Diagonal Service
Diagonal Service GmbH is a German founder-led receivables management firm providing debt collection, credit checking, debtor management, and payment processing (including BNPL and factoring) to SMBs and mid-market businesses across verticals such as publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, and e-commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersBuchholz In Der Nordheide, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Diagonal Service does
Diagonal Service GmbH, operating under the DIAGONAL Gruppe brand, is a German receivables management and payment services firm founded in 1993 and headquartered in Buchholz in der Nordheide. The company provides four core services to German SMBs and mid-market businesses: debt collection (DIAGONAL Inkasso) across pre-litigious, judicial, and post-litigious stages; creditworthiness checking (DIAGONAL Boni-Check) for B2B, B2C, and e-commerce; debtor management (DIAGONAL Debi-Plus) covering invoicing, dunning, and white-label customer service; and payment processing (DIA|PAY), a gateway offering 200+ payment methods with BNPL, B2B factoring, and AI-driven fraud prevention.
The technology stack centers on a proprietary case-management platform called IKAROS, used internally for workflow automation and document handling, combined with the DIA|PAY payment ecosystem that exposes REST APIs and shop-system plugins for merchant integration. The firm has operated for over 30 years, is founder-led and privately held, and maintains its own data protection officer along with registration as a legal services provider under the German RDG and membership in the BFIF industry association.
DIAGONAL earns revenue through transaction-based fees across all four service lines — no annual fees, no minimums, no long-term contracts — with BNPL and B2B factoring introducing balance-sheet credit risk for the first time. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales supported by a HubSpot-booked consultation flow, supplemented by a multi-channel content presence (LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, podcast) and trade-show activity at FIBO and E-commerce Berlin Expo. Customers span publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, e-commerce, energy, and general B2B/B2C verticals, with no large anchor accounts disclosed.
Diagonal Service firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Diagonal Service
- Legal name
- Diagonal Service GmbH
- Website
- https://diagonal-gruppe.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Diagonal Service GmbH is a German founder-led receivables management firm providing debt collection, credit checking, debtor management, and payment processing (including BNPL and factoring) to SMBs and mid-market businesses across verticals such as publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, and e-commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Diagonal Service industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Debt Collection and Receivables Management
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320), Business Service Centers (56143), Other Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (522390)
- SIC
- Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Claims, Disputes & Chargeback Support (BPAAABAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards) (FSABAIAB), Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing (FSAMAGAE), Cross-Border Payouts & Mass Disbursements (Pay-outs) (FSAMAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Diagonal Service is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Buchholz In Der Nordheide
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Diagonal Service business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Debt Collection Services (Inkasso): Professional debt collection services handling pre-litigation, litigation, and post-litigation phases. Revenue generated through transaction-based fees on successful collections. No annual fees, membership fees, or long-term contract requirements for clients.
- Payment Processing (DIA|PAY): Payment gateway and processing services for e-commerce businesses offering 200+ payment methods. Revenue generated through transaction-based fees on payment volume processed.
- Debtor Management (Debi-Plus): Complete accounts receivable management including invoicing, payment follow-up, and dunning processes. Services delivered as standalone modules or full-service package.
- Credit Checking (Boni-Check): Creditworthiness verification services providing instant analysis of customer payment capability. Includes supplier checks for B2B transactions.
- BNPL/Factoring Services: Buy Now Pay Later and B2B factoring services where DIAGONAL assumes credit risk and guarantees payment to merchants. Revenue generated as percentage of transaction value.
- Legal/M-court proceedings (DIS GmbH): Automated judicial dunning procedure services for pursuing claims through legal channels.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Transaction-based pricing for all services |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
Diagonal Service product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Diagonal Service GmbH (operating as DIAGONAL Gruppe) is a German receivables management firm offering four integrated service lines: professional debt collection (Inkasso) across pre-litigious, judicial, and post-litigious stages; creditworthiness checking (Boni-Check) for B2B, B2C, and e-commerce; payment processing (DIA|PAY) with 200+ national and international payment methods, BNPL/invoice purchase, and B2B factoring; and full-cycle debtor management (Debi-Plus) covering invoicing, dunning, and payment reconciliation. The firm serves German businesses across verticals including publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, e-commerce, and energy providers.
