Member Services
How NTDE Works
- NTDE members report unpaid closed account information to the database, which is maintained by Equifax under contract to the NTDE Board of Directors.
- Members query the database to find out if an applicant for new commercial service failed to pay a bill to any previous member(s).
- Members who want to "skip trace" can flag their unpaid closed accounts for matching against the new service applications of other members and automatically receive new contact information.
- An optional service called CSA Lite enables members to screen marketing lists, eliminating prospects who would not be approved for credit under their own criteria.
Data contributed to NTDE remains the property of the individual member. Permissible use of the data by members is defined in Bylaws, Operating Guidelines, and Anti-Trust Guidelines. The Board of Directors amends these documents from time to time to ensure that the organization continues to meet the needs of its members.
Members pay NTDE a one-time enrollment fee, currently $1500. They also pay annual dues to the organization; 2005 dues are $2000. The Board of Directors sets dues annually based upon the projected needs of NTDE. This money is used to fund the administrative functions of the office of the executive director and to pay certain meeting expenses for the board of directors.
Equifax bills members monthly for their transactions. The per transaction fees are established in the contract between Equifax and the NTDE Board of Directors. A complete fee schedule is included in the prospective member packet available from the NTDE executive director.
Risk Assessment
By accessing the NTDE database, members can search for matches between information supplied by their new commercial applicants and unpaid, closed-account information supplied by fellow members.
Key Benefits
- Allows the early identification of high-risk business accounts among new service applications.
- Provides objective information for setting deposits and prioritizing collections
- Reduces churn and write-offs
Special Features
A proprietary algorithm matches billing name, phone number and address -- and calculates a "confidence factor" that the match is correct. The report received by the inquiring member also includes the dollar amount of the bad-debt, account connect and disconnect date, and the date the account was reported to NTDE. The report may include multiple accounts.
A wide range of processing options enable NTDE data to be easily integrated into your existing risk mitigation system.
Equifax provides technical and user support, management reports, and toll free customer service for applicants denied credit or assessed deposits based upon information in the NTDE database.
Security Features prevent members from mining the database for information on their competitors -- all matching is done on a "blind" basis -- carrier identity is never revealed to any member receiving a "match" report.
Skip Trace
By flagging an unpaid closed account for skip-tracing, members can receive updated location and contact information when the previous customer applies for service from a fellow member.
Key Benefits
- Obtain up-to-date contact information on unpaid closed accounts for more effective collection efforts.
- Increase revenue recovery when former customers return to clean up their records in order to receive service from a new member vendor.
Special Features
- Once an account is coded for skip tracing, the flag remains active for 6 months. Anytime during the 6 months that another carrier enters a matching customer service application, the updated record is automatically sent. Flags may be renewed.
- The identity of the member who provided the record is only revealed if the same member owns both records (internal match).
Screen Marketing Lists
Clean your marketing lists before you spend marketing dollars on potential customers who would not be approved by your credit process. Eliminate prospects with a history of unpaid, closed accounts tailored to your own criteria.
Key Benefit
Saves the expense of marketing to unqualified prospects.
Special Features
- Members have the option of customizing the confidence level, defining the type of match, and specifying the dollar threshold for each marketing list.
- This application is an off-line, batch process. It utilizes the same proprietary algorithm, the same data, and the same security features as the basic NTDE risk assessment service.
