agency
Firm but fair
We fight your corner
with experience and legal knowledge
That invoice is costing you more than money
Every week an invoice sits unpaid, it's occupying space in your head.
You draft an email, then delete it. You rehearse a phone call you never make. You half-heartedly mention it in a reply about something else. Sound familiar?
All freelancers and small agencies find this hard. Chasing money from someone you've worked with — and might work with again — is one of the most uncomfortable things in professional life. That's exactly why we exist.
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act, you may also be entitled to statutory interest at 8% above base rate plus fixed compensation on every overdue invoice. Most freelancers have never heard of this. We apply it automatically.
Stress relief in 4 steps
1
Tell us what's up
- in confidence.
Fill in our short enquiry form — takes 2 minutes. If we are confident we can help, we'll schedule a call.
2
Free 15-minute alignment call.
Tell us about your situation and how you've tried to resolve it We'll agree a way forward.
3
We contact your client.
Our initial approach almost always opens a conversation. Most cases are resolved amicably.
You pay £50 engagement fee to keep our focus on high-priority groups
4
You get paid.
We take our fee.
You receive the money you're owed directly from your client.
You pay us 18% of what you receive, less the engagement fee.
Your rights under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts Act
Since 1998, UK law has given every business the right to charge interest on overdue B2B invoices — whether or not it's in your contract.
What you're entitled to: Statutory interest at 8% above the current Bank of England base rate from the day after payment was due; fixed compensation of £40–£100 per invoice, depending on size; and up to six years to pursue unpaid invoices under the Limitation Act 1980.
What this means in practice: A £4,500 invoice unpaid for 18 months is no longer worth £4,500. With statutory interest and compensation, the total owed is now £5,566, and rising daily.
Most freelancers, and even agencies, are not familiar with this law. Most of our clients are actually owed considerably more than they realise.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you work?
Our approach is based on respectful negotiation, dealing with your client personally rather than sending threatening legal letters. Our experience has shown that this approach not only protects and strengthens your client relationship, it also gives faster results.
How long will it take?
We will begin working for you as soon as we have the information we need and your signed authority. Typically we would have an initial response from your client within a week and we aim for a resolution within a month.
Are you a debt collection agency?
No - we are your negotiator. You give us authority to have those tough conversations with your client on your behalf, but we never handle the debt. That remains owed to you until it is paid.
What happens if a client still refuses to pay?
It's rare, but if clients unreasonably hold back payment then legal action may be appropriate and we will advise you on the next steps that you could take as a creditor. In this situation you would not pay us any success fee.
What size of invoices do you recover?
We frequently work in the £2,000 to £25,000 range. We can't help with invoices below £1,000. For very large amounts or legally complex cases it might make sense for you to engage solicitors - we will advise you in our alignment call.
Can you help me avoid this situation again?
Sure - we also offer ongoing support and guidance. Get in touch for a friendly chat.
How can I get in touch?
Fill out our contact form and we'll respond within one working day.
Get Started Now
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Our Mission To Fight The UK Late Payment Crisis
On 30 July 2025, the government announced that late payments cost the UK economy £11 billion every year — and unveiled what it called the toughest crackdown on late payment in a generation.
The scale of the problem is stark: an estimated 50,000 small businesses close annually because of poor payment practices. We welcome the legislation.
But laws change slowly. Unpaid invoices affect businesses right now, and due to their size freelancers and agencies are disproportionately impacted.
We've run small businesses and we've been there. Waiting on a payment that should have arrived weeks ago, recalculating, worrying. Late payment isn't unavoidable bureaucratic friction, it's one business choosing its cash flow over another's livelihood. We stand with the people owed - freelancers, agencies and small business owners.
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38
per day
14,000 businesses close each year because of late payments, equivalent to 38 businesses every day
