Late payment is a tax on UK small businesses that nobody voted for: invoices go out on time, then sit unpaid while the cash you are owed funds someone else's working capital. Good credit control software fixes that. It chases politely but persistently, charges the interest you are legally entitled to, watches customer credit risk, and keeps a clean record of every conversation.
This guide compares six systems UK businesses actually shortlist in 2026: Paidnice, Chaser, Satago, Kolleno, Credit Hound and Upflow. The single biggest differentiator for a UK buyer is statutory interest, specifically whether a tool can apply the Bank of England base rate plus 8% dynamically and keep it current, so we have given that its own section. Prices and review scores were verified in June 2026.
The best UK credit control software, ranked
Paidnice is the best-value credit control software for UK SMEs in 2026, and the only tool here that applies dynamic UK statutory interest automatically, indexing it to the Bank of England base rate plus 8% (currently 11.75%) and recalculating as the rate moves. It runs on flat pricing from $69 a month and holds a 5.0 average across 81 Xero App Store reviews. Chaser is the strongest pick for larger finance teams that want the deepest integration and Companies House credit monitoring. Each of the six has a clear audience, set out below.
The ranked shortlist:
- Paidnice: best value; the only tool that auto-applies dynamic UK statutory interest.
- Chaser: deepest integration and Companies House credit monitoring, for larger teams.
- Satago: credit control plus Experian credit checks and UK invoice finance.
- Credit Hound: task-driven credit control built around the Sage ecosystem.
- Kolleno: AI-assisted collections, payments and reconciliation in one place.
- Upflow: analytics-led receivables for data-driven teams.
Why credit control matters in the UK. The statutory rate moves with the Bank of England base rate, so confirm the current figure at GOV.UK.
How we judged each tool
Because the search here is specifically UK credit control, we judged each system against the criteria that matter on this side of the Channel:
- UK statutory interest. Can it charge the Bank of England base rate plus 8% correctly, and keep up when the base rate moves?
- Chasing and dunning. Multi-step reminders and statements, on a schedule, from your own domain.
- Credit risk and limits. Visibility of customer creditworthiness before you extend terms.
- Accounting fit. Native, real-time links to Xero, QuickBooks or Sage.
- Pricing and reviews. Transparent pricing and verified scores, checked June 2026.
Most tools chase well. Far fewer apply UK statutory interest correctly, and with the rate now at 11.75% and the law about to make it mandatory, that is where a UK buyer should focus.
The UK feature most tools get wrong
Under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998, a UK business can charge interest on an overdue B2B invoice at 8% a year plus the Bank of England base rate, plus a fixed recovery fee. With the base rate at 3.75% in mid-2026 the statutory rate is 11.75%, though it moves with the base rate, so always check the current figure on GOV.UK.
The catch is that the base rate moves several times a year, so a long-overdue invoice can span two or three rates and the correct charge has to be prorated across each. Calculate it by hand and you will either underclaim or expose yourself to a dispute. Most credit control tools either ignore statutory interest or apply a flat percentage that quietly goes out of date the moment the Monetary Policy Committee meets.
Why this is about to matter more
The Commercial Payments Bill, introduced to the House of Lords in May 2026, would make statutory interest mandatory in all commercial contracts rather than a default you can contract out of.
Source: GOV.UK and the Commercial Payments Bill [HL], at Lords second reading June 2026 (not yet law).
Which tools apply it automatically
Of the six here, only Paidnice is confirmed to index interest to the live Bank of England base rate, prorate it across rate changes, and raise the interest invoice for you, with an audit trail behind each charge. Satago references compliance with the government rate but the auto-update mechanism is not confirmed; Chaser applies late fees at a rate you set and maintain manually. For a UK buyer carrying overdue invoices, dynamic indexing is the line between a tidy chasing app and a system that recovers what you are owed.
Statutory interest on a worked example. A fixed sum of £40 to £100 is added on top. The rate moves with the base rate.
UK credit control software compared
| System | Best for | Dynamic UK statutory interest | Credit risk | Accounting fit | Pricing | Reviews (Jun 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paidnice | Value-focused UK SMEs | Yes, auto-indexed and prorated | Rules and customer groups | Xero, QuickBooks, Stripe | Flat, from $69/mo | 5.0, 81 (Xero) |
| Chaser | Larger finance teams | Manual / flat rate | Companies House monitoring | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage | From £199/mo | 4.98, 374 (Xero) |
| Satago | Credit-risk-led teams | Referenced, not confirmed auto | Yes, Experian-backed | Xero, QuickBooks, Sage | From £45/mo | 4.93, 92 (Xero) |
| Credit Hound | Sage-based businesses | Manual / flat rate | Task-based | Sage 50/200/Intacct, Xero | Quote only | Verified, TrustRadius/G2 |
| Kolleno | Mid-market teams | Not specialised | Some scoring | Via integrations | On request | 5.0, 18 (Xero) |
| Upflow | Data-led teams | Not specialised | Risk insights | Xero, QuickBooks, NetSuite | From $440/mo | 4.8, 233 (G2) |
Prices and review scores verified June 2026 from vendor pages and the Xero App Store, and change over time. Review counts are Xero App Store unless stated.
