Smart Collect 24/7, which uses technology developed by Intelligent Environments, is the latest addition to Experian's innovative suite of collections tools. It gives banks, retailers and other providers the ability to provide their customers with the tools to manage their arrears, securely make payments, set up direct debits and create payment plans through internet enabled devices, including mobile phones, around the clock.

Simon Waller, Head of Customer Management and Collections, at Experian UK&I comments: "The addition of Smart Collect to our collections portfolio will enable organisations to offer a more viable and convenient service to debtors they are collecting from. By providing customers with the flexibility to manage their arrears in the same way that they bank, online collections services are bringing convenience to customers."

Colin Sullivan, head of sales at Intelligent Environments, commented: "Experian is a leader in the collections space and we are delighted to partner with them to bring simpler and more innovative debt repayment methods to the market. Self-service financial management is becoming increasingly popular with more than half (54%) of UK internet users now registered for online banking[1]. By increasing the number of channels through which people can resolve and pay their debts, the returns on collections should rise too."