Overseas client not paying your services invoices?
Direct answer. An Indian business with an unpaid overseas services invoice needs to establish the work performed and accepted, resolve any specific dispute, and preserve its commercial, insurance, AD-bank and legal position. GGA’s Global Receivables Desk coordinates an agreed recovery approach for B2B services claims, insured or uninsured, subject to evidence and acceptance.
INDIAN SERVICE PROVIDER → OVERSEAS CLIENT
Turn an unpaid milestone into an evidenced claim
Useful for professional, engineering, technology, project-support and other B2B service providers. The starting file is a contract and performance record—not a shipping bill. Cross-border recovery cases start at USD 20,000.
The evidence that matters for services
The contracting entity. Establish which company commissioned the work and owes the fee. A brand name, project office or group-company email may not identify the legal debtor.
The agreed work and changes. Put the statement of work, milestones, rates and approved change requests in date order. Separate the contracted deliverable from extra work that was discussed but never authorised.
Performance and acceptance. Gather approved timesheets, deliverable acknowledgements, completion certificates, acceptance emails, support records or other evidence relevant to the service. The absence of one particular document is a gap to assess, not a reason to invent acceptance.
The balance. Reconcile advances, milestone invoices, payments, deductions and credits. Record whether the buyer contests quality, scope, rate, acceptance or its own ability to pay. A vague “project not closed” response should be converted into a specific issue.
Choose the route from the actual blocker
| Blocker | GGA’s commercial work | What needs separate authority |
|---|---|---|
| Invoice not booked | Trace vendor setup, purchase order, tax or invoicing queries and the buyer’s acceptance process. | Your team issues any corrected invoice or tax document. |
| Milestone or scope disputed | Build the delivery chronology and reconcile each stated objection against the agreed work. | You approve revised scope, credit notes or a commercial compromise; counsel advises on disputed rights. |
| Accepted but repeatedly postponed | Seek a supported payment plan, follow the responsible buyer-side owner and record actual receipts. | You approve instalments, discounts and escalation. |
| Buyer distressed or uncontactable | Establish current counterparty evidence and assess an approved local associate or counsel route. | Counsel assesses jurisdiction, deadlines, proceedings and insolvency claims. |
Do not manage only the buyer’s promise
Commercial. The service contract, acceptance conditions and dispute record determine what you are pursuing.
Insurance. Establish whether the policy actually covers the service, buyer and exposure. Reporting, approval and claim requirements follow that policy; an ECGC or other insurance claim is not interchangeable with debt collection.
AD bank and export records. The service-invoice date, receipt evidence and applicable declarations matter. Ask your AD bank to confirm the route for this transaction, including software-specific requirements and the effect of current amendments. See the dated export-realisation guide.
Legal. Identify governing law, dispute forum and deadlines with appropriate counsel. Do not assume a payment reminder, settlement discussion or demand letter suspends limitation.
An invoice is not proof of performance; a promise is not payment
Report these separately: amount invoiced, amount supported by the performance record, amount accepted by the client, amount genuinely disputed, and cash received. The work can then focus on the missing link instead of repeating the same request for the entire balance.
Do not delete deliverables, disrupt a customer’s systems, disclose confidential work or withhold access merely to force payment. Any suspension, termination, intellectual-property or access decision requires your authorised commercial and legal review.
What to send and what GGA returns
Start with your company, the overseas client’s legal name and country, the amount and currency, invoice and due dates, the service provided and the client’s latest reason for not paying. Flag insurance, legal action and bank deadlines immediately.
After scoping, share the contract, statement of work, authorised changes, invoices, performance and acceptance evidence, ledger, correspondence and any policy or bank queries through the agreed channel. GGA’s first substantive working record should distinguish facts, unknowns, the claim amount and the next approved action.
Fees and any file-opening or third-party costs are agreed before work. Direct placement is available subject to acceptance; an optional Recovery Position Report is not a mandatory prerequisite. GGA does not hold client collections, guarantee recovery, decide an insurance claim or approve an export-record closure.
Questions from service exporters
Can GGA work without a shipping bill?
Services use performance and invoice evidence appropriate to the transaction. GGA scopes the claim from that record; your AD bank confirms the applicable export declaration and receipt documentation.
What if the overseas client says it has not been paid by its own customer?
Record the response and check the contractual payment terms. A buyer’s explanation is not by itself a conclusion about your entitlement. Counsel should assess any disputed pay-when-paid or conditional-payment provision.
Do uninsured invoices qualify?
They can, subject to GGA’s acceptance. Commercial recovery, bank requirements and legal deadlines remain relevant even without credit insurance.
Can one engagement cover several overseas clients?
A portfolio can be scoped, but each debtor, contract, country, evidence set and deadline must remain identifiable. Fees, priorities and reporting are agreed for the actual assignment.