australian collectors & debt buyers association

What australian collectors & debt buyers association does

ACDBA (Australian Collectors & Debt Buyers Association Limited) is a non-profit industry association incorporated in Australia and founded in 2009, representing businesses engaged in debt purchase, sale, and collection across the consumer and commercial credit lifecycle. It is headquartered in Spring Hill, Queensland (with a Newcastle, New South Wales contact line) and offers two membership tiers — Full Membership for organisations principally engaged in debt collection or purchasing, and Affiliate Membership for connected suppliers such as credit data providers, software vendors, and technology firms. Its 'customers' are its member organisations, including listed entities such as Credit Corp Group as well as privately held debt buyers and contingent collection agencies; member subscriptions form the core funding base, with no revenue, pricing, or headcount data publicly disclosed.

The association's core products and services are non-technological by design. It publishes formal Policy Submissions and consultation responses to regulators including ACCC, ASIC, AFCA, and OAIC; runs an Annual Industry Data Survey that compiles anonymised sector statistics (4.0 million accounts, $13.8 billion in accounts under collection, 70 million contacts, 93 compliance FTEs across respondents, 0.05% AFCA determination rate); maintains a public Member Directory; operates an updated Code of Practice (adopted December 2019); and provides plain-English public information resources. Distribution and member engagement occur via the acdba.com website, policy submissions archive, media releases, direct phone and email contact, and participation in regulatory working groups.

ACDBA's business model is a classic peak-body funding structure: membership dues from Full and Affiliate members, governed by a constitution and (recently) an Independent Chair. The association is not investment-backed, has no disclosed subsidiaries, no funding rounds, and no disclosed acquisitions. Its strategic significance lies in regulatory representation, sector data compilation, and standards-setting rather than in commercial scale, and revenue is best characterised as small and undisclosed, with operating geography restricted to Australia despite an international affiliation with ACA International.

Name

australian collectors & debt buyers association

Legal name

Australian Collectors & Debt Buyers Association Limited

Website

https://acdba.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

ACDBA is the Australian peak industry association representing debt collection agencies, debt buyers, and affiliate service providers, offering policy advocacy, a code of practice, and an annual industry data survey to its members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Collection Agencies (561440), Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Activities Related to Credit Intermediation (5223)

SIC

Services-Consumer Credit Reporting, Collection Agencies (7320), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Third-Party Collection Agencies (Consumer) (FSAKAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Credit Bureaus & Consumer Credit Reporting Agencies (FSAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Debt collection association
• Debt buying industry
• Industry association membership
• Credit regulation advocacy
• Consumer credit compliance

Headquarters

HQ city

Spring Hill

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ACDBA is a non-profit industry association that represents Australian businesses involved in debt purchase, sale, and collection. Its core offerings include two membership tiers (Full Membership for collection/purchase businesses and Affiliate Membership for connected organisations), a public member directory, an annual industry data survey, policy submissions to regulators, and public information resources for stakeholders.

Product overview

ACDBA is an industry association offering membership services (Full Membership and Affiliate Membership), a public Member Directory, Annual Industry Data Surveys, Policy Submissions, and Public Information Resources. The association serves as a forum for compliance, governance, and responsible conduct across the Australian debt collection and debt buying sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Full Membership Membership tier for corporations principally engaged in debt collection or debt purchasing activities in Australia. Members commit to self-discipline beyond minimum legal requirements and gain access to industry representation, policy engagement, and professional standards forums.
• Affiliate Membership Membership tier for organisations that do not undertake third-party debt collection or debt purchasing but are otherwise connected with the sector, including credit providers, suppliers, technology providers, and regulatory stakeholders.
• Member Directory Public listing of ACDBA full members and affiliate members with organisation details, services offered, and contact pathways. Used by creditors, consumers, and stakeholders seeking sector participants.
• Annual Industry Data Survey Annual survey collecting industry statistics from members on account volumes, contact channels, complaint handling, hardship settings, and compliance capacity. Responses are anonymised and compiled by a third party to produce sector-wide evidence.
• Policy Submissions Formal submissions and consultation responses to regulators and government on issues affecting members, providing practical industry experience to inform policy settings on consumer protection, privacy, credit regulation, and dispute resolution.
• Public Information Resources Plain-English information for the public about ACDBA, collection agencies, debt purchasers, privacy, disputes, and conduct expectations. Used by consumers, creditors, and other stakeholders seeking to understand the sector.

