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How do I recover an unpaid invoice through QCAT in Queensland?

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Short answer

If a person, business or company owes you an agreed, fixed amount of up to $25,000 (excluding interest), you can lodge a minor debt application with the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT). From 1 July 2026 the application fee is $96.30 for claims up to $1,000, $164.30 for claims over $1,000 and up to $10,000, and $405.60 for claims over $10,000. You must serve a copy on the debtor, who then has 28 days to respond. If they do not, you can ask QCAT for a decision by default. Claims over $1,500 go to mediation first. If the debtor still does not pay, you enforce the order through the Magistrates Court. Debts over $25,000 go to the Magistrates Court (up to $150,000) or higher courts.

General information only, not legal or financial advice. Every business and every debt is different. For advice on your situation, talk to a lawyer, your accountant or your state small business commissioner.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Send a final notice or letter of demand

    Give a clear deadline and say you will apply to QCAT if it is not paid. Many debts are paid at this point, and it shows you tried to settle first.

  2. 2

    Check it is a minor debt

    QCAT says a minor debt needs a previous agreement about payment of a fixed amount, no more than $25,000 excluding interest, and an agreement made no more than six years ago. An unpaid invoice for work or goods at an agreed price usually fits.

  3. 3

    Consider free mediation

    The Queensland Small Business Commissioner points business owners to free mediation at a Dispute Resolution Centre where there will be an ongoing relationship. It is voluntary, so both sides must agree.

  4. 4

    Get the debtor's exact legal details

    Use ABN Lookup and the ASIC register for the correct legal name and address. A trading name is not enough, and the wrong respondent wastes your fee.

  5. 5

    Lodge the application and pay the fee

    Apply online through QCAT, or lodge the form at the QCAT registry or a Magistrates Court registry. Attach the agreement, invoices and reminders. The fee depends on the amount claimed.

  6. 6

    Serve a copy on the debtor

    You, not QCAT, must serve the application on the respondent, following QCAT's service rules. Keep a record of how and when you did it.

  7. 7

    Wait 28 days, then act

    If the debtor does not respond and give you a copy within 28 days, you can apply for a decision by default. If they respond, claims over $1,500 go to mediation and then a hearing if needed. Claims under $1,500 go straight to a hearing.

  8. 8

    Enforce the order if it is not paid

    File the QCAT order and a witnessed affidavit with the Magistrates Court. Filing is free. The order can then be enforced like a court order, for example through an enforcement warrant or money order.

What else to know

Is your unpaid invoice a minor debt?

QCAT describes a minor debt as a claim for an agreed and fixed amount of money, or liquidated demand, up to $25,000 excluding interest, owed by another person, business or company. Its examples include an unpaid invoice, account or demand, and work performed or goods supplied when the cost was agreed beforehand. Anyone can apply, including sole traders, partnerships and companies. The key word is agreed. If you sent a quote, the customer accepted it and you invoiced that amount, you are on solid ground. If there was no agreement about payment, or the price was never settled, a minor debt application is not available.

When it is a different type of claim

QCAT notes that a minor debt application cannot be used where the dispute is really a consumer and trader matter, or where goods or services were supplied and the amount was not agreed beforehand. Legal Aid Queensland's guide adds that it is not the right path if you are in conflict with another trader about goods or services. In practice, if your customer is arguing about the quality of the work rather than simply not paying, QCAT may treat it as a different kind of minor civil dispute with its own application. QCAT registry staff can explain the application types but cannot tell you which one to use, so get advice if you are unsure.

What it costs (fees from 1 July 2026)

QCAT's minor civil dispute fees increased by 3.4% on 1 July 2026. The fee is set by the amount claimed. Fees change each 1 July, so check QCAT's fees page on the day you lodge.

Amount claimedApplication fee
Up to $1,000$96.30
Over $1,000 and up to $10,000$164.30
Over $10,000 (up to the $25,000 limit)$405.60
Filing a QCAT order and affidavit in the Magistrates Court to enforce itFree

Over $25,000?