Tools that ignore it
- Chase the invoice only
- Leave statutory interest unclaimed
- Or apply a flat rate you must update
- Quietly wrong when the base rate moves
Tools that apply it
- Index to the live base rate plus 8%
- Calculate the interest per invoice
- Raise the interest invoice for you
- Stay correct as the rate changes
The UK feature most credit control tools get wrong. Paidnice is the one in this comparison confirmed to apply it dynamically.
Paidnice
Best valueBest for: value-focused UK SMEs on Xero or QuickBooks that want compliant statutory interest plus full chasing automation.
Paidnice gives a small business the credit control process a large finance department would run, without the headcount or a per-user bill. It sends reminders and statements from your own domain by email, SMS and posted letter, offers payment plans, and escalates overdue accounts, all routed by customer group so your best accounts get a gentle nudge while persistent late payers get the full ladder.
What earns it the top spot for a UK audience is the statutory interest engine: it indexes the charge to the live Bank of England base rate plus 8%, prorates it across rate changes, and applies it automatically with a clean audit trail. No other tool here does that out of the box.
Credit control strengths
- Dynamic UK statutory interest at the BoE base rate plus 8%, updated automatically.
- Multi-step email, SMS and posted reminders from your own domain.
- Customer groups, so VIPs, slow payers and strategic accounts each get the right treatment.
- Safe Mode to trial every policy before a message reaches a customer.
- Real-time sync with Xero and QuickBooks.
What reviewers say
5.0 average across 81 reviews on the Xero App Store, and strong on Capterra; 2025 Xero Global Small Business App of the Year.
Pricing
Flat and published from $69 a month, with unlimited users on the Pro plan. The entry Essentials plan caps users and monthly invoice volume, and there is no built-in credit-risk scoring, so risk-heavy teams may want to pair it with a credit checker.
Chaser
Best for: larger UK finance teams that want the deepest integration and credit monitoring.
Chaser is a well-established British name with the deepest Xero integration in the category, on the App Store since 2015 and holding a 4.98 average across 374 reviews. Its real strength is UK credit reporting: it monitors customer risk and was Xero App Partner of the Year in 2023. Its entry price rose to £199 a month in 2026 and is limited to businesses under £4 million in revenue.
Credit control strengths
- Customisable, scheduled reminder workflows and a shared chasing inbox.
- Credit risk monitoring, including Companies House data.
- Cash flow and receivables forecasting on higher tiers.
What reviewers say
4.98 across 374 reviews on the Xero App Store and 4.4 on G2, the largest review base here.
Where it fits
Excellent at chasing and risk for a finance team. Late fees are a manual, flat-rate feature, and the £199 entry price is steep for a micro business.
Satago
Best for: UK businesses that want credit risk insight and invoice finance alongside chasing.
Satago is a British platform that pairs credit control with Experian-backed credit scores and UK invoice finance, a combination no other tool here offers. It holds a 4.93 average across 92 Xero App Store reviews and starts at £45 a month.
Credit control strengths
- Automated reminders and chase letters.
- Experian credit scores and suggested limits.
- Invoice finance on due and overdue invoices.
What reviewers say
4.93 across 92 reviews on the Xero App Store, and verified on Trustpilot.
Where it fits
The credit-risk layer is genuinely useful upfront. It references compliance with the statutory interest rate, but the auto-indexing mechanism is not confirmed, and the Basic plan caps emails at 100 a month.
Credit Hound
Best for: UK businesses running Sage that want task-driven credit control.
Credit Hound, from British developer Draycir, is built to pick up where your accounting system stops, with a task dashboard that tells you who to call, when and why, and promised-payment and dispute tracking. Its centre of gravity is the Sage ecosystem.
Credit control strengths
- A task-driven dashboard for all chasing.
- Promised-payment and dispute tracking.
- Deep links into Sage 50, 200 and Intacct, plus Xero.
What reviewers say
Verified on TrustRadius and G2, with reviewers reporting meaningful drops in debtor days.
Where it fits
A natural choice for a Sage-centric business. Pricing is quote-only, and statutory interest is manual rather than auto-indexed.
Kolleno
Best for: mid-market teams that want AI-assisted collections in one platform.
