Europe Debt Collection Software Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Component (Software, Services), By Deployment (On-premise, Cloud), By Organization (Small and Medium Enterprises, Large Enterprises), By End-User (Financial Institutions, Collection Agencies, Healthcare, Government, Telecom & Utilities, Others) and By Country(U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Russia, Nordic, Benelux, Rest of Europe) Forecasts, 2023-2031

Market Overview

The Europe debt collection software market size was valued at USD 1,066 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 2,750 million by 2031, registering a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period (2022-2031).

The debt collection software is a set of procedures for the collection of debt, beginning with the initiation of the loan process and concluding with the resolution of the loan with paid debt. Software for debt collection is extensively deployed on third-party systems, and the financial account containing debt details is shared with the software. This form of organization is referred to as a debt collection agency. The software for debt collection includes agency management, reminder scheduling, automated notifications, client management, compliance management, commission management, and contact management.

The growth of the debt collection software market in Europe region is driven by factors such as an increase in the need to control, manage, and automate all debt collection and recovery processes; an increase in the need to reduce bad debt and improve cash flow while optimizing collection costs; and an increase in the demand for omnichannel collection efforts.

Highlights

• The services segment dominates the market by component.
• The cloud-based segment dominates the market based on deployment type.
• Large enterprises dominate the market by organization size.
• The bank segment dominates the market by end-user.

Market Dynamics

Europe debt collection software market drivers

Rise in multichannel collection strategies

The collections processes are advancing due to a significant transition toward multichannel digital strategies. In addition, due to an increase in individuals' preference for digital engagement due to increased personalization, the collection software is in high demand despite minimal person-to-person contact.

In addition, the widespread use of smartphones presents a significant opportunity for more efficient collection procedures. As smartphones have narrowed the communication divide between borrowers and creditors, creditors have realized the importance of capturing customers' attention across all marketing and sales channels, which will increase the likelihood of debtor contact. Consequently, an omnichannel digital collection integrates vast capabilities into an existing mobile application or web portal.

Increased need to reduce problematic debts and optimize collection expenses

Organizations aim to reduce the number of problematic debts written off due to the rising need to strengthen debt recovery strategies. A debt collection software reduces problematic debt by providing features such as locating difficult-to-find debtors and monitoring unpaid debt, which is expected to be a major factor driving the growth of the market in the coming years.

In addition, the need to save time on administrative tasks, such as prioritizing daily activities or preparing for calls, to concentrate on value-adding tasks, such as reducing bad debts, including communication with customers, resolving disputes, and requesting payments, by automating the routine tasks, such as preparing for calls, contributes to the expansion of the debt collection software market.

Europe debt collection software market restraints

High maintenance cost associated with debt collection services

Enhancements to software for adding new features and the need to maintain the software up-to-date lead to increased maintenance costs. Incorrect implementation of debt collection software can take years, as it necessitates the entry of a vast amount of data. As issues associated with software deployment with an organization's IT infrastructure can be time-consuming and costly, it delays the intended return on investment from this software. This factor is anticipated to inhibit the growth of the market to some degree.

In addition, a lack of knowledge regarding new processes and tools, a lack of practice and training before implementation, and difficulties with internal and external communication are the most significant restraints on the market. Moreover, data migration issues are significant obstacles to the expansion of this market, as data management is costly and raises security concerns.

Europe debt collection software market opportunities

Analytics-enabled collections models

Predictive analytics has emerged as a key enabler that helps segment customers into identical groups based on their attributes and formulates individualized debt management and advisory policies for each customer segment. It combines various debt collection techniques, including data mining, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistical modeling. WNS, a utility company, implemented predictive analytics to increase its debt collection by 50 percent. This significant improvement occurred over three months with no reduction in consumer engagement. Moreover, big data analytics facilitates the acquisition of the most pertinent information regarding debtors. Information such as demographic data or behavioral aspects, such as the time a debtor will respond to contact, can significantly impact the success of debt collection calls. Moreover, big data analytics provides access to data that facilitates the personalization of debt collection. Thus, introducing analytics in debt collection will be advantageous for the market.

Regional Analysis

Europe is a significant revenue contributor and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.1% during the forecast period. Europe's debt collection software market is analyzed across Germany, the UK, France, and the rest of Europe. The rest of Europe includes Russia, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, and Sweden. The growth of the debt collection software market in this region is driven by factors such as an increase in the need to control, manage, and automate all debt collection and recovery processes; an increase in the need to reduce bad debt and improve cash flow while optimizing collection costs; and an increase in the demand for omnichannel collection efforts.

End-users in the United Kingdom favor vendors who provide integrated software for multiple functions in the debt collection process, as this reduces integration issues. Integrated software suites from the same vendor support additional functions and integrate seamlessly with the system. The market for debt collection in the United Kingdom remains comparatively fragmented, with numerous small companies collecting primarily commercial debts instead of consumer credit. A significant factor driving the market growth in this region is the soaring demand for debt-collection software among European governments. According to the Danish Ministry of Taxation, nearly forty percent of loans (10.7 million Euros) taken out by international students have yet to be repaid.

In addition, rapid digitization positively impacts the debt collection industry in Norway and is anticipated to increase demand for automated collection processes substantially. Organizations have realized the possibility of gaining a technological advantage by implementing business intelligence software for debt collection, resulting in increased demand for debt collection with advanced tools and features, such as data analytics. For example, the Norwegian National Collection Agency (NAC) revised its BI strategy and utilized big data technology to digitize its services.

Segmental Analysis

The Europe debt collection software market is segmented based on component, deployment, organization size, and end-user.

Based on component, the debt collection software market is bifurcated into software and services.

The services segment dominated the market and is expected to register a CAGR of 11.1% over the forecast period.

Based on deployment, the debt collection software market is divided into cloud-based and on-premise.

The cloud-based segment dominated the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 13.3% during the forecast period.

Based on organization size, the debt collection software market is categorized into small and medium enterprises and large enterprises.

The large enterprise segment dominated the market and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.3% during the forecast period.

Based on end-user, the debt collection software market is classified into banks, collection agencies, finance companies, Healthcare, and others.

Banks are expected to dominate the market, registering the highest CAGR of 9.8% over the forecast period.

Recent Developments

• November 2022- FICO and IMTF signed an exclusive agreement for essential software and intellectual property. This enables IMTF to enhance and expand the Siron Suite as well as provide global support for the apps and related software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings. FICO will transmit all Siron-related customer relationships and obligations to IMTF as part of the transaction.

• May 2022- Payix, a REPAY company and a national leader in borrower-facing collections and communications tools, expanded its exclusive partnership with Nortridge Software, a leader in software for lenders and loan servicers, to offer eCash, or online cash payment acceptance, to Nortridge clients.

• February 2022- Sila Inc., a fintech software platform that provides payment infrastructure, announced a partnership with TrueAccord, the leading provider of intelligent, digital-first collection and recovery solutions, to make TrueAccord's products and services more accessible to Sila's customers.