Member Alert: RMAI SEEKS COMMENTS ON PROPOSED CHANGES TO CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

The Certification Council is proposing edits to the Receivables Management Certification Program (RMCP). The Council is required to perform a review of certification program standards at least annually to ensure the program reflects “evolving industry best practices, input from key stakeholders and communities of interest, areas of Council concern, and recent regulatory and statutory changes.”

The proposed changes to the Certification Governance Document have been posted on the RMAI website. RMAI members are encouraged to review the changes and email any comments they have to [email protected] no later than January 23, 2026.

Here is a summary of the major substantive changes to Administrative Provisions contained in version 14.0:

• Articles 6.5 & 6.6 – Educational Requirements – Adds a requirement for one UDAAP and one AI education credit. UDAAP replaces a more narrow, but similar, requirement related to “discriminatory collection practices.”

Here is a summary of the major substantive changes to Certification Standards contained in version 14.0:

• • • Appendix A – Standard # A2 (Cyber Insurance Coverage) – Increases cyber insurance coverage from a $2 million to a $5 million policy for businesses with more than $15 million in annual receipts.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A3 (Criminal Background Checks) – Changes the lookback criteria for employee criminal background reports from 18 to 21 years of age.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A4 (Employee Training Programs) – Provides more flexibility in employee training requirements by allowing the training to be from a recorded source in certain circumstances and allows the training to be provided once every 2 years rather than annually.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A14 (Website & Publication) – Requires certified companies to monitor their websites for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
    • Appendix A – Standard # A21 (Remote Office) – Creates more flexibility by eliminating the “live in-person” training requirement for remote office employees. It now may be virtual.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A24 (Code of Ethics) – NEW STANDARD – Requires Certified Companies to adhere to a code of ethics.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A25 (Artificial Intelligence) – NEW STANDARD – Requires companies to adopt a policy stating whether employees can use AI and if permitted, what limitations and safeguards are applied.
    • Appendix A – Standard # A26 (Process Server) – NEW STANDARD – Requires Certified Companies to identify if process servers they retain can comply with RMAI’s process serving standards.
    • Appendix A – Standard # B6 (Interest) – As of August 1, 2026, expands the existing requirement that Certified Debt Buyers not charge post charge-off credit card interest to all asset classes. Post judgment interest is permitted.
    • Appendix A – Standard # C6 (Retention of Documents) – Requires Certified Collection Law Firms to maintain proof of service on collection-related cases for 5 years.
    • Appendix B – Standard # 102 (Criminal Background Checks) – Changes the lookback criteria for Certified Vendors on employee criminal background reports from 18 to 21 years of age (corresponds to change to Standard A3).
    • Appendix B – Standard # 103 (Employee Training Programs) – Provides more flexibility to Certified Vendors in employee training requirements by allowing the training to be from a recorded source in certain circumstances and allows the training to be provided once every 2 years rather than annually (corresponds to change to Standard A4).
    • Appendix B – Standard # 108 (Code of Ethics) – NEW STANDARD – Requires Certified Vendors to adhere to a code of ethics (corresponds to new Standard A24).
    • Appendix B – Standard # 205 (Purchase/Sale Agreement Requirement) – REPEALED STANDARD – This Standard required Certified Brokers to “educate” Certified Debt Buyers.
    • Appendix B – Standard # 307 (Transmission of Proof of Service) – NEW STANDARD – Requires Certified Process Servers to transmit proof of service to clients within 30 days.

When responding via email to [email protected], please: (1) indicate “30-Day Comment” in the email subject line, (2) provide your name and company name in the body of the message, and (3) indicate the page and section number from the Certification Governance Document that your comment is referencing. Please note that the page numbers in the index will be off in the redline version – use the page numbers on the bottom of the page.

Based on comments received from this 30-day comment period, additional edits may be incorporated prior to final adoption.  If you have any questions, please contact RMAI at (916) 482-2462.

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.