What this article covers
When a debtor pays only part of what they owe (either as a one-off partial payment or as an instalment under a payment plan), the platform splits that payment pro-rata between you and the client. This article explains the formula the platform uses, walks through a worked example, and answers the most common questions about why a specific partial payment produces a specific commission.
This is a companion to the Partner Balance reference (which explains the ledger columns) and Installment plans: how payment agreements and pro-rata payouts work (which covers formal payment plans).
The rule in one line
On any partial payment, you keep the same percentage of that payment as you would keep on a full recovery. The percentage comes from the mix of principal, interest, and other additional fees on the case.
What the SDCA says
Four clauses in the Standard Debt Collection Agreement (SDCA) govern the split:
Clause | What it says |
§03.2(c) | Each partial payment is allocated pro-rata between the Client and the Collection Partner in accordance with §05.4. |
§03.8 | Additional fees (interest, reminder fees, collection fees) added to the principal are retained entirely by you as additional compensation, separate from the success fee. |
§05.4(a) | Each payment is allocated pro-rata based on the amounts owed to each party at the time of payment. The Client is owed the outstanding principal. You are owed the success fee plus any additional fees. |
§05.4(b) | Worked example in the agreement showing how the pro-rata split is calculated. |
Step-by-step: calculating your share on a partial payment
Step 1 - Calculate the full-payment disbursement. Work out what each party would receive if the debtor paid the entire Total Claim in one go:
Your full-payment share = (Success Fee rate × Principal) + Interest + Reminder Fees + Collection Fees
Client's full-payment share = Total Claim − Your full-payment share
Step 2 - Convert into percentages of the Total Claim.
Your percentage = Your full-payment share ÷ Total Claim
Client percentage = Client's full-payment share ÷ Total Claim
Step 3 - Apply the percentages to the actual partial payment.
You receive: Your percentage × partial payment amount
Client receives: Client percentage × partial payment amount
Worked example
Case details:
Principal | 9,987.32 EUR |
Interest | 319.33 EUR |
Reminder fees | 0.00 EUR |
Collection fees | 0.00 EUR |
Total Claim | 10,306.65 EUR |
Success Fee rate | 9.5% |
Partial payment from debtor | 3,139.00 EUR |
Step 1 - Full-payment disbursement:
Your share: (9.5% × 9,987.32) + 319.33 = 948.80 + 319.33 = 1,268.13 EUR
Client's share: 10,306.65 − 1,268.13 = 9,038.52 EUR
Step 2 - Percentages:
Your percentage: 1,268.13 ÷ 10,306.65 = 12.30%
Client percentage: 9,038.52 ÷ 10,306.65 = 87.70%
Step 3 - Applied to the 3,139.00 EUR partial payment:
You receive: 12.30% × 3,139.00 = 386.22 EUR
Client receives: 87.70% × 3,139.00 = 2,752.78 EUR
Check: 386.22 + 2,752.78 = 3,139.00 ✓
How interest and other additional fees are treated
Interest, reminder fees, and collection fees are retained entirely by you (§03.8). The Success Fee rate does not apply to these amounts; they are separate additional compensation.
In practical terms: the Success Fee rate (e.g. 9.5%) multiplies the Principal only. The interest and other additional fees get added on top when calculating your full-payment share. That is why, in the worked example, your share of a full recovery is 948.80 (9.5% of principal) + 319.33 (interest) = 1,268.13 EUR, not 9.5% of the total recovery.
Debitura's revenue share is calculated separately
The debtor's payment is always split entirely between you and the client. Debitura does not receive any portion of the debtor's payment directly.
Debitura's revenue share is then calculated on your share only (not on the client's share), using the percentage defined in your partnership agreement (typically 40% for standard pre-legal cases, with other rates possible based on tiered pricing or custom arrangements). Debitura invoices you for its revenue share separately through the monthly partner billing cycle.
For the worked example above, if you have a 10% Debitura revenue share configured, Debitura would later invoice you 10% × 386.22 = 38.62 EUR. Your net take-home on this payment would be 386.22 − 38.62 = 347.60 EUR. The client's 2,752.78 EUR is unaffected by Debitura's revenue share.
For details on revenue share percentages, see Commission models and revenue share.
Common questions
Why does the platform not show a principal-vs-interest split of my partial payment?
The platform tracks the overall case outstanding, not a split of each individual payment into principal and interest. When a partial payment is recorded, the case's Total Outstanding is reduced by the full payment amount; the Principal and Interest Fees fields on the case remain at their original values. What the platform does calculate for each payment is the disbursement split between you and the client, which is the figure shown as "Client Payout" and "Collection Partner Payout" on the payment page.
Is this different for formal installment plans?
No. The pro-rata rule is the same for ad-hoc partial payments and for instalments under a formal payment plan (§03.2(c) and §05.4). The Installment plans article shows how the same logic applies to equal-sized instalments.
What if my case has reminder fees or collection fees as well as interest?
They are all treated as additional fees retained entirely by you (§03.8). Add them into Your full-payment share in Step 1, and into the Total Claim denominator in Step 2. The formula is: Your full-payment share = (Success Fee rate × Principal) + Interest + Reminder Fees + Collection Fees.
What if the case has a custom Success Fee rate or age uplift?
Use the actual rate that applies to your case (visible on the case page and in Partner Balance). Age uplift, where applicable, is added on top of the base Success Fee rate per SDCA §03.5.