Choose your next step

If you’re not sure what’s best in your situation, you can get advice about payment problems.

When you're ready to take further action, you have several options to choose from.

Get advice

You can:


Take action

Negotiate a solution

You may be able to reach an agreement with your customer or client. You can do this before taking other action, or you can pause legal action to give you time to negotiate.

Find out how do this negotiation yourself or pay for help from an unbiased third party, such as a mediator.

  • Private
  • Flexible
  • Voluntary and non-binding
  • Mediation from £50 plus VAT

Complain to the Small Business Commissioner

Ask the Small Business Commissioner to explore your case and make a recommendation. They’ll tell you if they can investigate.

You shouldn’t go to the Small Business Commissioner if:

  • Voluntary and non-binding
  • Can be anonymous
  • Free

Take legal action

The legal action you can take includes sending a solicitor’s letter, making a money claim or getting a binding decision from a judge in court.

There are alternatives to court that can give you a legally binding decision or an expert opinion that will help you resolve your dispute. They can sometimes be quicker than court, but they can also be expensive.

  • Solicitor’s letter from around £20
  • Start a money claim from £25
  • Extra costs for going to court