Consumer Payment Portal: Using Business Rules for Smarter Payments | Divinity Software

A consumer payment portal should do more than accept online payments. It should understand the rules behind each account and use those rules to guide the consumer toward the payment options available to them.

For accounts receivable management (ARM) organizations, collection agencies, and other businesses managing consumer payments, this means connecting the digital payment experience with existing business rules, account data, payment requirements, and disclosures.

Divinity Software helps organizations create a more intelligent consumer payment portal by combining configurable payment rules with real-time account information.

What Is a Consumer Payment Portal?

A consumer payment portal gives consumers a secure, digital way to access account information and complete actions such as making a payment or establishing a payment arrangement.

But not every consumer or account should receive the exact same options.

Account balance, account status, creditor requirements, payment history, and organizational policies can all affect what a consumer is eligible to do.

Instead of creating a one-size-fits-all payment experience, Divinity Software allows organizations to configure rules that help determine the appropriate options for each account.

Configure Payment Arrangement Rules

Payment arrangements often need to follow specific organizational guidelines.

With configurable payment arrangement rules, organizations can establish balance ranges and determine requirements for each range, including:

• Minimum down payment

• Minimum payment amount

• Maximum number of months allowed

• Available payment arrangement options

  
  

For example, an account with a $500 balance may have different payment arrangement requirements than an account with a $5,000 balance.

By defining these rules in advance, organizations can provide consumers with payment plan options that align with their established guidelines.

Establish Minimum Payment Requirements

Organizations can also configure minimum payment amounts for different payment types.

When a consumer attempts to submit an online payment below the required minimum, the consumer payment portal can display an alert explaining the minimum amount needed.

This helps create a clearer digital payment experience while keeping payment activity aligned with the organization's established requirements.

Apply Account-Level Payment Restrictions

Some accounts may require additional controls.

Divinity Software allows organizations to apply account-level restrictions that can determine whether an account is available for portal display, online payment, payment arrangements, or other digital actions.

These restrictions give organizations greater control over which self-service options are available based on the account.

Rather than forcing every account through the same workflow, the consumer portal can respond to the rules associated with the individual account.

Create Dynamic Payment Terms and Disclosures

Payment terms and authorization language often need to include information specific to the consumer, account, or transaction.

Divinity Software supports dynamic payment terms that can populate relevant information directly into the authorization language.

Dynamic fields can include data such as:

• Consumer name

• Account number

• Creditor name

• Payment amount

• Payment date

• Payment method

• Reference number

• Bank or card information

• Other available account or transaction data

  
  

Organizations can configure Handlebars variables using their preferred field names and identifiers, allowing dynamic terms to align with the data available within their environment.

This makes it possible for payment authorization language to reflect the specific transaction the consumer is completing.

Connect the Consumer Portal to Real-Time Account Data

A smarter consumer payment experience requires accurate account information.

Divinity Software uses real-time account data to help ensure that the information and payment options presented to consumers reflect the current state of the account.

Instead of relying on a separate database or mirrored account information, Divinity Software can securely connect with the organization's system of record and display applicable information in real time.

This allows business rules and digital payment options to work alongside the organization's existing account management processes.

Why Business Rules Matter in Digital Payments

Digital self-service should not mean giving up control.

The right consumer payment technology can provide consumers with convenient online options while allowing organizations to maintain control over how those options are presented.

By combining configurable business rules with real-time account data, organizations can create a consumer payment portal that:

• Provides payment options based on account requirements

• Supports organizational payment arrangement guidelines

• Enforces minimum payment requirements

• Applies account-level restrictions

• Presents dynamic payment terms and disclosures

• Uses current account information

• Creates a clearer self-service experience for consumers

  
  

Build a Consumer Payment Experience Around Your Rules

Your organization already has rules for managing accounts and accepting payments. Your consumer payment portal should be able to follow them.

Divinity Software helps ARM organizations create secure, configurable digital payment experiences built around their existing data, policies, and consumer engagement strategies.

From payment arrangement rules and minimum payment requirements to dynamic payment terms and real-time account information, organizations maintain control over how consumers interact with their accounts.

Your data. Your rules. A better digital payment experience.