Collection agency data access method

Abstract

An account data access method allowing access to an agency account database, such as that of a collection or other debt recovery agency, from public sites over a network by agency affiliates and clients of the agency. The invention provides for secure access to a client's accounts using a web browser over the internet. The invention also provides for different levels of access to the accounts among different representatives of the client.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving logon credentials over a network from a user, the logon credentials providing access to an online system that stores debtor account data of debts owned by a creditor that is a client of a collection agency that maintains the data in the online system;   authenticating the user as a client of the collection agency;   generating a report as a function of at least a portion of the logon credentials, the generating of the report comprising:
 retrieving debtor account data of debtor accounts of the debts owned by the creditor placed with the collection agency and represented in a database of the online system, the retrieved debtor account data for each debtor account including debtor identifying data, debtor account status data, and a date associated with the account; 
 formatting the retrieved account data in a format displayable by web browser computer application, the formatted data comprising a document; and 
 transmitting the document from the online system over the network to the user. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the formatting of the retrieved account data includes embedding a hypertext link in the document for each debtor account represented in the document, the hypertext links providing a link to retrieve further data from the database over the network, the further data regarding the debtor account of the respective hyperlink. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the document is an HTML document. 
     
     
         4 . A method comprising:
 receiving input identifying a debtor account placed with a collection agency by a creditor;   retrieving debtor account data from a database including data representative of debtor accounts placed with the collection agency for collection activity, the database including data representative of collection activities performed by the collection agency with regard to individual accounts represented in the database, the retrieved debtor account data for each debtor account including debtor identifying data, debtor account status data, and a date associated with the account;   formatting the retrieved debtor account data in a format displayable by web browser computer application, the formatted data comprising a document; and   transmitting the document from the online system over the network to the user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the formatting of the retrieved account data includes embedding a hypertext link in the document for each debtor account represented in the document, the hypertext links providing a link to retrieve further data from the database over the network, the further data regarding the debtor account of the respective hyperlink. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the document is an HTML document.