Under the agreement, Intrum will assume responsibility for collections and recoveries on a white label basis for loan, credit card and store card products.

“I am very pleased to see this transformational partnership between Intrum UK and Sainsbury’s Bank. This mandate is a true testament to Intrum’s strong track record of sustainable debt-collection and ability to leverage added value to our clients’ customer journey; both in terms of bringing down out-standing credits and in diligent and fair customer care”, said Anette Willumsen, MD CMS Sales & Service Development and Markets.

The deal means the supermarket bank will benefit from Intrum’s bespoke collections technology as well as its award-winning expertise in customer care.

“We are delighted to be working with the Sainsbury’s and Argos brands to deliver a streamlined and progressive collections service,” said Intrum UK Managing Director Eddie Nott. “Our people, systems and technology not only increase efficiency; they deliver the best collections experience for consumers. This means access to a wide range of digital tools as well as individually-tailored customer care at the end of the phone if they need it.”

Intrum’s specialist technology includes propriety software, real-time customer surveys, speech analytics, vulnerability assessments and digital self-service options.