"Best" is a subjective word, and the company writing this page is one of the six agencies being judged. We put "best" in the title anyway, because it is what business owners type when an invoice has gone quiet, and we would rather answer that search honestly than leave it to lists that rank their authors first.
So we made the judgment checkable. Every agency below, JSD included, gets the same questions, answered from what it publishes about itself, with a source for each fact and a plain note on where it falls short. If you weigh something differently than we did, the sources are there for you to reach your own answer. Every agency here collects business-to-business debt. Consumer debt runs under different federal rules, so those agencies are left out.
- Most commercial agencies work on contingency, so they are paid only from what they collect.
- Published recovery rates (85%, 38%, and JSD's 69.6% from one client's portfolio) are each counted a different way, so they can't be compared directly.
- Compare net money back, not the fee. On a $20,000 claim, a 30% fee with 70% recovery returns $9,800, while a 20% fee with 50% recovery returns $8,000.
- The most reliable test is to split a batch of comparable accounts between two agencies and compare the dollars each returns.
Which agency fits your situation?
Skip to your situation, then read that agency's profile below to check our reasoning.
How do the six agencies compare side by side?
ABC-Amega
- Headquarters
- Buffalo, NY
- Pricing published
- Quote
- BBB rating
- A+ (not accredited)
- CLLA certified agency
- Yes
- IACC
- Certified, per the agency
- Best fit
- Multinationals with foreign debtors
Altus
- Headquarters
- Metairie, LA
- Pricing published
- Quote
- BBB rating
- A+ (accredited)
- CLLA certified agency
- Yes
- IACC
- Member, per the agency
- Best fit
- Enterprise volume with security reviews
Atradius Collections
- Headquarters
- Amsterdam (U.S. office)
- Pricing published
- Quote
- BBB rating
- No U.S. profile found
- CLLA certified agency
- Not listed
- IACC
- None found
- Best fit
- Debtors outside the U.S.
JSD Management
- Headquarters
- Dover, DE
- Pricing published
- Range of 10% to 50%
- BBB rating
- A+ (accredited)
- CLLA certified agency
- Not listed. JSD's manager holds an individual CLLA certification, and client funds are held in a trust account.
- Best fit
- Any size, adapts to the client's workflow
The Kaplan Group
- Headquarters
- Pismo Beach, CA
- Pricing published
- Rate tables published (they vary by page)
- BBB rating
- A+ (accredited)
- CLLA certified agency
- Not listed
- IACC
- Member, per the agency
- Best fit
- Single claims over $10,000
PSI
- Headquarters
- Gretna, NE
- Pricing published
- Rates page on its site; a 2021 review reported 22% to 33%
- BBB rating
- A+ (accredited)
- CLLA certified agency
- Not listed, though its site shows the CLLA logo
- IACC
- Logo shown on its site
- Best fit
- Small businesses wanting simple pricing
The two kinds of record measure different things. A BBB rating reflects complaint history and how a business responds to complaints, and it says nothing about recovery results. CLLA agency certification requires an annual audit by an independent CPA firm and separate trust accounts for client funds, which is closer to what a creditor placing money-sensitive accounts needs to know. Other sources for each row are linked in the agency profiles below.
How did we judge them?
We looked at each agency the way a controller or credit manager would before placing a $40,000 invoice, using the seven questions below. We also checked each agency's public records, meaning its Better Business Bureau rating and whether it appears in the Commercial Law League of America's directory of certified agencies. CLLA certifies agencies, which is a different thing from an individual employee holding a credential, and the table above keeps the two apart.
- Results on accounts like yours. A recovery rate only means something next to the age and size of the accounts behind it. An agency that publishes its numbers, with the conditions attached, gives you something to hold it to.
- Net money back. A 25% fee on a strong recovery leaves you with more than a 15% fee on a weak one. Contingency pricing, where the agency is paid only from what it collects, keeps the agency's incentive tied to yours.
- Safety of the money collected. Payments pass through the agency before they reach you. Ask whether collected funds sit in a separate trust account and whether the agency is bonded.