Kolleno brings receivables, payments and reconciliation together and uses AI to time and route chases. It holds a 5.0 average, though across a smaller base of 18 Xero reviews, and is pitched at mid-market teams.
Credit control strengths
- AI-timed, multi-channel follow-ups.
- A customer portal, payments and reconciliation in one place.
What reviewers say
5.0 on the Xero App Store across 18 reviews, and well rated on G2.
Where it fits
A strong mid-market all-rounder. Pricing is not published and statutory interest is not a specialised feature, so a UK enforcement focus is better served elsewhere.
Upflow
Best for: data-led teams that want deep visibility into collections performance.
Upflow is an analytics layer over your accounting system, turning billing data into receivables dashboards and structured workflows. It holds a 4.8 average across 233 G2 reviews and offers a free analytics tier, though it starts at around $440 a month for the full product.
Credit control strengths
- Live cash-collection dashboards and AR analytics.
- Personalised automated reminders and a branded portal.
What reviewers say
4.8 across 233 reviews on G2; minimal Xero App Store presence.
Where it fits
Best when reporting and forecasting are the priority. For hands-on UK statutory interest and fee enforcement, it is lighter than a dedicated enforcement engine, and the price is high for an SME.
How to choose UK credit control software
Run any shortlist through these questions before you commit:
Does it apply UK statutory interest correctly?
With the rate at 11.75% and the law about to make it mandatory, insist on dynamic indexing rather than a flat percentage you update by hand. A stale rate is both a compliance risk and lost cash.
Will it chase consistently without sounding like a robot?
Look for multi-step, scheduled reminders from your own domain, with the tone escalating sensibly. Consistency is what actually changes behaviour.
Can you see credit risk before you extend terms?
Credit scores and limits, as Satago offers through Experian and Chaser through credit monitoring, help you avoid the bad debt rather than chase it later.
Does it fit your accounting system, and your budget?
Xero and QuickBooks users are well served by Paidnice and Chaser; Sage-heavy businesses should look at Credit Hound and Satago. Flat, published pricing is easier to plan around than per-user or quote-based plans.
For most UK SMEs those questions point the same way: a tool that chases consistently, fits Xero or QuickBooks, and gets statutory interest right automatically. That is the gap Paidnice was built to close.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best credit control software in the UK?
For most UK SMEs in 2026, Paidnice is the best value, and the only tool here that applies dynamic UK statutory interest automatically, indexing it to the Bank of England base rate plus 8% and prorating it across rate changes, on flat pricing from $69 a month with a 5.0 Xero App Store average. Chaser, Satago, Credit Hound, Kolleno and Upflow are all credible alternatives depending on your needs.
How much statutory interest can I charge on a late invoice in the UK?
8% a year plus the Bank of England base rate on overdue B2B invoices, which is 11.75% as of June 2026, plus a fixed sum of £40, £70 or £100 by debt size. Because the base rate changes, the correct rate depends on when the debt was overdue.
Which credit control software handles UK statutory interest automatically?
Of the tools compared here, Paidnice is the one confirmed to index interest to the live Bank of England base rate plus 8% and update it automatically when the rate changes, raising the interest invoice for you. Most others apply a flat rate you have to maintain by hand.
How much does credit control software cost in the UK?
It varies. Paidnice publishes flat pricing from $69 a month and Satago from £45; Chaser starts at £199 a month for businesses under £4 million revenue; Credit Hound and Kolleno quote on request; and Upflow starts around $440 a month.
Is UK statutory interest about to become mandatory?
Possibly. The Commercial Payments Bill, introduced to the House of Lords in May 2026, would make statutory interest mandatory in all commercial contracts rather than a default you can contract out of. It is not yet law, with implementation not expected before 2027, but it signals where the law is heading.
The bottom line
Every system here will help you chase overdue invoices. The question for a UK buyer is what happens after the reminder: whether you can see credit risk before you extend terms, and whether the statutory interest you are owed is applied for you or left in a spreadsheet.
Chaser leads on depth and credit monitoring, Satago adds Experian credit risk and finance, Credit Hound suits Sage-based teams, and Kolleno and Upflow bring AI and analytics. But only one applies dynamic UK statutory interest the way the law actually works, indexed to the base rate and updated automatically. For UK SMEs that want to chase consistently and charge what they are owed, Paidnice is the best-value credit control software in 2026.
Sources and further reading
- GOV.UK: charging interest on commercial debt
- Bank of England: interest rates and Bank Rate
- UK Parliament: Commercial Payments Bill [HL]
- Xero App Store: Paidnice
Prices, review scores and the statutory rate were verified in June 2026 and change over time; the Bank of England base rate is reset periodically. This article is published by Accounting.Events, powered by Paidnice.
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