Named customers16 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ACA InternationalminorOthersInternational association relationship. ACA International is the US-based association of professional businesses and individuals involved in the credit and collection industry. Listed as a useful external link on ACDBA's resources page.
• ACCC (Australian Competition & Consumer Commission)coreOthersPrimary regulatory engagement partner. ACDBA engages with ACCC on consumer protection matters, debt collection guidelines, and consultation responses. ACCC is listed as a key regulatory link.
• ASIC (Australian Securities & Investments Commission)coreOthersPrimary regulatory engagement partner. ACDBA submits consultation responses to ASIC on breach reporting, internal dispute resolution, credit regulation, and other matters affecting members. Listed as a key regulatory link.
• AFCA (Australian Financial Complaints Authority)coreOthersDispute resolution scheme partner. ACDBA engages with AFCA on rules consultations, funding models, and approach to financial difficulty, elder abuse, and responsible lending. AFCA handles complaints against financial services providers.
• OAIC (Office of the Australian Information Commissioner)coreOthersPrivacy regulatory partner. ACDBA engages on privacy obligations, credit reporting requirements, and data protection matters affecting debt collection and debt purchase operations.
• IMA (Institute of Mercantile Agents)minorOthersIndustry association relationship. IMA is a national association representing professional interests of collectors, investigators, process servers and repossession agents. Listed as a useful external link.
• Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)minorOthersDispute resolution scheme for telecommunications disputes. Listed as a useful link for stakeholders seeking to understand dispute pathways in that sector.
• Financial Counselling AustraliaminorOthersACDBA has supported calls for continued funding of financial counselling services. Represents consumer advocacy stakeholder in the sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ACA International: The US-based association of credit and collection professionals. Direct counterpart to ACDBA, and explicitly listed as an affiliated/linked association on ACDBA's resources page. Both serve as industry representative bodies for debt buyers and collectors.
• Credit Services Association (CSA UK): The UK trade association for the debt collection and credit management industry. Comparable role to ACDBA as national representative body, with similar member-driven advocacy and code-of-practice functions.
• Receivables Management Association International (RMA): International association for the receivables management industry, representing debt buyers and collection agencies. Directly comparable as a peer trade body for the same professional category ACDBA represents, though with US/global focus.

Regional players

• Institute of Mercantile Agents (IMA Australia): Australian national association for collectors, investigators, process servers, and repossession agents. Already a linked/partner organisation for ACDBA, overlapping in the broader receivables and collections ecosystem in Australia.

Broad incumbents

• Australian Finance Industry Association (AFIA): Australian peak industry body representing a broad range of finance and credit providers. Comparable as an Australian financial-services trade association, with overlapping member types (credit providers, specialty financiers) but a broader remit than debt collection.
• Australian Banking Association: Peak body for Australia's major banks. ACDBA members are counterparties to banks (selling/collecting on bank-originated debt), making this association a strategic interlocutor rather than direct competitor, but operating in the same Australian financial-services association ecosystem.
• Financial Services Council (Australia): Australian peak industry body for the financial services industry, with member organisations spanning superannuation, funds management, and advice. ACDBA engages with adjacent policy domains (credit, AFCA) that FSC also influences.

Others

• Australian Collectors Association (historical): Predecessor and adjacent industry grouping in the Australian collections space. Relevant historical peer for context on ACDBA's role as the consolidator industry body, though not currently a direct operating peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about australian collectors & debt buyers association