Debt Collection Metro 2 Reporting Guide
- Use Portfolio Type O (Open) with Account Type 93 for third-party collection placements.
- K1 segment is mandatory — populate original_creditor_name and creditor_classification_code on every record.
- DOFD MUST be within 83 months (FCRA 7-year + 180-day grace) — omit older records rather than report them.
- Status DA is for ERROR CORRECTIONS only. Obsolete debts are omitted, not flagged DA (this is the most common compliance mistake).
- Medical < $500 must not be reported; medical >= $500 only if 365+ days delinquent (Mar-2023 bureau policy).
Portfolio + Account Type cheat sheet
Collection reporting depends on who holds the debt. Original creditor (you made the loan and are now collecting it yourself) uses Account Type 06. Third-party collectors (the agency you placed it with) use 93. Debt buyers (purchased portfolio) use 95.
| Scenario | Portfolio Type | Account Type |
|---|---|---|
| Original creditor collecting in-house | I or O | 06 (Collection account) |
| Third-party collection placement | O | 93 (Collection account) |
| Debt buyer | O | 95 (Debt buyer) |
| Factor / forwarder | O | 92 (Charge account placed for collection) |
Required K1 segment
Every collection record must include the K1 (Original Creditor) segment. The bureaus reject records without it. Required K1 fields are original_creditor_name (max 30 chars) and creditor_classification_code (single digit indicating medical, retail, etc.).
| Code | Classification |
|---|---|
| 01 | Retail |
| 02 | Medical / Health Care |
| 03 | Oil Company |
| 04 | Government |
| 05 | Personal Services |
| 06 | Insurance |
| 07 | Educational |
| 08 | Banking |
| 09 | Rental / Leasing |
| 10 | Utilities |
| 11 | Cable / Cellular |
| 12 | Financial |
| 13 | Credit Union |
| 14 | Automotive |
| 15 | Check Guarantee |
Status code playbook
Collection statuses are narrower than open-credit statuses — most collections move from 71 (Account 30 days past due, in collections) to 93 (Account assigned to internal/external collections) or 97 (Charged off).
- 71 — Account 30 days past due, in collections
- 78 — Account 60 days past due, in collections
- 93 — Account assigned to collections
- 94 — Collection account, paying as agreed
- 97 — Charged off — collection account
- DA — DO NOT USE for obsolescence — omit the record (see Compliance landmines)
Compliance landmines
Collections are the highest-risk vertical for FCRA violations. The CDIA / CRRG is explicit: DA (Delete Account) is for ERROR CORRECTIONS only. If a tradeline ages past the FCRA 7-year window (DOFD + 7 years + 180 days = 83 months), OMIT it from the file. Furnishers that flag obsolete debts as DA are double-reporting and inviting §1681s-2 exposure.
- Medical collections < $500: prohibited (Mar 2023 bureau policy).
- Medical collections >= $500: only if 365+ days delinquent.
- FDCPA validation period: if a consumer disputes within 30 days of receiving the validation notice, you cannot furnish until you've validated.
- Time-barred debt (past statute of limitations): you may still furnish if within FCRA window, but state laws vary (TX, CA, MS treat differently).
Dispute pattern responses
Three patterns dominate collection disputes: 'This isn't my debt' (mistaken identity), 'I already paid' (zombie debt), and 'The original creditor never billed me' (notice failure).
- Mistaken identity: pull your K1 segment + your placement records and re-verify SSN + DOB match.
- Already paid: if you can't prove unpaid balance via current_balance > 0 + last_payment evidence, delete via DA.
- Notice failure: not a furnishing dispute — escalate to FDCPA compliance, not the bureau.
Sample CSV column dictionary
Most collection placement files look like this. The seeded mapping template handles the common variants.
| Your column | Metro 2 target |
|---|---|
| collection_account_number | consumer_account_number |
| placement_balance | current_balance |
| original_balance | highest_credit_or_original_loan_amount |
| original_creditor_name | original_creditor_name (K1) |
| date_of_first_delinquency | fcra_date_of_first_delinquency |
| placement_date | date_opened |
Test checklist
Before going live:
- Confirm every record has K1 populated.
- Confirm no record has status DA (omit aged records instead).
- Confirm DOFD <= today - 83 months on every record (file generation will omit older).
- Validate medical-collection threshold ($500 / 365 days) before furnishing medical records.
- Run a test batch through the bureau's pre-prod validator (each bureau provides one).