AI reshapes collections in 2026, entering an era of global, intelligent infrastructure

Sydney, Australia – 27 November 2025 — InDebted, the global leader in AI collections infrastructure, today released its 2026 Collections Playbook, an industry report equipping sector leaders with key insights & findings for the year ahead. Based on data from more than two million repayment journeys across five countries, the report shows that the most effective collections strategies in 2026 will be intelligence-led, empathetic, and entirely responsive to each customer.

“AI has moved from toolkit to operating model. It’s not an experiment anymore, it’s the foundation of how modern organisations operate. The leaders who still treat it as optional are missing the point. Like the internet or a spreadsheet, it should be built into your daily workflow. Success isn’t about the sophistication of your tools, but about the impact they have on productivity, performance and customer outcomes.”

Across InDebted’s platform, AI now delivers 97% classification accuracy, achieves 80% resolution rates, responds up to 100x faster than human teams, and has recorded zero SLA breaches. Messages authored by AI convert 33% more often than those written by humans, underscoring the shift to real-time intelligence.

Yet performance is only part of the transformation. With rising household debt and increasing signs of financial vulnerability, the playbook highlights how automation is enabling earlier, more human interventions. InDebted’s AI models detect over 225 high-risk keywords, flagging signs of hardship before they escalate. Since launch, the system is proactively surfacing hardship cases, enabling faster, more compassionate support from specialist teams.

“Regulators in markets like the UK, Australia and New Zealand are making early intervention a clear expectation,” Foreman added. “Our data shows that with the right infrastructure, organisations can meet this standard globally and achieve better outcomes for both customers and their portfolios.”

The report also challenges long-standing assumptions about digital engagement. Customers aged 61 to 79 now convert at 29%, reducing the generational gap in adoption. Behaviour-led design is emerging as a key driver of performance: after redesigning its repayment experience, InDebted saw resolution times improve by up to eightfold in some markets, alongside higher instalment values.

Channel performance continues to vary by market, reinforcing the need for localisation at global scale. Email now delivers the fastest conversion in the US, UK, Canada and New Zealand, while SMS remains strongest in Australia. Customers with both email and mobile details repay up to 4.5x more than those with a single contact method. The report also highlights that optimal message frequency depends heavily on context — more frequent contact improves early-stage conversions, while lighter, more deliberate outreach works best for long-tail accounts.

Together, the findings show a clear shift is underway. Collections is moving away from outdated, inconsistent customer touchpoints and toward a modern, intelligence-led infrastructure. Institutions increasingly recognise that staying competitive means delivering consistent, digital-first experiences that meet the standard customers now expect.

The 2026 Collections Playbook, including full data insights, expert commentary and practical recommendations for lenders, fintechs and financial platforms, is available now at indebted.co/the-2026-collections-playbook/

Methodology

This playbook draws on InDebted’s proprietary data from over two million customers’ repayment journeys across Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand. We analysed key behavioural and performance signals — including conversion rates, repayment speed, communication trends, and payment behaviour — normalised across markets and product types. All data was aggregated and anonymised to protect customer privacy.

About InDebted

InDebted is the global leader in human-centered debt resolution. Forward-thinking organisations choose InDebted’s AI-powered collections and decisioning solutions to move beyond outdated methods, deliver better consumer experiences, and improve overall financial wellbeing. Operating in seven countries and growing, InDebted is on a mission to change the world of consumer debt for good. Discover more at www.indebted.co