QCAT cannot decide a minor debt worth more than $25,000 excluding interest. You can choose to reduce your claim to $25,000 and give up the rest, or start in a court. QCAT says claims up to $150,000 can be commenced in the Magistrates Court, claims between $150,000 and $750,000 in the District Court, and claims over $750,000 in the Supreme Court. Court claims are more formal, so legal advice is wise. If the debtor is a company and the debt is genuinely undisputed and at least $4,000, a statutory demand is another option (read our statutory demand guide first).

Build a tidy evidence file

QCAT's online application asks for the respondent's full name and correct address, details of the debt and supporting documents, including a copy of the agreement. Gather the quote or contract and proof it was accepted, the invoices, delivery or completion records, every reminder you sent, and notes of calls and promises to pay. Put them in date order. Agreements can be in writing or verbal, but written evidence makes your job much easier.

Interest

The QCAT application lets you claim interest. If you and your customer agreed an interest rate, for example in your terms of trade, attach that agreement. If there was no agreed rate, the tribunal decides what interest, if any, applies. Interest is on top of the $25,000 limit. See our guide on charging interest on overdue invoices and the late payment interest calculator.

Serving the application

Serving means giving the documents to the other party. In a minor debt matter the applicant is responsible for serving a copy of the application on each respondent, and QCAT sets out specific rules for how to do it. Get this right. If you later ask for a decision by default, you will need to show the respondent was properly served and the 28 days have passed.

The 28 days, mediation and the hearing

A respondent who receives a minor debt application has 28 days to respond and give you a copy. If they do neither, you can ask QCAT for a decision by default, made on the paperwork without them. If they do respond, QCAT lists claims over $1,500 for mediation, and only sets a hearing if mediation does not resolve it. Claims under $1,500 go straight to a hearing. If you reach agreement at mediation, you can ask for it to be made a QCAT order, which gives it the same force as a decision. A respondent cannot make a counter claim inside a minor debt application, although they may be able to file a separate application about the same dispute.

How long it takes

Timeframes depend on QCAT's workload and location. QCAT publishes current average timeframes on its website. The Queensland Small Business Commissioner noted in July 2026 that minor civil disputes were taking approximately 51 weeks on average, depending on location. That is a long time to wait, which is one more reason to try a firm final notice, a payment plan or mediation first.

Getting paid after the order

A QCAT decision must be followed and can be enforced as if it were made by a court. For orders of up to $150,000 you file a copy of the QCAT order with the Magistrates Court, together with an affidavit confirming the amount not paid, witnessed by a justice of the peace, commissioner for declarations or solicitor. Filing is free. The order is then enforced like a Magistrates Court order, and QCAT suggests getting advice on options such as an enforcement warrant or a money order. QCAT notes you have six years to enforce the order.

Is it worth it?

Weigh the fee, your time and the long wait against the amount and your chance of collecting. An order against a business with no money or assets can be hard to enforce. If recovery looks unlikely, talk to your accountant about writing off the debt and claiming the tax and GST adjustments, and tighten your payment terms so it does not happen again.

Final notice template (send this before you apply)

Common questions

What is the QCAT minor debt limit?

$25,000, excluding interest. If you are owed more, you can reduce your claim to $25,000 or start in the Magistrates Court, which hears claims up to $150,000.

How much does a QCAT minor debt claim cost?

From 1 July 2026 the application fee is $96.30 for claims up to $1,000, $164.30 for claims over $1,000 and up to $10,000, and $405.60 for claims over $10,000. Fees rise each 1 July.

Can a business lodge a minor debt claim at QCAT?

Yes. QCAT says anyone can make a minor debt application, including individuals, businesses and companies, against another person, business or company.

Do I need a lawyer for QCAT?

Usually not. Legal Aid Queensland describes the minor debt process as one you can do yourself without a lawyer. Advice can still help if the debt is disputed or you are unsure which application type applies.

How long does the debtor have to respond?

28 days from receiving the application. If they do not respond and give you a copy in that time, you can ask QCAT for a decision by default.

Can I claim an unpaid invoice from an interstate customer?

QCAT says you can still make a minor debt application against a respondent who lives interstate, as long as the agreement was initiated in Queensland.

What if QCAT orders them to pay and they still do not?

File the QCAT order and a witnessed affidavit with the Magistrates Court, which is free. It can then be enforced like a court order, for example with an enforcement warrant or a money order.

Official sources

Sources checked 23 October 2026. Rules and limits change, so check the official site before acting.

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