Suede Collections SOP – Full End-to-End Process

Purpose

Ensure Suede’s collections process is professional, compliant, and efficient, using live calls, messages, settlements, and third-party escalation to engage merchants regarding outstanding balances while protecting sensitive information.

Authentication / Account Verification (Inbound & Outbound)

Confirm the caller is authorized to discuss the account before sharing any balance or payment information.

Procedure:

• Ask for Merchant Name.
• Confirm the individual calling is associated with the account.
• Ask for a Secondary Identifier (one or more, if applicable):
  • Last 4 digits of EIN/SSN
  • Business address on file
  • Phone number on file
• Only proceed with balance discussion after confirming identity.
• If the caller cannot authenticate, do not discuss the account.
• Log the attempt in the system and follow escalation protocol.

Reference:
For full guidance on authentication procedures, see Suede Authentication Guide.

Collections Report Workflow (Ticket & CRM Process)

Navigate to the Ticket module.

1. Click RPT to open the Collections Report.
2. Apply filter:
   • Set Collection Company = Internal/House
3. Click Search.
4. Under the To Do column, click the wheel icon.
5. Update the section based on the action being taken. DO NOT TOUCH COLLECTION STATUS 
   • Click Save once complete.
   • Activity will automatically display after saving.
6. Click the MID to open the merchant account.
7. Navigate to the Collection Module within the account and update accordingly.
8. Return to the Ticket and confirm:
   • Notes added via the wheel are visible
   • Ticket is updated properly
   • Ticket is closed when the process is complete

Outreach Requirement

• Make three contact attempts: Call, SMS, and Email.
• Allow 7-business-day response window after the final email attempt.
• Document all outreach attempts in the Collection Ticket, including date, method, and outcome.
• Future automation: Any SMS, email, or settlement offer sent automatically should also create or append a comment in the Collection Ticket for proper tracking.

Contact Flow / Timing Recommendation 

First-Party Collections – Live Calls

Inbound Call Script (Merchant Calling In)
“Thank you for calling Suede, this is [Agent Name]. How may I assist you today?”
“Our records show an outstanding balance of $[Amount] on your account. This balance is related to [brief explanation].”
“How would you like to make the payment today?”

Outbound Call Script (Live Agent Only)
“Hello [Merchant Name], this is [Agent Name] from Suede.” “For quality and training purposes, this call is being recorded.”
“Our records show an outstanding balance of $[Amount] on your account. This balance is related to [brief explanation].”
“How would you like to make the payment today?”

First-Party Collections – Voicemail Script (Outbound Only)

Voicemail Script (General – No Account Details):
“This is [Agent Name] from Suede. Please return my call at [phone number]. Thank you.”

Agent Notes:

• Engage merchant first — confirm it’s a good time to talk.
• Keep conversation neutral, factual, and compliant.
• Document call outcome (answered, voicemail, call back requested). 

Manual Outreach (SMS / Email)

SMS – Day 2-3
Note: Currently sent manually by agents; future automation planned.

“Dear $accounts-cf_780$, Please be advised that there is outstanding balance of $colldue$ with Suede. Please contact us at (866)-811-1005. Thank you”

Email – Day 4-5
Note: Currently sent manually by agents; future automation planned.

Email template

Subject: Action Required – Outstanding Balance (MID: [MID], DBA: [DBA]) – Suede

Dear [Merchant Name],

Our records show an outstanding balance of $[Amount] on your account with Suede.

Please contact us at (866) 811-1005 or clientrelations@suede.com to make a payment or discuss available options.

If you believe this is in error or have questions, our team is here to help.

Please respond within 7 business days.

Thank you,
Suede

Settlement Offer – Balances $500+

Note: Currently sent manually by agents; future automation planned for eligible accounts.

Purpose: Provide a factual way for eligible merchants to resolve their account.

Eligibility:

• Account balance $500 or more
• Merchant has not responded to SMS or email

Settlement Rule:

• Standard settlement: 80% of outstanding balance
• Example: Outstanding balance = $1,000 → Settlement = $800

Manager Approval:

• Any settlement requested below 80% of the balance requires manager approval before committing.

Email Template:
Subject: Settlement Option – Suede Account Balance

Dear [Merchant Name],
Your account balance of $[Amount] can be settled for $[Settlement Amount – 80% of balance] if paid by [Date].
Please review your account and make payment securely here: [Secure Portal Link].
If you have any questions, contact us at clientrelations@suede.com or call [phone number].
Thank you,
Suede

• Only send once per eligible account.
• Stop further outreach once the merchant responds.
• Document all responses and settlement agreements in the Collection Ticket.

Payment Arrangements
Merchants may request to pay outstanding balances over time.

Setup Guidelines:

Duration / Payment Limits:

• Payment plans over 6 months require manager approval.
• Payment plans 6 months or less can be set up directly by the agent.
• For balances under $300, merchants may have up to 3 payments maximum.

Documentation:

• Record all payment arrangements in the Collection Ticket.
• Include: payment amounts, dates, and the payment method(s) being used.
• When sending the “Payment Arrangement Template” canned response, remove any payment methods that are not applicable to the merchant before sending the email.