Product overview
DIAGONAL Gruppe operates a unified platform-plus-modules architecture for payment and receivables management. The core offering spans four integrated product lines: DIAGONAL Inkasso (empathetic debt collection across pre-litigious, judicial, and post-litigious stages), DIAGONAL Boni-Check (real-time creditworthiness checks for B2B, B2C, and e-commerce), DIA|PAY (payment gateway with 200+ payment methods, BNPL, AI-driven fraud prevention, and B2B factoring), and DIAGONAL Debi-Plus (full-cycle debtor management with white-label capability). These modules are designed to work together as an all-in-one receivables management solution, with the group also utilizing the IKAROS software platform internally for case and workflow management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DIA|PAY: Payment solution offering over 200 national and international payment methods for e-commerce businesses, including buy now pay later (BNPL) services, fraud prevention, and B2B factoring.
- DIAGONAL Boni-Check
- DIAGONAL Debi-Plus
Products and services
- DIAGONAL Inkasso Professional debt collection service covering pre-litigious, judicial, and post-litigious stages with empathic, solution-oriented debtor communication that delivers up to 30% higher repayment rates compared to traditional methods. Serves businesses across publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, energy, and other verticals.
- DIAGONAL Boni-Check Creditworthiness checking service providing instant reliability assessments of customers' payment ability before business transactions, protecting against defaults in B2B, B2C, and e-commerce contexts. Includes supplier checks for B2B transactions.
- DIA|PAY (DIAGONAL Payment) Payment gateway offering over 200 national and international payment methods, intelligent payment routing, BNPL/invoice purchase with payment guarantee, AI-driven fraud prevention, and B2B factoring for immediate cash flow. Integrated via REST API or shop plugins for e-commerce merchants.
- DIAGONAL Debi-Plus Full-cycle debtor management service handling invoice dispatch, dunning procedures, and payment posting. Available as standalone modules or full-service package, including white-label solutions delivered under the client's corporate identity.
- DIS GmbH Judicial Dunning Automated judicial dunning procedure services for pursuing claims through legal channels when out-of-court resolution is not possible, operated via subsidiary DIS GmbH.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 30% more repayments through empathic communication approach vs. traditional collection methods
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Diagonal Service
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Diagonal Service technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability2 records
Feature6 records
Diagonal Service partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Bundesverband für Inkasso und Forderungsmanagement e.V. (BFIF)coreDIAGONAL is a member of BFIF, the German Federal Association for Debt Collection and Receivables Management. This membership demonstrates commitment to industry standards, professional practices, and provides access to industry advocacy and best practice frameworks. The association also offers debtors simple complaint mechanisms against member companies.
- Specialized Law FirmsminorDIAGONAL works closely with specialized attorneys for cases requiring legal proceedings. When out-of-court resolution is not possible, cases are seamlessly transferred to legal partners for judicial dunning procedures and enforcement actions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Diagonal Service competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- EOS Group: EOS is one of the largest debt collection and receivables management groups in Germany and Europe, with B2B debt collection, BPO, and integrated receivables services — the most direct scaled competitor to DIAGONAL's Inkasso and Debi-Plus offerings in DACH.
- Riverty (formerly Arvato Financial Solutions): Riverty is a Bertelsmann-owned financial services provider offering BNPL, debt collection, and AR management for merchants across Europe — directly comparable to DIA|PAY's BNPL/factoring and DIAGONAL Inkasso.
- Creditreform: Creditreform is Germany's largest credit bureau and also offers debt collection and receivables management. Directly comparable to Boni-Check (credit checks) and Inkasso services in the German market.
