For a pending B2B payment: after 45 days an MSME supplier can claim statutory interest and file MSME Samadhaan; after 180 days the buyer must reverse GST input credit on the unpaid invoice; after three years the claim is time-barred. The free consultation locates your dues on this timeline and recommends the next step and its cost: nothing upfront, 30% on recovery.
The pending-payment timeline
| Age of dues | What changes | Sensible step |
|---|---|---|
| Within credit period | Nothing yet | Polite reminder, confirm the due date in writing |
| Day 46 onwards (MSME) | Statutory interest accrues; Samadhaan available | Advocate's notice claiming interest; consider Samadhaan |
| 60 to 90 days | Buyer's pattern is clear | Legal notice if not already sent |
| 180 days | Buyer must reverse GST ITC | Notice should mention this; file if ignored |
| 1 to 2 years | Memories and staff change; proof weakens | File: Samadhaan, summary suit or arbitration |
| Approaching 3 years | Limitation looming | Get a written acknowledgement or file at once |
Why older is harder
Buyers' staff leave, delivery records are lost, the buyer's financial position may worsen, and your own leverage (the next order) fades. The recovery rate for a 90-day-old invoice is not the same as for a two-year-old one. That is why the consultation is worth having now, even if you decide to wait: you will know the exact date by which you must act.
What the expert checks for a long-pending payment
- The last date the buyer acknowledged the debt in writing or made a part payment
- Whether invoices were issued under a running account and when the account was last reconciled
- Whether you continued to supply after the dues became overdue, and whether later payments were appropriated to old invoices
- Udyam status at the time of supply
- Any cheque, even an old one, and its return memo date
Check your dates with the limitation period calculator and the interest with the MSME interest calculator.
Next step if you engage
If you decide to go ahead, a dedicated advocate is assigned within 24 hours of your complete documents and the legal notice goes out as an e-notice, followed by registered post. For older dues the notice is drafted to draw a written response that acknowledges the debt, which protects the limitation position while negotiation proceeds. Nothing is charged upfront. If you proceed, FundRaksha Legal charges 30% only on the amount actually recovered; if nothing is recovered there is no success fee. Court fees, where a matter is filed, are borne by you and told to you in advance.
See also old payment recovery, engineering and chemicals for trades where long credit is common, and unpaid invoice recovery in Surat.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-08. Information for Indian businesses; not legal advice.