Billtrust AI: Optimal Collections Strategy with Agentic Tech

Key Points

In an era where digital transformation is rapidly reshaping the financial landscape, the efficiency of accounts receivable (AR) processes remains a critical determinant of business health. Traditional collections methods, often reliant on manual effort and generalized strategies, frequently fall short in optimizing recovery rates while maintaining positive customer relationships. Recognizing this challenge, Billtrust, a leading name in B2B payments, has unveiled a significant advancement: the integration of artificial intelligence (AI)-powered agentic procedures into its automated collections software, simply known as Collections. This strategic enhancement marks a pivotal moment in how finance teams approach debt recovery, moving towards a more intelligent, data-driven paradigm.

Revolutionizing Collections with Agentic AI

The newly launched Collections Agentic Procedures represents a sophisticated evolution in automated collections. Unlike conventional systems that might follow predetermined scripts, this agentic AI learns and adapts. By continuously analyzing every customer interaction, the system develops a nuanced understanding of buyer behavior, subsequently recommending the most effective outreach strategy. This capability transcends basic automation, embedding a layer of intelligence that promises to transform the often-challenging task of collections into a streamlined, data-optimized process.

The Power of Insights360

At the heart of Billtrust’s agentic innovation lies Billtrust Insights360, an embedded AI layer within the broader Billtrust platform. Insights360 serves as the analytical engine, meticulously scrutinizing vast amounts of behavioral data across Billtrust's extensive network. This deep analysis of buyer behavior enables the platform to deliver actionable insights, providing the foundation upon which the agentic procedures formulate their strategic recommendations. It's this continuous learning and data-driven intelligence that differentiates Billtrust's approach, ensuring that collection efforts are not just automated, but truly optimized.

Tailored Outreach Strategies for Maximum Impact

With the robust data processing capabilities of Insights360, Collections Agentic Procedures excel at precise buyer segmentation. This critical function allows the AI to categorize customers based on a spectrum of factors, including their historical risk profiles and specific payment behaviors. This segmentation is paramount for developing truly effective outreach strategies, which consider:

• Optimal Timing: Identifying the most opportune moment to contact a customer, significantly increasing the likelihood of a successful interaction.
• Frequency Control: Determining the ideal number of contacts to ensure consistent follow-up without leading to customer fatigue or annoyance.
• Channel Optimization: Recommending the most suitable communication channel—be it email, phone, or other digital means—tailored to individual buyer preferences and historical response rates.

By enabling such precision, the solution mitigates common issues like over-contact and minimizes friction in the collection process. This customer-centric approach not only boosts recovery rates but also significantly enhances the overall customer experience, fostering stronger business relationships.

Driving Efficiency and Enhancing Customer Relations

The benefits of Billtrust’s Agentic AI extend beyond mere technical sophistication. For finance teams, the impact is profound. Lee An Schommer, Billtrust Chief Product Officer, highlighted this, stating, “By combining behavioral segmentation with AI-optimized outreach, we’re helping finance teams reduce manual workloads while driving materially higher recovery rates. This isn’t incremental automation — it’s a new standard for intelligent collections that balances efficiency with customer experience.” This underscores the dual advantage of the system: a significant reduction in manual tasks allows finance professionals to focus on more strategic initiatives, while the intelligent outreach mechanism ensures better financial outcomes.

This sentiment was echoed by Billtrust CEO Sunil Rajasekar, who noted earlier in the year regarding previous AI enhancements, “We’re delivering the future of collections — intelligent, automated and customer-centric.” The consistent messaging from leadership emphasizes Billtrust's commitment to a holistic, AI-driven transformation of accounts receivable, ensuring that technological advancements directly translate into tangible business value and improved customer satisfaction.

The Broader Impact of AI in Accounts Receivable

Billtrust’s strategy for AI integration is not about wholesale automation but rather about intelligent, incremental upgrades across the entire accounts receivable function. Dave Ruda, Billtrust Vice President of Product, articulated this philosophy in an interview, explaining, “You can’t AI everything. There’s no such thing. It’s more, ‘where do we see the most amount of human-in-the-loop manual effort, and how can we make that robotic’ — then eventually move to human-on-the-loop, which requires visibility.” This pragmatic approach ensures that AI is applied where it yields the most significant impact, transforming laborious manual processes into efficient, automated workflows, while still allowing for human oversight and strategic intervention.

The growing acceptance and deployment of agentic AI within the finance sector is further evidenced by industry reports. A PYMNTS Intelligence report, “How Agentic AI Went From Zero to CFO Test Runs in 90 Days,” revealed that nearly 7% of U.S. enterprise chief financial officers have already implemented agentic AI in live finance workflows, with an additional 5% actively running pilot programs. This trend underscores a broader industry recognition of agentic AI's potential to deliver substantial returns on investment, particularly for businesses that have already embraced generative AI.

Conclusion: Shaping the Future of Fintech Collections

Billtrust’s launch of Agentic AI for collections is more than just a product update; it represents a significant leap forward in financial technology. By leveraging advanced AI to recommend optimal outreach strategies, Billtrust is not only enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of accounts receivable but also setting a new benchmark for customer-centric collections. This innovation exemplifies the transformative power of AI in fintech, enabling businesses to achieve higher recovery rates, reduce operational costs, and build stronger, more positive relationships with their customers in an increasingly digital and data-driven world.