- Ratepay: Ratepay is a German payment service provider specializing in BNPL, direct debit, and invoice purchasing for e-commerce — directly comparable to DIA|PAY's payment-method breadth, BNPL, and B2B factoring capabilities.
- BFS Finance: BFS Finance is a German factoring and receivables management provider focused on SMEs, offering invoice purchasing and B2B collections — directly comparable to DIAGONAL's BNPL/B2B factoring and Inkasso offerings in the Mittelstand segment.
- Computop: Computop is a German payment service provider offering a global payment gateway, fraud prevention, and checkout optimization for e-commerce — closely aligned with DIA|PAY's payment-method breadth and intelligent routing model.
Broad incumbents
- Intrum: Intrum is a Stockholm-listed European leader in credit management, debt collection, and AR services with pan-European reach. Overlaps with DIAGONAL on the collection and credit-check side, but operates at much larger scale and broader geography.
- PAYONE (Worldline): PAYONE, part of Worldline, is a major German payment processor serving retail and e-commerce with multi-method checkout, fraud prevention, and BNPL. Overlaps with DIA|PAY but at much larger scale with a broader enterprise customer base.
Emerging players
- Pair Finance: Pair Finance is a digital, AI-driven debt collection fintech operating in Germany and other European markets, using machine learning for recovery. Comparable to DIAGONAL Inkasso's empathic-AI/technology-led approach, with a stronger digital-native identity.
Regional players
- Tesch Inkasso: Tesch Inkasso is a medium-sized German debt collection and receivables management firm with multi-stage collection services and B2B focus — a regional DACH peer competing in the same mid-market as DIAGONAL Inkasso.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Diagonal Service social profiles
Digital presenceDiagonal Service compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Diagonal Service financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Diagonal Service leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Diagonal Service subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Diagonal Service funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Diagonal Service M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Diagonal Service
What does Diagonal Service do?
Diagonal Service GmbH (operating as DIAGONAL Gruppe) is a German receivables management firm offering four integrated service lines: professional debt collection (Inkasso) across pre-litigious, judicial, and post-litigious stages; creditworthiness checking (Boni-Check) for B2B, B2C, and e-commerce; payment processing (DIA|PAY) with 200+ national and international payment methods, BNPL/invoice purchase, and B2B factoring; and full-cycle debtor management (Debi-Plus) covering invoicing, dunning, and payment reconciliation. The firm serves German businesses across verticals including publishing, real estate, healthcare, fitness, e-commerce, and energy providers.
Is Diagonal Service a public or private company?
Diagonal Service is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Diagonal Service founded?
Diagonal Service was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Diagonal Service based?
Diagonal Service is headquartered in Buchholz In Der Nordheide, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Diagonal Service make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Debt Collection Services (Inkasso) is the primary driver. The others are payment Processing (DIA|PAY), debtor Management (Debi-Plus), credit Checking (Boni-Check), BNPL/Factoring Services and legal/M-court proceedings (DIS GmbH).
Who are Diagonal Service's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are EOS Group, Riverty (formerly Arvato Financial Solutions), Creditreform, Ratepay, BFS Finance and Computop. Broad incumbents are Intrum and PAYONE (Worldline). Pair Finance is listed as an emerging player. Tesch Inkasso is listed as a regional player.
Does Diagonal Service have an API?
Yes. DIA|PAY offers a REST API with documentation for integration into online shops. The API allows merchants to connect payment services including buy now pay later (BNPL), fraud prevention, and B2B factoring capabilities. Integration is described as simple per-plugin for various shop systems or via a REST API. Developer documentation is at diagonal-gruppe.de/payment.
What industry is Diagonal Service in?
Diagonal Service's product category is Debt Collection and Receivables Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAAABAH, Claims, Disputes & Chargeback Support, with a secondary code of FSABAIAB, Payables & Disbursements (ACH/SEPA, wires, checks, virtual cards). Its NAICS code is 522320 and its SIC code is 8741.