Credit control policy - Annex 1

Published: 15 October 2026
Freedom of information class: How we manage our resources

The credit control policy details the requirements for payment terms with Registers of Scotland's customers and the responsibilities of staff who facilitate customer credit.


Table of contents

1. Applications, credit limits & payment terms

1.1 Where applicable, RoS agrees to extend credit to customers who meet the criteria for granting credit.

1.2 Post-paid FAS accounts do not have credit limits.

1.3 The initial credit limit for new ScotLIS accounts is £300 and £2,000 if a direct debit mandate is actioned.

1.4 The maximum credit limit may be increased on a per customer basis, subject to the approval of Registers of Scotland Credit Control Team

1.5 Payment terms differ for each service. They are:

  • ScotLIS: 14 days from the invoice date
  • all other business account services (post-paid FAS accounts): 30 days from the invoice date.

1.6 Credit applications will be reviewed to determine creditworthiness. In the event of RoS credit check supplier providing a low credit score, credit may be denied.

1.7 Customers may still obtain a ScotLIS account if they place funds on deposit to pay future invoices.

1.8 The repayment history of all customers will be reviewed on a periodic basis to determine whether existing credit levels need to be revised.

2. Invoicing

2.1 Invoices will follow RoS’ standard templates and provide all necessary information.

2.2 ScotLIS customers will be issued consolidated invoices twice per month on the 1st and 15th.

2.3 Post-paid FAS invoice services are invoiced an ad-hoc basis on completion of the order.

3. Payment collection & applications

3.1 Customers who pay by direct debit will have funds requested twice monthly. 3.2 ScotLIS:

  • the week after invoices are issued, an email statement is sent detailing all invoices RoS intends to request payment for
  • the following week payment is requested in accordance with ScotLIS terms and conditions; 14 days after creation
  • it is worth noting, the first email after the direct debit mandate is activated may have more than one invoice listed however subsequent emails should only list the most recent invoice.

3.3 Post-paid FAS account customers:

  • RoS requests payment twice a month, at the start and mid-month for all invoices over 30 days
  • an email is sent to the customer the week prior to RoS requesting payment, listing all invoices due for payment.

4. Statements and debt follow up

4.1 All non-DD customers for Post-Paid FAS and ScotLIS accounts will receive monthly statements circa the 20th of each month.

4.2 Seven days from these being issued, reminders will be sent for any account with invoices over 60 days, requesting payments for all overdue invoices.

4.3 Failure to pay invoices on time may result in interest and late payment fees being applied to invoices over 30 days as per UK government guidance https://www.gov.uk/late-commercial-payments-interest-debt-recovery.

4.4 RoS will work constructively with all customers to understand and resolve overdue debts wherever possible, before taking any escalated and proportionate action. This may include referral to a relevant professional or regulatory body in line with our Customer Behaviour Policy.

4.5 Before any referral is made, RoS will notify the customer in writing, explain the reasons for the decision and provide an opportunity to respond.

4.6 For non-solicitor customers, recovery action will generally be limited to RoS’ standard debt recovery processes including withdrawing credit facilities and, where appropriate, legal remedies.

5. Payment method

5.1 The preferred payment method for business account customers is Direct Debit.

5.2 Other acceptable payment methods:

  • bank transfer
  • card.

6. Bad debt write-off

6.1 Any invoice disputes are referred to the business area responsible for issuing the invoice to investigate and respond to the customer. During this period, all debt recovery and escalation activity relating to the disputed invoice will be paused until the dispute is resolved.

6.2 Where the dispute is not upheld, the customer will be advised of the outcome and any paused credit control or debt recovery activity may resume in accordance with this policy.

7. Invoice disputes & queries.

7.1 RoS will write off debt if a firm has ceased trading or if the value of the debt means it is not economically viable to continue to chase the debt.

7.2 Any account that has funds written off will also be closed.

7.3 Where firms have ceased trading, a claim will be submitted to the Administrator or Judicial Factor.