Meet the Customer Service Team

If we issue a zero decision, you are not able to use your discretionary limit. We will consider allowing the use of your discretionary limit as long as there are no adverse indicators about the buyer – but we will have to endorse the zero limits accordingly.

We request trading experience to help us manage our exposure on particular buyer or if we receive some negative information. Depending on the information we hold and the information you provide we can consider the appropriate level of cover for future business.

This is for the VAT element which is not covered.

1. At the latest within 30 days of the expiry of the Maximum Extension Period (MEP)
2. On receipt of adverse information:
   - Insolvency of the buyer, Administration, CVA
   - Bounced cheque
   - Failed DD
   - Buyer non – payment

More than 80% of all credit limit applications in the UK receive an instant response. Speed of service is extremely important to us. On some occasions where we are unable to provide automatic decisions, we aim to provide you with an answer within 48hrs.

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We understand that providing trading reviews can be an additional task for you, which is why we strive to minimise such requests and only ask for them when necessary.

When we ask for details about your trading experience with a company, it serves as a valuable tool for us to monitor payment practices. It allows us to identify any improving or deteriorating patterns in payment performance. Sometimes, we initiate reviews when we are requested to set particularly high limits on a company or when we receive negative information that warrants a review to identify any broader issues.

Once you submit your questionnaire, we assess the information we have on record along with the details you provide. Based on this evaluation, we determine the levels of coverage currently in place and the coverage available for future business.

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Assessing the right customer is crucial to ensure that you have appropriate coverage in place and can engage in trade with confidence.

Upon receiving your application, we use various resources, such as our extensive database and credit information agencies, to gather information about your customer. In the event that we encounter difficulties in locating your customer using the provided details, we may require additional information from you. In the UK, businesses possess a company registration number, which facilitates easy identification. Thus, supplying this type of information would be beneficial. While it may be more challenging to trace non-limited companies, providing as much information as possible will simplify the process of identifying your customer. Frequently, a company letterhead or a purchase order can be particularly helpful in this regard.

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Our decisions are always based on the latest information we hold on your customer, so If you have more information that we can consider, ideally more up to date financial information, we will happily reassess the position.

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We are happy to contact buyers on your behalf but if you can allow us to use your name and provide a name and contact details at the buyer, this will make our conversation with the buyer much smoother. These can be provided at application stage within Atrium.

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Don’t panic! This is, the very reason you took out a policy with us.

When will you need to tell us about a payment issue?

You can report a debt to us at any time if you have concerns about your customers’ ability to pay. Early reporting can certainly be beneficial. That said, we are more often asked when is the very latest a debt can be reported, so let's run through this scenario.

When selling to your customers on credit you will have already agreed on payment due terms, but we understand that not everyone pays on time. Your policy is flexible to recognise this, so you don’t need to tell us the moment a payment doesn’t arrive by the due date. You might for instance be happy to agree on a later payment date with your customer while continuing to trade. This can be done, and the additional time you can agree we refer to as the maximum extension period, which you will find written into your policy.

If your payment still doesn’t arrive by the extended date, you must put the account on stop, and from this point, you have up to 30 additional days to report the late payment to us.  

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As an Atradius customer, you can access and benefit from our debt collection service. As soon as you report your late payment to us, you won’t need to chase the debtor anymore - our Debt Collectors will start working straight away on your behalf.  An instant communication will be sent to your customer saying we represent you and are chasing your payment.  

Very often this first communication is all it takes, and the payment is made.  If not though, our debt collector will continue to pursue the debt on your behalf, and if we can’t resolve it amicably there are a number of escalation methods available, including legal action if necessary.

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There can be occasions when it makes sense to postpone debt collection action; for example, you may have received a payment proposal from your customer, or there may be a dispute that needs resolving.  
In either of these scenarios, you simply need to log the details in Atrium and we will respond letting you know whether the payment plan offered is agreeable, or if the dispute can simply be monitored for a time. 

