Money Claim Online (MCOL)

What Is Money Claim Online?

Money Claim Online (MCOL) is the UK government's internet-based service for issuing county court money claims. It is an alternative to completing the paper N1 claim form and posting or delivering it to the court. The service is provided by HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) and is available at moneyclaim.gov.uk.

MCOL allows you to issue a claim for a fixed amount of money (a specified amount) without having to visit a court in person. All claims issued through MCOL are processed by the County Court Money Claims Centre (CCMCC) in Salford. You can track the progress of your claim online, receive email notifications, and request judgment if the defendant does not respond.

The system was designed to make small claims court accessible to individuals and businesses who want to recover money owed to them without the complexity of traditional paper-based court processes. It is sometimes referred to simply as "MCOL" and is one of the most commonly used routes to start a county court claim in England and Wales.

Good to know:

Money Claim Online is not the same as the newer Online Civil Money Claims (OCMC) pilot service, which is a separate HMCTS reform project for claims up to £25,000. MCOL remains the established service for issuing claims up to £100,000.

Who Can Use Money Claim Online?

MCOL is available to both individuals and organisations, but there are certain eligibility requirements. You can use Money Claim Online if your claim meets all of the following criteria:

Claims for money only

Your claim must be for a specified amount of money. You cannot use MCOL to claim for the return of goods, to seek an injunction, or for non-monetary remedies. If you need something other than money, you must use the paper N1 form.

Claims up to £100,000

The total value of your claim, including interest, must not exceed £100,000. Claims above this threshold must be issued using the paper N1 form and may need to be issued in the High Court depending on the amount involved.

No more than 2 defendants

You can claim against one or two defendants using MCOL. If your dispute involves more than two defendants, you will need to use the paper N1 form instead. Each defendant must have a postal address in England or Wales.

Both parties must have addresses in England or Wales

Both the claimant and the defendant must have a postal address within England or Wales. You cannot use MCOL to issue a claim against a defendant based outside this jurisdiction, even if you yourself are based in the UK.

You must have an email address

MCOL communicates with claimants by email. You will need a working email address to register an account, receive notifications about your claim, and be alerted when the defendant responds.

Important:

If your claim does not meet any one of these criteria, you cannot use MCOL. You will need to complete a paper N1 claim form and file it with the court in the traditional way.

Advantages of Using Money Claim Online

There are several practical benefits to issuing your claim through MCOL rather than completing and posting a paper N1 form:

Available 24/7

Unlike attending a court office, you can issue your claim at any time of day or night, seven days a week. This is particularly useful if you work during court opening hours or need to meet a limitation deadline.

Track progress online

Once your claim is issued, you can log in to your MCOL account at any time to check its status. You can see whether the claim has been served, whether the defendant has responded, and what the next steps are.

Faster processing

Claims submitted online are typically processed faster than paper claims. The court does not need to manually enter your claim details, which reduces the time between submission and service on the defendant.

Email notifications

You will receive email alerts when there are updates to your claim, such as when the defendant files a response or when a judgment is entered. This means you do not need to wait for post or call the court to check progress.

No need to attend court to issue

You can issue your entire claim from home or your workplace. There is no need to travel to a court office, queue at a counter, or post documents. The court fee is paid online by debit or credit card.

Request judgment online

If the defendant does not respond within 14 days (for an admission) or 28 days (for a defence), you can request a default judgment directly through the MCOL system without filing any additional paperwork.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using MCOL

The process of issuing a money claim online involves seven main steps. Before you begin, make sure you have already sent a letter before action and followed the pre-action protocol. You should also have all the relevant details to hand: your own contact information, the defendant's full name and address, the amount owed, and a summary of why the money is due.

Step 1: Create an Account at moneyclaim.gov.uk

Visit www.moneyclaim.gov.uk and click on "Issue a claim". You will need to create a user account with a valid email address and password. You will receive an activation email - click the link to confirm your account before proceeding.

Keep your login details safe. You will need them to track your claim, request judgment, and manage your case going forward.