- Protecting the customer relationship. Many commercial debtors are customers you would still sell to. Credit bureau reporting and aggressive escalation can end that relationship along with the debt.
- Visibility while the account is worked. Online account access and regular status reports mean you never have to chase the agency for an update.
- An escalation path. Calls and letters resolve many accounts. For the rest, you want to know who the attorneys are and how the agency decides an account belongs in court.
- Staying power and accountability. Years in business, industry memberships and professional certifications signal an established operation that answers to standards set outside it. None of them guarantees an agency's financial stability, but they give you something to check beyond its own claims.
We left these criteria unweighted on purpose, because the right weighting depends on who is placing the account. A creditor with one $200,000 claim should care most about the escalation path. A company placing 300 small accounts a year will care more about fees and reporting, and a creditor whose debtor sits in Mexico has a different first question entirely.
Why don't published recovery rates line up?
The number most buyers compare first is the one that compares worst. Each agency that publishes a recovery rate counts it its own way, and the differences are large enough to flip a comparison.
JSD's figure comes from one client's portfolio, so like Kaplan's, it describes a particular set of accounts rather than every account we work. Its full method is in our published case study, so you can check it the same way you would check anyone else's.
Does a lower fee mean more money back?
Not necessarily. Net money back, what reaches your bank account after the fee, is the figure that matters. On a $20,000 claim, an agency charging 20% that recovers half returns $8,000 to you. One charging 30% that recovers 70% returns $9,800. When an agency quotes a rate, ask whether it is measured on every claim placed or only the ones accepted, and whether it is before or after fees. For a closer look at pricing, see our guide to what commercial collection agencies charge.
Should you test more than one agency?
Yes, if your volume allows it. The most reliable test is one you run yourself: split a batch of comparable accounts between two agencies and compare the dollars each returns. A single account proves little either way, since one debtor's stubbornness or good luck can outweigh any difference between agencies. Divide accounts between agencies, but keep all accounts belonging to the same debtor with one agency. Our guide to using more than one collection agency explains how to divide a portfolio and what goes wrong when two agencies work the same debtor.
What does each agency offer?
We chose agencies that focus on business debt and publish enough about how they work to be compared fairly, and most of them also appear in independent roundups of commercial collection agencies. The list is short on purpose, and it leaves out good agencies we couldn't assess from public information. They are listed alphabetically, since a ranking would only reflect our own judgment of our own company. Each profile uses what the agency publishes about itself, plus independent reviews where we could find them.
ABC-Amega
- Buffalo, NY
- Founded 1929
- Overseas debtors since 1960
ABC-Amega began in Buffalo in 1929 as the American Bureau of Collections and started collecting from overseas debtors in 1960. It earned IACC certification in 2013 and certification from the Commercial Collection Agencies of America in 2016, and it runs a first-party outsourcing service called SoftCall alongside third-party collections. The private investment firm Trivest Partners acquired the company in 2023, and ABC-Amega now describes itself as part of Cadex Solutions Corporation, an order-to-cash management company.
- Best fit
- Manufacturers and multinationals with a steady flow of domestic and foreign accounts.
- Worth asking
- Who will manage your accounts, and which services ABC-Amega delivers directly versus through affiliates or local partners.
Altus Receivables Management
- Metairie, LA
- Founded 1994
- 300+ team members
- SOC 1 and SOC 2 Type II
Altus was founded in 1994, is headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana, and says it is 100% dedicated to commercial collections with more than 300 team members. It holds SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II audit reports along with CLLA certification and IACC membership, and it reports an average placed balance of about $4,500. Its marketing is aimed at enterprise clients in healthcare, finance, government, utilities and telecom.
- Best fit
- Large companies placing high volumes whose vendor reviews require audited data security.
- Worth asking
- How a single large claim is handled inside a high-volume operation.
Atradius Collections
- Amsterdam, U.S. office
- Business clients only
- Collects in 96% of countries
Atradius Collections is the collections arm of Atradius N.V., one of the world's largest trade credit insurers, and is headquartered in Amsterdam with a U.S. office. It serves only business clients and collects in 96% of the world's countries through local collectors who speak the debtor's language.
