Some states have a procedural tool—known as a suit on an account, a suit for an account, or a suit on a sworn account—that limits the evidence and pleading requirements for a creditor to establish its right to recovery on certain types of accounts in a lawsuit to collect a debt. These procedural tools are designed to reduce the cost of a creditor’s recovery of a debt on such accounts, and usually apply to transactions in which there is a sale upon one side and a purchase upon the other, and title to personal property passes from one to the other, creating a debtor-creditor relationship by a general course of dealing.

A sworn account is not an independent cause of action or basis for recovery, but requires the defendant to file a sworn denial of the account to avoid having the court grant judgment against the defendant early in the litigation process (summary judgment).

In Missouri, a suit on a sworn account is a procedural mechanism that creditors can use to streamline the process of debt collection in cases involving a clear debtor-creditor relationship, typically arising from transactions of sale and purchase where title to personal property is transferred. This procedure simplifies the evidence and pleading requirements for the creditor to establish their right to recovery. The sworn account must detail the debt owed and is presented under oath. The defendant is then required to file a sworn denial to contest the account; failure to do so may result in the court granting a summary judgment in favor of the creditor. This process is intended to reduce litigation costs for creditors by expediting the legal proceedings when the facts of the debt are not in dispute. It's important to note that while this tool can facilitate debt recovery, it does not constitute an independent cause of action.