Another question: collecting societies and payment thresholds

This blogger is just starting to get a few emails trickling in by way of response to yesterday's request for recommended reading material on copyright protection of algorithms -- and now there's already another request for information.

One of our readers wants to know about the thresholds beneath which copyright collecting societies, citing administrative costs or other reasons, do not make payments to rights holders. It seems that some collecting societies are quite open about their thresholds, while others are a bit coy. There doesn't seem to be a distribution threshold 'league table' and the value of such a table might in any event be dubious, given the different levels of activity, opportunities for economies of scale and local banking and administrative costs of distributing the collected income. Even so, any relevant information and comment is welcomed, particularly if it can be verified (eg links to collecting society web pages, posted as Comments below). Thanks!