- Best fit
- A U.S. creditor whose debtor sits outside the country.
- Worth asking
- Whether a global network adds anything for a purely domestic claim.
JSD Management
- Dover, DE
- Since 1997
- 10% to 50% contingency
- Women-owned
- Bonded and insured
JSD has collected commercial debt from Dover, Delaware since 1997. The company is women-owned, bonded and insured, an IACC member, and its manager holds an individual CLLA certification. Fees are contingency only and range from 10% to 50% depending on the account, so clients pay nothing unless money comes back. Collected funds sit in a trust account until they are remitted. This profile runs longer than the others because we know our own operation from the inside, while the other profiles rely on what each agency publishes. Read it as our account of ourselves.
JSD adapts to the way each client already works. We take placements however the client can get them to us, whether that is an aging report, a spreadsheet, an email, an upload, or a connection to the client's own system, and we shape the process around the client's workflow instead of asking the client to change it. Our team verifies the contact information in the placement file before a collector is assigned, and collectors study the client's contracts and terms before the first call. Online account access is available, and clients receive placement status reports. We do not report debtors to business credit bureaus, which matters when the debtor is a customer the client still wants. JSD also collects internationally, from U.S. invoices owed to overseas creditors to multi-country portfolios; see our international collections page. Larger companies can bring JSD in earlier, as an extension of their own receivables team, with JSD working accounts through the client's aging under its own contact information, and that work is paid on commission too. Accounts that need legal pressure go to a network of outside attorneys, and roughly 1% or fewer of placements end up there. On 807 selected aged placements from a single client, a fire sprinkler contractor, JSD recovered 69.6% of placed dollars. Our published case study explains how that figure was calculated, including which placements were counted and the confidence interval around it.
- Best fit
- Companies of any size that want an agency to adapt to how they already work, from a single disputed invoice to an ongoing portfolio, with the contract terms and the customer relationship handled carefully.
- Worth asking
- See the section below on where JSD is the wrong choice.
The Kaplan Group
- Pismo Beach, CA
- 35+ years
- 10% to 30% published rates
- $10,000 minimum first claim
The Kaplan Group, based in Pismo Beach, California, specializes in large commercial claims and publishes its contingency rates, which start at 10% on amounts over $500,000 and rise to 25% on claims of $3,000 to $9,999, with 30% when the debtor is outside the U.S. A new client's first claim must be at least $10,000. If the agency's own effort fails, its in-house law firm makes a second full effort at the same rate. That firm does not sue. Lawsuits go to a nationwide network of contingency attorneys, at a combined rate Kaplan says is typically 33% to 35%. It is an IACC member and reports more than 35 years in business.
- Best fit
- A single large claim, especially one that may need legal pressure.
- Worth asking
- Whether your claim meets its minimums and which rate tier applies, since the rate tables on its site differ from page to page. Kaplan also turns away rent claims and judgments it didn't help obtain.
PSI (Prestige Services Inc.)
- Gretna, NE
- Commercial only
- BBB A+
- 22% to 33% (2021 review)
PSI is a commercial-only agency in Gretna, Nebraska that serves clients nationwide and internationally and holds an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Business News Daily named it the best B2B collection agency, citing contingency rates of 22% to 33%, a free 10-day demand period and a litigation network of CLLA attorneys. That review dates from 2021, so confirm current rates directly. PSI's website also says it is affiliated with Altus, and its client login and payment pages run on Altus systems, so a buyer considering both should ask how that relationship works in practice.
- Best fit
- Small businesses that want simple contingency pricing and a free first-stage demand.
- Worth asking
- What the current rate schedule is for your balance size and account age.
When is JSD the wrong choice?
- You are collecting from consumers. JSD handles business debt only.
- You want a second effort under a law firm's name before anything goes to court. The Kaplan Group offers that at the same rate: when its first effort fails, its in-house law firm makes a second full effort. That second stage is a real advantage. When a claim does need a lawsuit, Kaplan and JSD both refer it to outside attorneys.
