A del credere agent can most easily be understood as a combination of a salesperson and an insurance firm. Notably, a del credere agent only becomes liable to pay the principal after the buyer defaults on payment. If the principal is unable to collect for some other reason, such as a dispute over the goods delivered, the del credere agent is not liable. Payment for the insurance services is made in the form of an additional sales commission, known as a "del credere commission".