How much is a book of overdue debt worth?

Unsecured commercial debt typically sells for cents in the dollar, and the price falls steeply with age. A well-documented ledger under 90 days old against trading companies may fetch 30–45 cents; a book over 12 months old with weak paperwork can be worth under 10 cents. This tool gives an indicative range from the figures you enter — an actual offer follows a review of the accounts.

Should I sell the debt or have it recovered on commission?

Selling gives you certainty and a clean balance sheet today. Recovery on commission usually returns more in total, but it takes time and is not guaranteed. The estimator shows both figures side by side so you can weigh a fixed sum now against a larger, slower, uncertain return.

Is the estimate an offer?

No. The figures are indicative only and depend heavily on the specific accounts, their documentation and the debtors. A firm offer is made only after Merion reviews the ledger. There is no cost or obligation to get an appraisal.

Debt Portfolio Sale-Value Estimator — What Is Your Ledger Worth?

Indicative result

Estimated portfolio sale value$24,568 – $40,946

Indicative cents in the dollar20¢ – 34¢

For comparison — expected net if recovered on commission$55,680

Selling gives you certainty and a clean balance sheet today; recovery on commission typically returns more over time but takes longer and is not guaranteed. Sale values are indicative only — an actual offer depends on a review of the accounts, their documentation and the debtors. No figure here is an offer.

What drives the value of a debt portfolio

Selling overdue debt outright — a debt sale or debt purchase — lets a business draw a line under a problem ledger, take a certain sum now and remove the accounts from its balance sheet entirely. The trade-off is price: a buyer takes on all the risk and effort of recovery, so they pay a fraction of face value. Four factors move that fraction more than any other.

Age of the accounts

Age is the single biggest driver. Recoverability falls sharply the longer an account is outstanding, and buyers price to that reality. A ledger that is mostly under 90 days old is worth far more than one that has been sitting past twelve months.

Documentation

Signed terms of trade, clean invoices, proof of delivery and a clear statement of account all make a debt easier to enforce — and therefore more valuable. Thin paperwork introduces doubt about whether the debt is provable, and the price reflects that doubt.

Who owes the money

Debts owed by trading companies are generally worth more than debts owed by individuals or dormant entities, because a trading business has cash flow and assets to recover against. A ledger of live commercial debtors is a stronger book than a mixed consumer one.

Disputes

Any account that is genuinely disputed is harder and slower to recover, so a high share of disputed debt pulls the whole book's value down. Clean, undisputed, acknowledged debts command the strongest prices.

This estimator provides indicative figures for illustration only. It is not an offer, a valuation, or financial advice. Actual debt-purchase pricing depends on a review of the specific accounts, their documentation and the debtors involved. Merion makes any firm offer in writing after that review.

What is your debt portfolio worth?

About the ledger