JSD fits best when you want the agency to adapt to your process rather than the reverse. We take placements however you can send them, from a daily aging report to a one-off spreadsheet, and we work around how your team operates. Placement files often arrive with contact details that went stale months ago, so our team checks them before a collector ever dials, and the collector reads the client's terms before the first conversation. That groundwork is slower than firing off a demand letter on day one. On disputed accounts, having the terms in hand can turn an argument about what was agreed into a conversation about paying it.
What should you ask before placing an account?
Whichever agency you call, these seven questions separate a good fit from a sales pitch.
- What recovery rate do you see on accounts of my age and balance size, and how is that number calculated?
- What is your fee on my accounts, and does it change if the account goes to an attorney?
- Where do collected payments go before they reach me, and how often do you remit?
- Do you report debtors to business credit bureaus?
- How will I see account status between updates?
- Who are your attorneys, and what makes you decide an account belongs in court?
- Which industry groups certify or audit you, and when was that last renewed?
Clear answers to all seven are a reasonable screen before a trial placement, not proof of fit. After that, the one that returns the most money across similar accounts over a few months is as close to an answer on "best" as you will get. If you would like JSD to be one of the agencies you test, send us an account and we will tell you honestly whether it fits. If you want to know what JSD would charge before deciding, you can request a contingency quote for your specific accounts.
Sources
- ABC-Amega, About Us
- Outsource Accelerator, Trivest Partners takes over ABC-Amega
- Altus, North America's Largest B2B Collection Agency
- Altus, Certifications
- Atradius Collections, Clutch profile
- Atradius Collections, B2B debt collections in the USA
- The Kaplan Group, Rates
- The Kaplan Group, litigation information
- PSI, homepage
- Business News Daily, Best Collection Agency Services (2021)
- CLLA, Certified Commercial Collection Agencies
- BBB, ABC-Amega profile
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best commercial collection agency in the USA?
- There is no single best commercial collection agency. A manufacturer placing three $80,000 invoices needs something different from a software company with 400 small unpaid subscriptions, and a creditor whose debtor sits in Germany needs something different again. The best agency for a business placing commercial debt is the one that returns the most money on accounts like yours, at a cost and a risk you can live with.
- How much do commercial collection agencies charge?
- Most commercial agencies work on contingency, so they are paid only from what they collect. Published rates in this comparison run from 10% on claims over $500,000 at The Kaplan Group to 30% when the debtor is outside the U.S. JSD's range is 10% to 50% depending on the account, and a 2021 review reported 22% to 33% for PSI. Agencies that quote on request do not publish a schedule. A lower fee does not always mean more money back, so compare net recovery rather than the percentage.Related guide: What commercial collection agencies charge and how to compare quotes
- How do I compare collection agency recovery rates?
- Ask whether the rate is measured on every claim placed or only on the ones the agency accepted, and whether it is before or after fees. The Kaplan Group's 85% is measured on large claims it considers viable, a 2021 review reported 38% for PSI based on amounts collected, and JSD's 69.6% is gross recovery of placed dollars on 807 selected aged placements from one client's portfolio. All three can be true at once, so none of them tells you what you would get back on your own accounts.
- What does CLLA certification mean for a collection agency?
- CLLA agency certification requires an annual audit by an independent CPA firm and separate trust accounts for client funds. It is different from an individual employee holding a CLLA credential, and it is closer to what a creditor placing money-sensitive accounts needs to know than a Better Business Bureau rating, which reflects complaint history rather than recovery results.
- Should I test more than one collection agency?
- If your volume allows it, split a batch of comparable accounts between two agencies and compare the dollars each returns. A single account proves little either way, since one debtor's stubbornness or good luck can outweigh any difference between agencies.Related guide: Using more than one collection agency, and how to keep two from chasing the same debtor
Read next
69.6% Gross Recovery on 807 Selected Aged Commercial Placements807 aged commercial placements from one fire sprinkler contractor, broken down by cohort, age band, and add-on status, with the full methodology and its limits.Have an account ready to place?
We work on contingency. No upfront cost.
JSD has been handling commercial collections since 1997. Every placement is reviewed by our team. Most clients are up and running the same day.