Estimates for a $2,500 unpaid invoice. “If paid in full” is the invoice minus the fees shown. A decision or a judgment is not a payment, and no option here promises you will be paid.
Collection agency
- Estimated cost
- $375 to $1,000
- How it is priced
- A contingency fee: a share of what is recovered, nothing if nothing is recovered. Estimate uses 15% to 40%. Accounts that need a lawsuit can cost 30% to 50%.
- If paid in full, you keep
- $1,500 to $2,125
- Typical timeline
- No set timeline. It depends on whether and when the other side pays. Agencies say older balances are harder to collect.
Sources: SW Recovery; Beancount.
Small claims court
- Filing fee
- About $30 to $295
- Claim limit
- Varies by state. In a 2023 national survey, 27 of 52 jurisdictions capped small claims at $7,500 or less, and the lowest was $2,500. Several states have changed since.
- If paid in full, you keep
- About $2,205 to $2,470, if the invoice is under your state's limit
- Typical timeline
- Varies by court. In New York City, small claims cases took an average of 213 to 425 days to finish; many courts outside the city took 3 to 4 months (NYPIRG, 2025).
The range across the 8 states we checked on official court pages. Fees vary by state and often by amount. Choose a state above, or check your court.
No agreement needed. The court does not collect the money for you after a judgment.
Arbitration.Inc
- Cost to file
- $99, whatever the amount
- Other fees
- The other side pays $30 to respond, or you can pay it for them. Either side can add Human Review ($199), where a human arbitrator decides. If you pay the response fee and add Human Review yourself, you pay $328 in total.
- If paid in full, you keep
- $2,172 to $2,401
- Typical timeline
- Awards in as little as three weeks. The other side has 14 days to respond.
Only for disputes where both sides agreed to arbitrate with Arbitration.Inc. We do not take cases with a California party. Arbitration.Inc does not guarantee the enforceability of any award.
How the estimate works
The calculator runs in your browser and sends nothing you type to us. It uses only published fees. It does not predict whether you will win or be paid.
Collection agency. Agencies usually work on contingency, so they take a share of whatever they recover. The estimate uses 15% to 40% of the invoice, the range the agency fee guides below agree on. One of them notes that accounts needing a lawsuit can cost 30% to 50%. If you were quoted a rate, enter it and the calculator shows that too.
Small claims court. Pick a state and you see that state’s filing fee and claim limit, each linked to the official court or statute page and the date we checked it. Without a state, you see the range of filing fees across the 8 states we checked. Fees and limits vary by state, change over time and sometimes differ for businesses, so check your court before you file. Serving the other side usually costs extra.
Arbitration.Inc. Filing is $99, whatever the amount. The other side pays $30 to respond, or you can pay it for them. Either side can add Human Review ($199), where a human arbitrator decides. Otherwise our AI decides on the record both sides submit, under our published Rules. Awards come in as little as three weeks. This is only an option when both sides agreed to arbitrate with Arbitration.Inc, and we do not take cases with a California party. See pricing and how it works.
No agreement to arbitrate? Then small claims court is usually the place to start, as long as the invoice is under your state’s limit. The calculator says so when you answer “No”.
After a decision. A court judgment or an arbitration award is a decision, not a payment. Courts generally do not collect the money for you, and Arbitration.Inc does not collect money for either side. Arbitration.Inc does not guarantee the enforceability of any award.
Sources
Last checked Oct 31, 2026.
Collection agency fees
- B2B Debt Collection Agency: Costs & When to Call, Southwest Recovery Services, updated May 26, 2026. Contingency fees for business collections typically 10% to 40% of the amount recovered; 30% to 50% for accounts that need litigation. Checked Oct 31, 2026.
- The FDCPA Won't Help You Collect That Unpaid Invoice, Beancount.io blog. Business collection agencies commonly charge 15% to 40% of amounts actually recovered. Checked Oct 31, 2026.
Small claims, national
- FAQ: How small is a small claims case?, National Center for State Courts (Bill Raftery), Oct 19, 2023. Kentucky had the lowest small claims ceiling at $2,500, and 27 of 52 jurisdictions had a ceiling of $7,500 or less. Several states have changed their limits since. Checked Oct 31, 2026.
- Small Claims, Slow Justice, New York Public Interest Research Group, Feb 2025. New York City small claims cases averaged 213 days (Manhattan) to 425 days (Queens) to reach a disposition; many courts outside the city resolved cases in 3 to 4 months. Checked Oct 31, 2026.
Small claims, by state
| State | Claim limit | Filing fee | Verified on |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | $5,000 | $30 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| California | $12,500 (businesses $6,250) | $30 to $100 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Colorado | $7,500 | $31 to $55 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Florida | $8,000 | $50 to $295 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Illinois | $10,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Massachusetts | $7,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Michigan | $7,000 | $30 to $70 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| New Jersey | $5,000 | $35 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| North Carolina | $10,000The limit varies by county, from $5,000 to $10,000. | $96 | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Ohio | $6,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | $12,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Texas | $20,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Virginia | $5,000 | Varies, check your court | Oct 31, 2026 |
| Washington | $10,000 (businesses $5,000) | $35 to $50 | Oct 31, 2026 |
Each figure links to the state’s own court or statute page. Courts change fees; if a number here differs from your court’s, the court is right. California is listed for reference only: Arbitration.Inc does not take cases with a California party.
Arbitration.Inc
Link to this calculator
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<a href="https://www.arbitration.inc/tools/invoice-recovery-cost-calculator">Unpaid invoice recovery cost calculator</a> by Arbitration.IncThese are estimates for comparison, not legal advice. Arbitration.Inc is an independent arbitration forum. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice. Arbitration.Inc does not guarantee the enforceability of any award.
California residents: Arbitration.Inc uses AI-assisted arbitration. Under California SB 574 and California Code of Civil Procedure §1282.1, these arbitrations may not be binding for California residents or for disputes within the state of California.