insights
Is it better to sell a 90-day overdue invoice or keep pursuing the customer internally?
Compare selling a 90-day overdue business invoice with continued collection, including cash timing, costs, ownership, records to prepare, and Delos’s conditional purchase-review process.
TL;DR
- Keep pursuing a responsive customer if you can wait and have a credible reason to expect payment. Seek a sale review if you would prefer an agreed price to continued collection, but compare any offer before deciding.
- Continuing internal pursuit keeps you in control and preserves the chance of full payment. It also uses staff time, with no firm date for payment.
- Delos reviews overdue B2B invoices for purchase. You first agree on recovery work, a review date, and a fee on money recovered. Delos may secure payments while you still own the invoice, but a purchase is not guaranteed.
What "90 days overdue" actually means for your options
At 90 days overdue, compare the staff time needed to pursue payment with what a buyer might offer for the claim. The invoice’s age alone does not establish whether the customer can pay or whether a buyer will make an offer. A customer who acknowledges the debt and proposes a credible payment date presents a different decision from one who disputes the invoice or stops responding.
You can keep pursuing the customer through follow-ups, a payment arrangement, or possible legal escalation. That route preserves your control and the chance of collecting the full amount, but cash still depends on what the customer pays. Alternatively, you can explore selling the overdue claim. A completed sale pays an agreed price without waiting for customer payment, but a buyer must first review the claim and decide whether to make an offer.
Compare a sale with continued pursuit
Cash timing. Internal pursuit leaves payment timing with the customer, even if they agree to a payment plan. If a buyer makes an offer and you complete the sale, you receive the agreed price without waiting for the customer to pay. Seek a review if you would value that outcome, but do not count on a sale before the buyer makes an offer.
Certainty. A completed sale fixes what you receive for the claim. Internal pursuit preserves the possibility of collecting more, including the full invoice, but the customer may pay late, pay only part, or never pay. Selling better fits you if you would accept an agreed amount to end that uncertainty. Internal pursuit better fits you if the customer has given you a credible reason to expect payment.
Fees and costs. Internal pursuit uses staff time and may bring additional costs if you escalate. A proposed sale has its own price and terms, which you should compare with the amount you might collect by keeping the claim. On Delos’s claim-purchase route, you first agree the recovery work, a purchase-review date, and a fee on money recovered during that stage. Delos charges no upfront service fee, and any later purchase price depends on its review. Compare a proposed sale price and recovery fee with the time and expense you expect to spend pursuing this particular customer.
Control. Internal pursuit lets you decide when to follow up, negotiate, or escalate. On Delos’s sale route, you keep ownership during initial recovery work and decide whether to accept any offer made on the agreed review date. Only a completed sale transfers ownership under the sale terms. Keeping the claim better fits you if you need to direct each collection decision.
Customer relationship. Internal pursuit lets you manage the conversation with a customer you may want to keep, although repeated requests for payment still require judgment. Delos contacts the customer on your behalf during initial recovery, and a completed sale ends your role as the claim’s owner. Internal pursuit better fits you if direct control of that relationship matters most. A sale may fit better if you are ready to step back from collecting the invoice.
Three paths for your overdue invoice
You can continue pursuing payment, request a purchase review, or pursue payment first and seek a review later. The table shows when each path could produce cash and when you would retain ownership.
Compare cash timing, costs, and control
| Decision factor | Request a purchase review | Continue internally | Pursue payment, then request a review |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cash timing | An accepted, completed sale pays the agreed price upfront. Purchase review happens first. | Cash arrives if and when the customer pays. | Your follow-up may bring payment. If it stalls, a later sale could provide cash after review and agreement. |
| Certainty of outcome | A completed sale fixes what you receive. An offer is not guaranteed. | Payment may be delayed, partial, or absent. | You may recover payment during either stage, but a later purchase remains uncertain. |
| Cost or fee structure | Delos’s claim-purchase route has no upfront service fee. You agree a fee on money recovered during initial recovery. | You bear staff costs. Legal escalation costs depend on the case. | You bear internal costs first, then agree any initial recovery fee before Delos begins work. |
| Ownership and control | You retain the claim during initial recovery. A completed sale transfers it under the agreed terms. | You retain ownership and decide how to pursue payment. | You retain ownership through internal pursuit and Delos’s initial recovery, unless you complete a sale. |
| Customer relationship | Delos contacts the customer during initial recovery and takes over the claim after a completed sale. | You manage customer contact throughout. | You handle early contact, then Delos contacts the customer during initial recovery. |
| Best fit | You want to compare a potential sale price with continued collection and are willing to undergo review. | You want control and have a credible reason to expect payment. | You want to try collection before seeking a purchase review, knowing a later offer is not guaranteed. |
Documents to prepare for a purchase review
Gather the invoice records and the customer’s responses before requesting a purchase review. They will help establish what is owed and what the customer has said, but they cannot establish whether Delos will make an offer.
