Charter Mercantile

What Charter Mercantile does

Charter Mercantile Pty Ltd is a 100% Australian-owned, privately held debt collection and credit management company founded in 1986 and headquartered in Redcliffe (Brisbane), Queensland. The company provides end-to-end collection services to banks, telecommunications providers, major corporates, small to medium enterprises, utilities, government departments and councils, higher education institutions, and individual debtors in hardship. Its service portfolio spans five primary lines: First Party Collections (zero-commission early-stage collection of 1-90 day delinquent and over-limit accounts), Third Party Collections (commission-based recovery with Roll Rate Management), Hardship & Sensitive Debt Management, Commercial Collections Services for B2B debt involving director's guarantees, and Litigation & Insolvency Management.

The operating backbone is COSMOS, a proprietary bespoke software platform developed by Real Business Software (co-founded by Charter leadership in 2001). COSMOS integrates automated routing robots, a predictive dialler, a Roll Rate Management system, AI-driven customer communication preference identification, machine-learning payment propensity modelling, adaptive decision trees for collection treatment selection, and an automated compliance and governance module, all hosted in a PCI-DSS-certified Brisbane data centre. The platform is deployed across Australia, New Zealand, India, and the United States. Charter also operates a 100%-owned collection office in Cochin (Kochi), India, providing onshore/offshore delivery for Australia's largest telco and other major clients, with customer-facing access via a self-service portal (payway.chartermerc.com.au) and phone-based payment services.

Revenue is generated primarily through transaction-based commissions on recovered debt across the five service lines, supplemented by managed services for hardship portfolios and professional services fees for litigation and insolvency work. The company holds an Australian Credit License (ASIC 507165), a QLD Commercial Agent License (1403448), PCI-DSS certification, and PPMS accreditation, and is a member of IMA, ACDBA, and AICM. The company is led by co-founder and Sydney-based CEO Steve Kiely (Business Development, Marketing, Client Relations, Operations) and co-founder Simon Hunnisett (Business Operations and IT), with long-tenured operators Gary Thorley (24 years) and Sachit Rajan (since 2004) running Australian and India operations respectively.

Name

Charter Mercantile

Legal name

Charter Mercantile Pty Ltd

Website

https://chartermerc.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Charter Mercantile is a 100% Australian-owned debt collection and credit management firm, founded in 1986, providing end-to-end collections, hardship management, commercial recovery, and litigation services to banks, telcos, utilities, government, and corporates via its proprietary COSMOS platform and an owned India operations centre.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Debt Collection Services

NAICS

Collection Agencies (561440)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Hardship & Forbearance Assistance (FSAEAFAJ)

Keywords

• Debt collection services
• Credit management solutions
• Commercial debt recovery
• Hardship debt management
• Litigation insolvency management

Headquarters

HQ city

Redcliffe

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. First Party Collections: Early stage debt collection service for delinquent accounts (1-90 days) and over limit accounts. Zero commission customer-focused service initiating courtesy reminders and requesting payment on behalf of client organisations.
2. Third Party Collections: Traditional debt recovery services in commercial and consumer environments. Commission or fee-based collection of delinquent accounts with Roll Rate Management system for delinquency mitigation.
3. Commercial Collections Services (CCS): Business-to-Business debt collection for commercial accounts that involve multiple parties and director's guarantees. Higher-value, more complex commercial debt recovery.
4. Litigation & Insolvency Management: Commercially responsible litigation service for debt recovery when amicable resolution fails, along with insolvency portfolio management.
5. Hardship & Sensitive Debt Management: Sensitive debt management services negotiating settlements and long-term payment arrangements for customers experiencing hardship. Includes Hardship Assistance Programme enrollment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Charter Mercantile provides end-to-end debt collection and credit management services on an outsourced basis to banks, telecommunications providers, utilities, government departments, local councils, major corporates, small to medium enterprises, and higher education institutions. Its service lines include First Party Collections (early stage 1-90 day delinquent and over-limit accounts), Third Party Collections (consumer and commercial debt recovery with Roll Rate Management), Hardship and Sensitive Debt Management, Commercial Collections Services (B2B debt with director's guarantees), and Litigation and Insolvency Management. All services are delivered through its proprietary COSMOS software platform and supported by a customer self-service portal and phone-based payment channels.

Product overview

Charter Mercantile is a 100% Australian-owned debt collection company established in 1986, providing end-to-end collection services. The core offering consists of a suite of debt collection services including First Party Collections (early stage 1-90 days), Third Party Collections (consumer finance and telecommunications), Hardship & Sensitive Debt Management, Commercial Collections Services (B2B), and Litigation & Insolvency Management. The company's technology platform COSMOS is a proprietary software system that automates the collection process with integrated robots, predictive dialling, and AI capabilities for customer communication preferences and payment modelling. Customer-facing services include a Self Service Portal for account management and payments, and a Hardship Assistance Programme for customers experiencing financial difficulty.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• COSMOS: Collection Software System - a unique and bespoke software system specializing in debt recovery services, developed by Real Business Software for Charter.

