The First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia County) has issued General Court Regulation No. 2026-01, establishing a Consumer Credit Card Collection Diversion Pilot Program with material requirements effective June 1, 2026. This program significantly alters the procedure for litigating consumer credit card collection actions filed against individuals in Philadelphia.

The key changes affecting the industry are:

  • Mandatory Diversion of Consumer Credit Card Cases– All actions involving consumer credit card debt against individual defendants are subject to the diversion program. Business/commercial credit card cases are excluded. Eligible cases are automatically routed into a conciliation process.
  • Immediate Program Entry for New Filings – For cases filed on or after June 1, 2026:
  • Cases must be designated as consumer credit card matters;
  • A Certification Form must be filed with the complaint;
  • The Court assigns cases directly into a diversion/conciliation program; and
  • All pleading deadlines are suspended while diversion is pending.
  • Conciliation Conference – The program replaces early litigation activity with a Conciliation Conference which is scheduled by a court-issued Case Management Order. The case manager may be conduct the Conciliation Conference via online video conferencing technologies such as Zoom. Any default judgments are delayed until after the conference. Issues addressed include: (1) validity of service and (2) whether additional conciliation is required
  • Mandatory Plaintiff Readiness for Conciliation Conference with Settlement Authority– Plaintiffs must appear with counsel knowledgeable about the case, authority to discuss settlement, or a representative available by phone with such authority.  Failure to comply may result in additional conciliation scheduling or a Rule to Show Cause why the case should not be dismissed.
  • Service and Documentation Requirements Expanded– At filing, plaintiffs must serve the complaint along with the forms contained in Regulation No. 2026-01.
  • Certification Form Imposes Front-End Substantiation– The required certification mandates verification of:
  • Statute of limitations compliance;
  • Identity of current debt holder;
  • Dates of agreement and default; and
  • Existence of key documentation, including the credit agreement, account statements, and assignment/chain of title records.

RMAI Members with “credit card” cases in Philadelphia County should consult with their attorneys and evaluate compliance with the certification form requirements, including the documentation at time of filing and settlement authority protocols for conciliation conferences.

This Member Alert is intended for members of the Receivables Management Association International, is for informational purposes only, and is in no way intended to provide legal advice. Members are encouraged to consult with an attorney of their choice for legal advice concerning this matter.