Money Claim Online

You do not need to visit a court building to sue for money in England and Wales — most straightforward debt claims start, and often finish, entirely online.

What is the difference between Money Claim Online and the newer online money claim service?

There are two HMCTS routes for starting a money claim online. Money Claim Online (MCOL) is the long-running service governed by Practice Direction 7E, and the newer Online Civil Money Claims service is reached through the main gov.uk money claim pages. Which one your claim uses depends on its value and features — gov.uk directs you to the right service when you start. Both end up in the County Court, and the underlying rules about deadlines, judgment and enforcement are the same.

Is it cheaper to issue a claim online than on paper?

No. Court issue fees are banded by the value of the claim, but the fee for a given band is exactly the same whether you issue online (MCOL / Online Civil Money Claims) or on paper with Form N1 — the HMCTS EX50 fees schedule draws no distinction and gov.uk states plainly that no paper surcharge exists. Filing online is faster, gives you an instant case number, and is easier to track, but it will not save you money on the court fee.

Can I use the online service for a claim against someone outside England and Wales?

No. The online money claim services are for claims where the defendant has an address for service in England or Wales. If the defendant is elsewhere, you will normally need to issue on paper and deal with the additional rules about serving a claim outside the jurisdiction.

What happens after I submit the claim online?

The court issues the claim and it is served on the defendant, who then has the normal response window — 14 days from deemed service, extended to 28 days from service of the particulars if they file an acknowledgment of service. You track the case through your online account, and if the defendant does not respond you can request a default judgment through the same service.

Can I claim interest through the online service?

Yes. For most debt claims you can add statutory interest at 8% per year under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984, calculated from when the money fell due to the date you issue, plus a daily rate afterwards. The online forms let you include the calculation as part of the claim.

Do online claims still go to a hearing if the defendant defends?

They can. A defended claim comes out of the purely online flow and is allocated to a track in the usual way — most lower-value disputes go to the small claims track. Some cases settle through the Small Claims Mediation Service without a hearing, but if not, the case is listed before a judge like any other claim.

What the online services cover

England and Wales runs two overlapping online routes for money claims. The original service, Money Claim Online, has operated for over two decades under Practice Direction 7E and handles claims for a specified sum up to £100,000 against one or two defendants with an address for service in England or Wales. The newer Online Civil Money Claims service, reached through the main gov.uk pages, has been gradually taking over the same ground with a more modern interface.

For a claimant, the distinction matters less than it sounds: gov.uk asks a few questions about your claim when you start and routes you into the right service. Both issue a real County Court claim, both charge the same banded court fees whether you file online or on paper, and both connect to the same downstream machinery of defences,

, judgment and enforcement.

What the online route does not change is the law. Deadlines, deemed service, the small claims track limit of £10,000, and the rules of evidence all apply exactly as they would to a paper claim. The screen is different; the claim is not.

How an online claim runs

• You create an account, name the defendant and their address in England or Wales, and set out brief particulars of the claim — what is owed and why.
• Add interest and fees.
• For most debt claims you can add statutory interest at 8% per year under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984, plus the court issue fee, which is claimed back from the defendant.
• You pay the banded issue fee online (see the EX50 schedule for current figures) and the court issues and serves the claim.
• Defendant responds — or not.
• The defendant can pay, admit, defend or counterclaim within the normal deadlines. If they do nothing, you can request a
• through your account.
• Defended claims leave the online flow.
• A defended case is allocated to a track — usually the small claims track for lower-value disputes — and may be referred to the

A tutor is owed £1,800 by a client who stopped paying invoices four months ago. After a Letter Before Action brings no reply, she starts a claim through gov.uk. The money fell due 120 days before issue, so she adds statutory interest.

Interest at 8% per year × 120 days

Daily rate going forward

Claim as issued (plus court fee)

The claim is issued and served the same week. The client admits the debt and asks to pay by instalments; the tutor accepts through her online account without either of them attending court. Had the client defended, the £1,800 dispute would have been allocated to the small claims track.

Small Claims Mediation Service

Practice Direction 7E — Money Claim Online

Make a money claim online

County Courts Act 1984, section 69

EX50 — civil and family court fees

Money Claim Online (MCOL) — Small Claims Glossary

What Money Claim Online is, how the HMCTS online money claim services work, who can use them, and what happens after you issue a county court claim online.