Step 2: Enter Your Details

Once logged in, you will be asked to enter your personal or business details as the claimant. This includes your full name (or company name), postal address, telephone number, and email address. If you are a business, you will need to enter the trading name and registered address.

Make sure these details are accurate. They will appear on the claim form that is sent to the defendant and on any court orders made in the case.

Step 3: Enter Defendant Details

Enter the full name and postal address of the person or organisation you are claiming against. If you are claiming against a company, use the registered company name and either the registered office or principal place of business. You can add up to two defendants.

The defendant's address must be in England or Wales. Getting the defendant's name right is crucial - an error could mean your judgment is unenforceable.

Step 4: Write Your Particulars of Claim

This is the most important part of your claim. You need to explain in clear terms why the defendant owes you money: what the agreement was, what went wrong, and what amount is due. The MCOL system has a maximum of 1,080 characters (including spaces) for the particulars of claim field.

Character limit tip: 1,080 characters is very short - roughly 150-180 words. If your claim requires more detailed particulars, you can write "See attached Particulars of Claim" in the MCOL field and post a separate document to the court and the defendant. See our guide on writing particulars of claim for help with drafting.

Step 5: Enter Claim Amount and Interest

Enter the amount of money you are claiming. If you are claiming interest on the debt, MCOL allows you to add this automatically. For most claims between individuals, you can claim interest at 8% per year under section 69 of the County Courts Act 1984. For commercial debts between businesses, you may be entitled to a higher rate under the Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998.

The system will calculate the daily interest rate for you and add accrued interest up to the date of issue. See our costs and timeline guide for details on court fees at each claim level.

Step 6: Pay the Court Fee Online

Once you have completed all the details, you will be asked to pay the court issue fee. MCOL accepts payment by debit or credit card. The fee depends on the amount you are claiming and is the same whether you use MCOL or the paper N1 form.

Court Fee Examples:

Up to £300: £35 fee
£300.01 to £500: £50 fee
£500.01 to £1,000: £70 fee
£1,000.01 to £1,500: £80 fee
£1,500.01 to £3,000: £115 fee
£3,000.01 to £5,000: £205 fee
£5,000.01 to £10,000: £455 fee
£10,000.01 to £100,000: 5% of the claim value

Step 7: Court Serves the Claim on the Defendant

After payment, the court will issue your claim and serve it on the defendant by first class post. The defendant will receive a claim pack containing the claim form, a response pack, and information about how to respond. The "deemed date of service" is five days after the claim was posted by the court.

The defendant then has 14 days from the deemed date of service to either admit the claim, file a defence, or acknowledge service (which extends the defence deadline to 28 days). You can monitor all of this through your MCOL account.

MCOL vs Paper N1 Form: Comparison

The table below summarises the key differences between using Money Claim Online and submitting a traditional paper N1 claim form:

Feature	Money Claim Online (MCOL)	Paper N1 Form
Processing speed	Faster - claim issued within hours	Slower - depends on court postal processing
Tracking	Online dashboard with email notifications	Phone the court or wait for post
Court fee	Same fee schedule (paid by card online)	Same fee schedule (paid by cheque or card)
Maximum claim value	£100,000	Unlimited (High Court for claims over £100,000)
Number of defendants	Maximum of 2	Unlimited
Particulars of claim	1,080 characters max (can attach separate document)	Unlimited length (attach additional pages)
Availability	24/7 (subject to maintenance windows)	Court office hours only (Mon-Fri)
Claim types	Money claims only (specified amounts)	All claim types (money, goods, injunctions)
Default judgment	Can be requested online	Must file form N225 or N227 by post

Common Issues with Money Claim Online

While MCOL is generally straightforward to use, there are several common issues that claimants encounter:

1,080 character limit for particulars

This is by far the most common frustration. Many claims, especially those involving breach of contract or disputes over services, need more space than 1,080 characters allows. The workaround is to type a brief summary in the MCOL field (e.g. "The claimant claims the sum of £X. See attached Particulars of Claim for full details.") and then post a full set of particulars of claim to the court and the defendant separately. The documents must arrive at the court within 14 days of the claim being issued.

