Beyond ARM vs. Collect! Comparison Chart

Accounts Receivable refers to the software and processes that companies use to collect moneys owed to them by customers for goods or services already provided. Consumers have purchased goods or services on credit, the business needs a systematic, automated process to collect the moneys owed. This may or may not involve reporting the outstanding amounts to credit bureaus.

First party pre-collections departments, third-party collection agencies, and debt buyers use software automations to contact consumers by letter, telephone, email, text, What's App and other communication methods, provide information, provide documents, encourage inbound calls, create agent work-queues, facilitate payments, offer settlements, create payment plans to assist consumers to resolve their debts, and interact with other systems. Collection software enables efficient invoice-to-cash processes.

Debt Collection refers to the software and processes that debt collection agencies use to collect moneys owed to their clients, who are the original creditors for goods or services already provided. Consumers have purchased goods or services on credit with the original creditors and are expected to pay either in a lump sum or in instalments. In the event that an account becomes delinquent, the original creditor will move the debt to their internal pre-collections department, or will bundle the debt with other delinquent accounts, and pass them to a third-party collection agency, or bundle and sell the debt to debt buyers. Pre-collections departments, third-party collection agencies and debt buyers need a systematic, automated process to collect the moneys owed. This may or may not involve reporting the outstanding amount to credit bureaus.