Collect! Credit and Collection Software™

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How To Enter A New Debtor

This document discusses entering a new Debtor in your Collect! database. It is assumed that you have signed into Collect! as a user with access rights to enter information into the fields on the Debtor form.

Opening The Debtor Form

There are 2 ways to access the Debtor form to create a new account:

  • Browse Debtors
  • From the Client Screen

We are going to use the Client's Debtor list in this walk through.

Useful Note Debtors must be attached to a Client so that all the month end financials will calculate correctly when you are figuring your commission and what you owe your clients.

  1. Select Browse from the top menu bar and then select Clients from the drop-down choices. The list of all clients will be displayed.
  2. Choose the Client whose new Debtor you are about to enter.
  3. When the correct Client form is displayed, you can select the ADVANCED button on the Client form, if necessary, to enter, modify or simply verify the settings, such as Commission Rate, Tax Rate, Operator assigned to new accounts, and other settings you may need. When you are finished with the Client Settings form, select the OK button to close it and return to the Client form.
  4. Click into the Debtor List, then click the NEW button. A new Debtor form will be displayed.

Useful Note An important question will help you to enter your debtor information correctly right from the start. Will you ever need to report the information to a credit bureau? If so, you will need to pay special attention to the fields on the Debtor form. Many are related to information that will be sent to the credit bureaus when you produce a CBR file. You will notice that some fields have a FOR CBR note attached to them when you view the pop up help for the field. These are fields where information must be entered in a particular way if you ever intend to report this debtor to credit bureaus. These fields have additional information in the field help that outlines the proper formats required.

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Debtor Form

Click Here to View this Form.

Print, PDF, or keep this section handy as you will need to populate the Debtor fields correctly.

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Default Fields Populated

Some fields on the Debtor form are filled in automatically by Collect! when you create a new account for an existing Client.

  1. Locate the File field and notice the number that Collect! has assigned to this account.
  2. Warning Note WARNING: The File Number is an auto-generated unique identifier for this account and should not be confused with the Client's Account number in the Acct field.

  3. The Client field and next to it, the Client's number, will have the client that you created the account from.
  4. Warning Note WARNING: The Client Name or Number will need to be populated manually if you added the account from the Browse Debtor list.

  5. The Mode field is filled with 'Active'. This is the correct Mode for all accounts that you are actively working. It ensures correct calculations of financials an enables your operators to work the accounts from their WIP Lists.
  6. The Listed field will have today's date.
  7. The Rate field will show the Commission Rate based on the Client's settings.
  8. The Operator and Sales fields will show the account assignment.
  9. The Run Plan field will have the Contact Plan scheduled to run, if one is set on the Client Settings. Do NOT empty this field, or the Plan will not run.
  10. If you have set any fields to populate with a Control File, they will be set now.

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Popup Help

In addition to the Debtor form information above, you can also enable the Popup while you are learning how to enter a new Debtor. Many fields require special formatting if you intend to report to credit bureaus and popup help alerts you to them.

Select Help from the top menu bar and then select 'Enable popup help' from the drop-down choices. If it is already enabled, you do not have to do anything to begin to use it. Simply hold your mouse over the field of your choice and help will display.

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Entering Debtor Identity And Demographic Information

Use the information from the Debtor Form section above as you fill the fields on the Debtor form, or hold your mouse over each field to read the details for that particular field, if you enabled the popup Help.

When looking at the Debtor form, there is a pseudo division line between the identity and demographic information on the left and the account information on the right, starting with the Dates.

  1. Enter the Debtor's name. It must be in "Last Name, First Middle" format.
  2. Select a Legal Entity if you want to track commercial accounts or report commercial accounts to the credit bureaus.
  3. Pay special attention to all references to credit bureau (FOR CBR) in the Debtor help for addresses. If you ever intend to report this Debtor to credit bureaus, enter the address information in the correct format.
  4. After filling in the Zip, the system will automatically check the Address OK box. This needs to be checked for letters to go out in Batch Printing.
  5. Fill in all other identity and demographic fields as you require.

Useful Note If you have account matching enabled, you may receive a prompt on the applicable fields like name or SSN asking if you want to add this account to the Group. If you select YES, Collect! can copy the identity and demographic information from the group to the newly entered account.

Useful Note The Timezone field should populate automatically, if you are using a Control File that sets it when the Phone or Zip fields are updated.

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Entering Account Financials And Assignment Information

  1. Enter the Client's Account Number/Identifier into the Acct field.
  2. Useful Note Depending on how you organize your accounts, if you receive the same account number multiple times, but for different invoices, you can store the account number here and the invoice number in another field, or vice versa.

  3. Forward and Legal are used for tracking, if you are outsourcing collections or legal activity.
  4. Type is optional and used for your own tracking purposes.
  5. Status is usually set in the initial Contact Plan; otherwise, enter one.
  6. If not already set, select an Operator.
  7. Click either the PRINCIPAL field or ADVANCED button.
  8. On the Assignment tab, enter the applicable dates from your client.
  9. Warning Note WARNING: For USA: Your Client must supply you with all applicable dates that match their selected Itemization Date.

    Useful Note For Credit Bureau Reporting, you must enter a Delinquency Date.

  10. Enter the Original Principal.
  11. If supplied, entered any other Original financials.
  12. If this account is contracted for Interest, go to the Interest tab.
    • Set the Interest Type
    • Set the Annual Interst Rate
    • Set the Calculate Interest From Date
    • Useful Note For more information, please refer to the How To section of the Help for setting up Simple, Compound, or Variable Interest.

  13. Click on the Commission Tab at the top to validate the information.
  14. Click on the Tax Tab at the top to validate the information.
  15. Click on the Fees Tab at the top to validate the information.
  16. Click OK to return to the main Debtor screen.

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Navigate The Tabs

  1. Enter any Notes for the account, including any Client Notes.
  2. Contacts, like Phone call follow ups, are usually set by the initial Contact Plan; otherwise, create a Phone contact.
  3. Useful Note If you are not using a New Business workflow (Contact or Action Plan), then you should also print or schedule the initial Letter. You should also consider creating a New Business Contact Plan to automate several of the steps of creating a new account.

  4. If applicable attach any documents supplied by the Client. Attachments can also be used to track other information like Assets or Health Insurance.
  5. Add any Related Parties, like Cosigner (Co-Debtors), Employers, or general contact people.
  6. The applicable transactions will have already been created. If there are more, like fees, add them now.
  7. If you take Checks by Phone, and the Client supplied banking information, enter it on the Detail tab until you get permission from the Debtor to use it.
  8. If you report this client's accounts to the Credit Bureau, and you have not enabled the Automatic Activation feature, go to the CBR tab and check the Report to Credit Bureau box.
  9. If this account was added to a group, go to the Group tab, click the Member Setup button and review the settings.

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Finalizing The Account

When you are satisfied that you have entered all the information that you want to enter, press OK or F8 to save the record. At this time, any previously scheduled contact plan (the code showing up in the Action field) will automatically run on the account. You will be returned to the Client form.

Useful Note If this is a new Client or Contact Plan, go back in to the account to ensure that the Contact Plan ran as expected.

If needed, add more accounts, repeating the steps above.

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