System downtime and maintenance

MCOL occasionally goes offline for scheduled maintenance, typically at weekends. If you are working to a limitation deadline, do not leave it to the last minute. The system can also be slow during peak usage times. If the system is unavailable and your limitation period is about to expire, you should file a paper N1 form at your local court as a backup.

Printing documents for hearing

Although the claim is issued online, if the case proceeds to a hearing you will need paper copies of all documents. The court will expect you to bring a hearing bundle with copies of the claim form, defence, evidence, and any correspondence. MCOL allows you to view and print these from your account.

Transfers to local court

All MCOL claims are processed centrally at the CCMCC in Salford. If the defendant files a defence, the case is transferred to the defendant's local county court. This can sometimes cause delays as paperwork is transferred between courts. You may need to contact the local court directly for updates at this stage.

What Happens After You Submit Your Claim

After you complete the online form and pay the court fee, the following sequence of events takes place:

Claim is issued

The court assigns a claim number and the claim is officially issued. This usually happens within a few hours of payment during working days, or the next working day if submitted outside office hours.

Claim form served on defendant

The court posts the claim form and response pack to the defendant by first class post. The deemed date of service is five days after the date of postage.

Defendant has 14 days to respond

From the deemed date of service, the defendant has 14 days to file an admission, make a counterclaim, or acknowledge service. If they acknowledge service, the deadline extends to 28 days for a full defence.

If no response - request default judgment

If the defendant fails to respond within the time limit, you can request a default judgment through your MCOL account. This means the court orders the defendant to pay you without a hearing.

If defended - case transferred

If the defendant files a defence, the case is transferred from the CCMCC to the defendant's local county court. The court will then allocate the case to the appropriate track (usually small claims for amounts up to £10,000) and give directions for a hearing. See our guide on defended claims for more detail.

For full details on what happens at each stage after issuing your claim, see our guide on processing a county court claim.

When NOT to Use Money Claim Online

MCOL is a useful tool, but it is not suitable for every situation. You should not use Money Claim Online if:

Your claim is not for money

If you are seeking the return of goods, specific performance of a contract, an injunction, or any non-monetary remedy, MCOL cannot be used. You will need to file a paper N1 form with the relevant court.

You have more than 2 defendants

MCOL only allows claims against one or two defendants. If your dispute involves three or more parties (for example, a claim against multiple contractors), you must use the paper form.

Your particulars need to be lengthy

While you can technically attach a separate particulars document, some claimants prefer the simplicity of including everything on the N1 form itself. If your claim involves complex facts, multiple invoices, or detailed chronologies, the paper form gives you unlimited space. See our guide on particulars of claim for advice on what to include.

The defendant is outside England and Wales

Both parties must have addresses within England or Wales. If the defendant is based in Scotland, Northern Ireland, or abroad, you cannot use MCOL and will need to consider which court has jurisdiction.

Your claim exceeds £100,000

Claims above £100,000 cannot be issued through MCOL. These typically need to be issued in the High Court using the paper N1 form and may require additional procedures.

Practical Tips for Using MCOL

Draft your particulars first

Write your particulars of claim in a separate document first, checking the character count carefully. Paste them into MCOL only when you are satisfied. The system does not save partial drafts, so if your session times out you will lose your work.

Check the defendant's name carefully

If you are claiming against a company, search Companies House to confirm the exact registered name. A misspelled company name could make any judgment unenforceable. For individuals, use their legal name rather than a nickname or abbreviation.

Keep copies of everything

Print or save a PDF of your completed claim once it is issued. Also keep copies of your letter before action, any correspondence with the defendant, invoices, contracts, and any other evidence. You will need these if the case goes to a hearing.

Do not forget your letter before action

Before issuing any claim, including through MCOL, you must send a letter before action giving the defendant a reasonable opportunity to settle (usually 14 days). Failing to follow the pre-action protocol could result in costs penalties, even if you win the case.

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