Products and services

• First Party Collections Early stage collection of delinquent 1-90 day and over-limit accounts on behalf of client organisations. A zero-commission, customer-focused service that initiates courtesy reminders and requests payment acting as an extension of the client's brand.
• Third Party Collections Commission- or fee-based debt recovery for consumer finance and telecommunications clients, using a Roll Rate Management (RRM) system that tracks cycle dates in real time to mitigate delinquency and write-off.
• Hardship & Sensitive Debt Management Negotiation of settlements and long-term payment arrangements for customers requiring sensitive assistance, using a gentle and personalised approach to payment programs.
• Commercial Collections Services (CCS) Business-to-Business account collection involving multiple parties and director's guarantees, handling more substantial and complicated commercial debts for clients in retail, medical, professional services, and trade sectors.
• Litigation & Insolvency Management Commercially responsible litigation service for debt recovery when amicable resolution fails, along with insolvency portfolio management, delivered across government, banking, utilities, telecommunications, and commercial sectors.
• Hardship Assistance Programme Structured program that enrolls customers experiencing financial hardship or challenging personal circumstances into tailored assistance arrangements.
• COSMOS Collection Software System Proprietary bespoke software system specialising in debt recovery, developed by Real Business Software for Charter. Features integrated collection robots, predictive dialler, AI-driven customer communication preference and payment propensity modelling, machine-learning adaptive decision trees, Roll Rate Management, and automated compliance/governance modules. Deployed across Australia, New Zealand, India, and the USA.
• Self Service Portal Customer-facing self-serve portal enabling account management, payment processing, settlement offer acceptance, recurring payment arrangements, and email/SMS reminders for end customers of Charter's enterprise clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Increases in rolling back accounts to current status through RRM system
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Real Business SoftwarecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2001Real Business Software, founded by CEO Simon Hunnisett, Steve Kiely, and Dr Geoff Harris in 2001, developed the COSMOS bespoke collection software system specifically for Charter. The software is now customized and used in 4 countries (Australia, New Zealand, India & USA).
• Institute of Mercantile Agents Limited (IMA)minorOthersCharter is a member of IMA to ensure professionalism and integrity within the debt recovery industry.
• Australian Collectors and Debt Buyers Association (ACDBA)minorOthersCharter is a member of ACDBA to ensure up-to-date involvement with professionalism and integrity within the debt recovery industry.
• Australian Institute of Credit Management (AICM)minorOthersCharter is a member of AICM to ensure involvement with the development of professionalism and integrity within the debt recovery industry.
• Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA)minorOthersCharter is compliant with AFCA requirements for external dispute resolution as part of regulatory compliance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EOS Group: Global financial services provider specializing in receivables management and debt collection across 20+ countries. Comparable enterprise B2B and B2C collections services but operating at significantly larger scale.
• PRA Group: US-listed global acquirer and servicer of nonperforming loans. Comparable in commercial and consumer debt servicing, with a more debt-buying-centric model and a US/international footprint.
• Intrum: Europe-based global leader in credit management services, debt purchasing, and collections. Comparable end-to-end collections, hardship, and BPO services but at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
• Lowell Group: European credit management and debt purchase specialist serving banks, telecoms, and utilities. Comparable hardship-management and consumer-facing collections capabilities at larger European scale.
• Marston Holdings (formerly Marston Group): UK-based provider of integrated enforcement, debt recovery, and outsourced services to government and financial institutions. Comparable regulated collections and litigation/insolvency service lines.

Direct peers

• Credit Corp Group: ASX-listed Australian debt buyer and collector with comparable Big Four bank and telco client relationships. Closest direct comparable for scale, vertical mix, and product breadth in Australian consumer and commercial collections.
• Recoveriescorp: Australian debt recovery specialist with strong bank and utility client base. Direct competitor for the same first-party and third-party mandates Charter targets in Australia and New Zealand.
• Probe Group: Australasian customer experience and debt collections outsourcer with comparable telco and financial services clients. Overlaps directly with Charter's inside-sales-led, contact-center-driven delivery model.
• Collection House (now part of Credit Corp): Long-established Australian debt collection agency serving banks, government, and utilities. Highly comparable customer mix, including early-stage and hardship portfolios, and similar regulatory positioning.
• Baycorp (NZ) / Baycorp Advantage: Trans-Tasman debt collection and credit management firm serving banks, utilities, and government in both Australia and New Zealand — directly comparable geography and regulatory footprint to Charter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charter-mercantile-australia-pty-limited

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charter Mercantile