New Bank or Credit Card Information:

• If a merchant provides new checking or credit card information:
  1. Collect the signed DocuSign agreement and a voided check (for checking accounts).
  2. Send the documents to the Accounting team at neilc@merchantindustry.com.
  3. Accounting will process the payment once received.
• If the merchant is paying with a checking account already on file, the payment can be debited directly from the Payment Gateway.
  • Navigate to Payment Gateway
  • Click "Make Payment"
  • Complete the Transaction details:
    • Payment Mode: Power ACH
    • Transfer Reference Note: (e.g., “Payment Plan”)
    • Amount: Enter the payment amount
    • Balance Sheet: Select “Yes”
    • Payment Type: Debit
    • Recurring: Select if setting up a recurring plan with consistent dates
    • Effective Date: Date the transaction is submitted
    • Click Validate, then Add Important Notes
      • Once submitted, the payment is sent to Accounting for processing.
      • “In Transit” status means the payment has already been sent to the merchant’s bank.
      • The CRM will not show the payment as “Settled” until approximately 7 business days, even though the merchant may have already received the funds.
      • This delay ensures the payment does not reject at a later date.

Future Automation:

• Logging and manager approval workflows may be automated in the future to streamline the process. 

Third-Party Submission (Oxygen)

Eligibility for Submission:

• Balance > $100
• Merchant is unresponsive after 3 outreach attempts (call, SMS, email)
• Collection Ticket fully documented: "Balance over $100 send to Oxygen, uploaded documents - Emailed merch sent to Oxygen. Closed Collection Ticket." 

Do NOT send:

• Balance ≤ $100 → Status should be "Charge Off" Close Collection Ticket and document:
  “Merchant is not responsive – Closing Collection Ticket. Unable to send to Oxygen because balance ≤ $100."

Additional Requirement:

• If the merchant has not processed in over 30 days, submit a Close MID Ticket and complete the procedure before submission.

ISO Confirmation Requirement
Before submitting accounts from the following ISOs to Oxygen, confirm whether the ISO should be charged for the account:

• Attempt to obtain ISO confirmation twice.
• If there is no response after two attempts, contact the merchant directly.
• If the merchant refuses to pay:
  • Check ISO split percentage:
    • 50% or higher → Charge the ISO’s books and send an email using the Freshdesk canned response: “Charge Collection to ISO ___ Books.”
    • Under 50% → Follow standard procedures to submit the account to Oxygen.
• Document all steps and communication in the Collection Ticket.
• Ensure all actions and approvals are documented prior to moving the account to Oxygen.

Promotex Collection Handling:
For Promotex accounts, if the outstanding balance is $150 or less, reach out to Lois at support15@promotex.com for review before submitting to Oxygen, as the balance may be eligible for write-off. Ensure all communication and decisions are documented in the Collection Ticket.

Direct Sales FL & NYC ISOs Requiring Confirmation:

• Mecca
• Act Merchant Corp [3978]
• Promotex
• Youseff / Mazen Alghaberi (Merchant World) – Secure Card Management
• Hopping Group (Joseph Ferragamo & Raquel Dambrosi)
• NEP

ISO confirmation must be documented in the Collection Ticket prior to transfer.

Moving the Account to Oxygen (CRM Steps)

1. Navigate: Merchant → Collection → Internal Collection → Move to Oxygen
2. Select Collection Code:

3. Click Move to Oxygen → verify → click Move to Oxygen again
4. Upload required documents: Click move to Oxygen→ Upload→ MPA + Invoice.  
   1. Submission confirmation

Once documents are uploaded and transfer is complete, close the Collection Ticket.

Required Comments:

Comment for To Wheel:

"Any account over 60 days and with a balance over $100 has been sent to Oxygen. All required documents were uploaded and the merchant was notified via email, attached invoice FD ticket- . The collection ticket has been closed."

Template: Suede – Notice of Transfer to Third Party Collections – MID: [MID] | DBA: [DBA]

Attach invoice 

If Documents Cannot Be Uploaded

Email Oxygen directly with the MPA and Invoice attached.

Subject: 

Merchant Business Name (MID)- Documents & Fees

Email Body:

Hello, 

The collection balance of $_______ is for an ACH rejected related to ____________ fees.

Please review attached documents for [Merchant Name].

Thank you,

After emailing, close the ticket.

Merchant Payments After Transfer to Oxygen

Once a merchant account has been transferred to Oxygen:

• Merchants should be directed to contact Oxygen directly to make any payments on their account.
• If a merchant insists on paying Suede directly, the payment may be accepted and must be processed accordingly.

If payment is accepted by Suede:

• Confirm payment is fully settled in Suede’s system.
• Ensure the ISO is charged in the books.
• Document all payment details in the Collection Ticket.
• Email Oxygen to request account removal/update of payment status.

Send notification to:

• mharmse@oxygenxl.com
• smarais@oxygenxl.com
• clientservices@oxygenxl.com

Include in the email:

• Merchant MID
• Payment confirmation details
• Note that the merchant was informed to contact Oxygen for future payments

Merchant Notification Requirement (Post-Oxygen Transfer):
Merchants must be advised that all future payments should be made directly to Oxygen after the transfer is complete.

• Send an email notification to the merchant via Freshdesk.

• Use the designated Canned Response for third-party collections notification.

• Subject: Account Sent to Third-Party Collections – {MID}

• Document that the email was sent in the Collection Ticket.

Bonuses & Incentives

• Eligibility: Only PBX-recorded calls qualify; personal cell phone recordings do not.

• Collections Outside Automation / Batch: Agents earn a 10% incentive for manual collections outside automated workflows.

  Qualifying Examples:

  • Live calls not part of automated SMS/email campaigns.
  • Manual settlement offers ≥ $500 resulting in payment.
  • Following up on unresponsive merchants and successfully arranging payment.

• Non-Qualifying: Automated batch payments or personal phone recordings.

• Requirements: All actions must be documented in the Collection Ticket and FDCPA-compliant. Supervisors will verify eligibility before payout.