The most important thing is that you let us know about the issue.
In these scenarios, even when no debt collectors are involved, your Claims handler and our Risk Underwriters monitor your customer closely, in case there are any wider concerns you need to be made aware of.

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If the policy terms haven’t been met there can be times when we are unable to pick up some or all of the collection costs for you, for example:
•    If the debt wasn’t registered with us on time;
•    If there wasn’t a valid credit limit in place; 
•    If you were trading above your credit limit;
•    Or, if there is an ongoing dispute.
Your claims examiner will confirm if this is the case.

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You will receive copies of debt collections invoices simply to see the charges your insurance policy has picked up on your behalf.

However, just be aware we will need to pass on any VAT invoices to you - simply because we cannot claim this back from the taxman on your behalf -  but the good news is, you can. 

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If you need any element of your policy amended, or want to discuss the renewal of your policy, your account manager will be the best person to speak to – or your broker. For any day-to-day queries, the Customer Service Team will always be on-hand to assist you.

When you first take out or renew your policy with Atradius, you will be able to download your policy documents through our online portal called Atradius Atrium.

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You decided to offer credit terms to some, or all of the companies you trade with, which is why you have trade credit insurance. Perhaps all of your customers are on the same terms, or some have longer to pay.

Therefore, your maximum credit terms are the longest length of time you can offer your customers to pay without having to consult with us. These have been designed to reflect your current payment terms.

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We understand that not all buyers pay on time, wouldn’t it be great if they did! Whenever you have concerns about a payment, then of course this should be reported to us. However many buyers are simply habitual late payers so we don’t need to be notified of a late payment immediately or this would be quite a burden for you.

To recognise payment behaviours, we have applied an extension period which gives you some flexibility consistent with your trade. It allows you to extend the original due date for payment where necessary. So as long as you get paid within this extended period you don’t need to notify us that you have a late payment. And more importantly perhaps, it allows you to continue trading with your buyer.

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This is the pot of credit cover available for you, so if you add up all the individual credit limits you have in place, they must not exceed this amount. Atradius Atrium can help you keep track of this figure, it tells you what percentage of your pot you are using, and how much is left.

If you are near the maximum amount, it may be worth looking through your credit limits and cancelling any that are no longer needed or reducing any that are not fully used. This will leave space for any new limits you might need in the future.

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It is great news that your business is expanding into new markets! Atradius can really help you here.

Firstly, speak to your account manager who can look at amending your policy for you. Don’t forget to ask about the range of materials we have that can help you during this exciting time.

We have a wealth of information to support you including country reports, reports on specific sector performance, and our Payment Practice Barometer which gives excellent insight into the payment behaviour in many countries around the world.

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1. Make sure that if there is a payment plan in place, the case is placed as a monitor or claim/monitor, not claim/collection.
    
2. Make sure invoices either added individually or globalised per month (not added as one globalised invoice for the full balance).
    
3. Make sure the net and gross figures are included if the invoices include VAT.
    
4. Please upload a credit report/previous trading experience to justify the Discretionary Credit Limit at case submission. This enables us to assess the cost position for Collections up front.
    
5. Add any information you think is relevant to the case including any debtor contact details.

By submitting a Monitor Only case, you are making us aware of a non-payment but have a payment plan arranged with the buyer (subject to our approval) and would like us to take no further action.

To do this:

1. Search the buyer top right using the Buyer Search button.
    
2. Using the  My buyers tab search through buyers you have live credit limits. Search New buyers to search for buyers with no credit limit in place (using discretionary).
    
3. On the buyer’s profile, under Non-payments select the Submit a Case button further down on right side of page.
    
4. Fill out the information requesting details of the invoice.
    
5. Select the green tick once line is completed.
    
6. To add more, click Add transaction and fill next line.

 *Please note that Reference needs to be different on each invoice and bulk invoices can be added by ticking the Group by month option above the list.

7. Add Customer reference (optional).
    
8. Untick Claim required.
    
9. Tick Do you have a payment plan with the buyer?
    
10. Provide details in box *mandatory* (if no details, please fill in with reason for the monitor case).

You will then see the Case type change to: Monitor Only.

