Stage I of the Recovery Ladder
Pre-Collect
Three letters on agency letterhead, one flat fee per account. Anything unresolved rolls forward only with notice to you.
What it is
The bottom rung of the ladder, and where most engagements begin and end. Pre-Collect is a defined letter service, not a collection campaign — which is precisely why it protects the relationship you still want.
- Three letters on Action Recovery letterhead, sent on a fixed schedule.
- No telephone contact during the series. Nothing improvised.
- Everything recovered during the series is yours in full — this is a flat-fee service, not a contingency arrangement.
- Accounts still unresolved when the series ends roll forward into Full Recovery, and you are told which accounts are moving before they move.
Terms
What it costs, stated plainly.
- What you keep
- You keep 100% of what comes in
- Fee basis
- Flat fee per account, volume-tiered
- Billed at signing
- Yes — prepaid at signup
Pending compliance review
Volume tiers
Minimum placement 10 accounts. Prepaid at signup.
| Accounts placed | Fee per account |
|---|---|
| 10–25 | $15.95 |
| 26–50 | $14.95 |
| 51–75 | $12.95 |
| 76–100 | $11.95 |
| 101+ | $10.95 |
Pending compliance review
Best fit
Current and recently past-due accounts, placed in volume, where the customer relationship still matters.
Not this stage
Accounts already years old, or customers who have gone silent for a long stretch — those skip the letters and place directly into Straight Contingency.
How it works
Four steps, and you stay in control of every one.
Describe your receivables
How old the accounts are, typical balances, how many, and what you’ve already tried. That’s everything a recommendation needs.
Get a recommendation, not a pitch
You’re pointed to the stage of the ladder that fits your accounts — including “start with letters and keep 100%” when that’s the honest answer.
Agree in writing
A straightforward agreement defines the service, the fee basis, and when work begins. Nothing starts until it’s signed.
Recovery begins
Letters go out, or accounts place directly — and escalation past any stage happens only with notice to you.
Questions creditors ask
Asked before you had to ask.
What exactly does a Pre-Collect account receive?
A series of three letters on agency letterhead, sent on a fixed schedule. No telephone calls are made during the series. You see the same sequence your customers see before you place a single account.
What do we keep from what the letters recover?
All of it. Pre-Collect is a flat per-account service rather than a contingency arrangement, so payments that come in during the letter series go to you in full.
What happens to accounts the letters do not resolve?
When the series ends you receive a notification listing the specific accounts still unresolved, and those accounts move into Full Recovery — active contingency collection. Nothing transfers before you have been told which accounts are moving.
Is there a minimum placement?
Yes. Pre-Collect is a volume service with a minimum placement size, and the per-account fee falls as the placement grows. The tiers are published on this page.
The rest of the ladder
Not the right stage? These are the others.
Talk to the advisor
Where do your accounts sit on the ladder?
Every engagement starts the same way: describe your receivables — how old, how large, how many, what’s been tried — and get an honest read on how far up the ladder they’d ever need to travel. Often the answer is “not far.”