- Payment terms. Gather the contract or purchase order and the overdue invoice. Check that the amount, due date, and customer details match.
- Proof of performance. Keep delivery confirmations, signed approvals, or records showing that you completed the work. Missing proof may make the claim harder to assess or pursue.
- Dispute status. Record whether the customer disputes the amount, the goods, or the work. An unresolved dispute calls for a different assessment than a customer who acknowledges the debt but has not paid.
- Collection history. Bring together reminders, customer replies, demand letters, and proposed payment plans. These records show what you have tried and what the customer has said.
- Customer signals. Note whether the customer responds, makes credible payment proposals, or shows signs of financial trouble. Responsiveness can inform your next step, but it does not prove the customer can pay.
Delos asks for invoices, contracts, or other relevant files through its claim-purchase intake. Neither a complete file nor a responsive customer establishes whether Delos will buy the claim. A buyer must review the specific invoice before you can know whether it will make an offer or what price it would propose.
1. Continue pursuing payment internally
Continue internally if you can manage follow-up and have a credible reason to expect payment. Confirm that the customer received the invoice, ask whether they dispute any amount, and record each response and promised payment date. If follow-up stalls, you can send a formal demand letter and decide whether to seek legal advice. Each step takes staff time, and a demand letter or legal action may still leave you waiting for payment.
Internal pursuit lets you control the timing and tone of customer contact. You can negotiate a payment plan or pause escalation if preserving the relationship matters. You also keep the risk that the customer pays late, pays only part of the balance, or does not pay. Before considering a court claim, ask counsel about the applicable filing rules, deadlines, and costs.
2. Request a purchase review from Delos
Delos’s claim-purchase process lets you explore a sale of an overdue B2B invoice while retaining ownership during initial recovery. You first agree on recovery work, a purchase-review date, and a fee on money recovered, with no upfront service fee. This agreement does not sell the invoice.
During initial recovery, Delos contacts the customer on your behalf to understand their position and explore payment arrangements. You keep ownership of the claim. The work may produce payments or an arrangement even if Delos does not buy it.
On the agreed review date, Delos gives you its purchase decision and explains any offer, including the price and sale terms. A review does not guarantee an offer, and the review date does not promise cash by that date.
If you accept an offer and complete the sale, Delos pays the agreed purchase price upfront and takes ownership under the sale terms. Until then, the invoice remains yours, whether you receive a payment during initial recovery or continue pursuing the customer afterward.
Where Delos fits
If you are deciding whether to sell one 90-day overdue B2B invoice, Delos’s Claim Sale intake is the next step for a case-by-case purchase review. You first agree on recovery work, a review date, and a fee on money recovered, with no upfront service fee; Delos explores payment or an arrangement on your behalf while you keep ownership. On the agreed date, Delos explains its purchase decision and any offer, and only an accepted completed sale pays the agreed price upfront and transfers ownership. If your goal is outsourced recovery without a sale, ask about Delos’s separate standalone Collections service instead.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still sell an invoice after starting legal action? Possibly, but a buyer must review the claim and the status of the case. Ask your lawyer whether the pending action affects a sale before you agree to transfer the claim.
What happens if Delos reviews my claim and does not buy it? You keep ownership unless you agree to a sale. Under Delos’s claim-purchase process, Delos first works on recovery on your behalf and may obtain payments or a payment arrangement. Delos then gives its purchase decision on the agreed review date.
Does selling mean giving up a better recovery later? A completed sale gives you the agreed price upfront, but the claim transfers to the buyer under the sale terms. If the customer later pays more than the sale price, you generally would not receive that additional recovery under an outright sale. Review the proposed terms before deciding whether certainty now outweighs that possibility.
How does a sale differ from collections or factoring? A completed sale transfers ownership of the overdue claim. Collections pursues payment while you retain ownership, and factoring typically provides funding against an eligible current invoice. The fees, eligibility rules, and obligations can differ.
Is there a minimum invoice size? Do not assume an invoice qualifies based on its age or amount alone. Share the amount and supporting documents through Delos’s claim-purchase intake for a case-by-case review.
Making the call
Keep pursuing payment if the customer has given you a credible reason to expect it and you can afford to wait. If you would rather compare a sale with the cost of further pursuit, request a purchase review and assess any offer against your expected recovery and staff time. You can also seek outsourced Collections while retaining ownership. A review does not guarantee an offer; only an accepted, completed sale provides the agreed purchase price without waiting for customer payment.