11. Attach any additional information (please refer back to the top of this page).
     
12. Select Submit, select Yes to confirm the total amount.
     
13. Case submitted! Option to add documents, view buyer details or view case details to move on.

*Please note that you can add a claim to an existing Monitor Only case by following steps 1-3 and select Submit a claim on the buyer’s page.

By submitting a Monitor/Claims case, you are making us aware of a non-payment and have a payment plan arranged with the buyer (subject to our approval) and would like us to keep track of this case. We will then offer to escalate to collections if need be.

To do this:

1. Search the buyer top right using the Buyer Search button.
    
2. Using the My buyers tab search through buyers you have live credit limits. Search New buyers to search for buyers with no credit limit in place (using discretionary).
    
3. On the buyer’s profile, under Non-payments select the Submit a Case button further down on right side of page.
    
4. Fill out the information requesting details of the invoice.
    
5. Select the green tick once line is completed.
    
6. To add more, click Add transaction and fill next line. 

*Please note that Reference needs to be different on each invoice and bulk invoices can be added by ticking the Group by month option above the list.

7. Add Customer reference (optional).
    
8. Tick Claim required.
    
9. Tick Do you have a payment plan with the buyer?
    
10. Provide details in box *mandatory* (if no details, please fill in with reason for the monitor case).

You will then see the Case type change to: Monitor & Claim.

11. Attached any additional information (please refer back to the top of this page).
     
12. Select Submit, and select Yes to confirm the total amount.
     
13. Case submitted! Option to add documents, view buyer details or view case details to move on. 

By submitting a Collections Only case, you would like our collections team to take action immediately (usually used for buyers going insolvent).

To do this:

1. Search the buyer top right using the Buyer Search button.
    
2. Using the My buyers tab search through buyers you have live credit limits. Search New buyers to search for buyers with no credit limit in place (using discretionary).
    
3. On the buyer’s profile, under Non-payments select the Submit a Case button further down on right side of page.
    
4. Fill out the information requesting details of the invoice.
    
5. Select the green tick once line is completed.
    
6. To add more, click Add transaction and fill next line.
   
   *Please note that Reference needs to be different on each invoice and bulk invoices can be added by ticking the Group by month option above the list.
    
7. Tick: Has the buyer filed for insolvency?
    
8. Add Customer reference (optional).
    
9. Untick Claim required.
    
10. Leave box empty for: Do you have a payment plan with the buyer?
    You will then see the Case type change to Collection Only
     
11. Attached any additional information (please refer back to the top of this page).
     
12. Select Submit, and select Yes to confirm the total amount.
     
13. Case submitted! Option to add documents, view buyer details or view case details to move on.
    
    *Please note that you can add a claim to an existing Collection Only case by following steps 1-3 and select submit a claim on the buyer’s page.

By submitting a Collections/Claims case, you are making us aware of a non-payment if you would like us to keep action this case and raise this with our collections team.

To do this:

1. Search the buyer top right using the Buyer Search button.
    
2. Using the My buyers tab search through buyers you have live credit limits. Search New buyers to search for buyers with no credit limit in place (using discretionary).
    
3. On the buyer’s profile, under Non-payments select the Submit a Case button further down on right side of page.
    
4. Fill out the information requesting details of the invoice.
    
5. Select the green tick once line is completed.
    
6. To add more, click Add transaction and fill next line.

 *Please note that Reference needs to be different on each invoice and bulk invoices can be added by ticking the Group by month option above the list.

7. Add Customer reference (optional).
    
8. Tick Claim required.
    
9. Leave box empty for: Do you have a payment plan with the buyer?

 You will then see the Case type change to Collection & Claim

10. Attached any additional information (please refer back to the top of this page).
     
11. Select Submit, and select Yes to confirm the total amount.
     
12. Case submitted! Option to add documents, view buyer details or view case details to move on.