PayNearMe launches AI agent to automate payment collections. October 6, 2026 PayNearMe, the Santa Clara-based FinTech behind the Payment Experience Management category, has launched an AI Servicing and Collections Agent designed to automate customer communications, payment collection and account servicing. The agent can contact customers by voice and text, take or schedule payments and resolve account issues. In a pilot campaign, PayNearMe said the technology matched the hourly call output of approximately 28 human staff. The new agent is integrated into PayNearMe's PayXM platform, allowing it to use customer data, business rules and existing workflows to determine the appropriate next action. It can handle inbound calls and proactive outbound communications, with customers transferred to human staff when an issue requires additional support or judgement. Customers can interact with the agent through voice, text and web channels, with context carried across channels as the functionality is rolled out. The launch builds on PayNearMe's Intelligent Virtual Agent, introduced in October 2025 as an alternative to traditional menu-driven phone systems. Following identity verification, the new agent can provide account information, process or schedule payments, record promises to pay, handle opt-outs and issue a Smart Link. Businesses can also run multiple high-volume campaigns at the same time and adjust outreach based on demand. Indiana Finance Company tested the technology across outbound payment campaigns and inbound customer contact. During one outbound campaign, PayNearMe said 90% of targeted accounts were reached through a voicemail or Smart Link, a live conversation or a transfer to staff. PayNearMe said the results demonstrate how lenders can increase their outreach capacity while adjusting campaign volumes as customer demand changes. The company built PayXM to manage the payment journey from initial request through to reconciliation. The platform supports payment methods including PayPal, Venmo, Cash App Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cards, ACH and cash across more than 62,000 US retail locations. The AI Servicing and Collections Agent is now available to PayNearMe clients, with the company planning a wider range of purpose-built AI agents aimed at reducing the cost of accepting and servicing payments. PayNearMe chief product officer John Minor said, "The real value of an AI agent comes from its ability to use payment context, business rules and workflows to move an interaction forward. Because the Agent is embedded directly in PayXM, it can move beyond answering questions to taking the appropriate action and involving support staff when human judgment or assistance is needed." Indiana Finance Company COO Carl Stamper added, "The AI Agent gives us the reach of a much larger team and lets us adjust the pace of campaigns based on our needs. It gives our customers a direct path to payment, while our staff can focus on situations where personal attention matters most." Enjoying the stories? Investors. The following investor(s) were tagged in this article.

PayNearMe launches AI Servicing and Collections Agent to help support teams scale while lowering the cost to serve. 10.01.2026 Integrated directly into PayXM(TM), the Agent leverages payment data, business rules and workflows to automate omnichannel communications across inbound and outbound interactions. SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 1, 2026 - PayNearMe, the fintech company pioneering Payment Experience Management, today launched its AI Servicing and Collections Agent, a new solution built directly into PayXM(TM) to improve payment collection and account servicing. The Agent combines agentic AI with the platform's data, tools and workflows to interpret customer intent, determine the appropriate next step and take action across inbound self-service and outbound engagement. By handling routine servicing and proactively guiding customers toward resolution or payment, the AI Servicing and Collections Agent helps support teams scale while lowering the cost to serve. Expanding Agentic Capabilities to Inbound Self-Service and Outbound Engagement PayNearMe introduced its AI-powered Intelligent Virtual Agent (IVA) in October 2025 as an alternative to traditional menu-based interactive voice response systems. The AI Servicing and Collections Agent builds on that foundation by expanding inbound self-service and delivering the proactive outbound capabilities outlined in PayNearMe's agentic AI roadmap. Together, these capabilities give customers a direct path to resolve routine account and payment needs, whether they initiate a call or respond to outbound outreach. The Agent introduces outbound capabilities that enable businesses to proactively reach customers and guide each interaction toward the desired outcome. With these capabilities, businesses can: * Drive each interaction toward the right outcome: Connect proactive outreach to payment data, business rules and workflows so the Agent can authenticate customers and take the appropriate next step. Depending on the interaction, the Agent can provide account information, accept or schedule a payment, capture promises to pay, manage opt-outs, send a Smart Link or connect a customer with support. * Scale servicing without scaling staff: Run multiple high-volume campaigns simultaneously while reserving support staff for interactions that require human assistance. * Offer greater channel flexibility: Give customers options across voice, text, web and live support so they can complete a payment or get assistance through the channel that works best for them. The Agent will preserve context as customers move between channels, with this capability rolling out in phases. "The real value of an AI agent comes from its ability to use payment context, business rules and workflows to move an interaction forward," said John Minor, Chief Product Officer at PayNearMe. "Because the Agent is embedded directly in PayXM, it can move beyond answering questions to taking the appropriate action and involving support staff when human judgment or assistance is needed." The Agent in Action: Scaling Outreach While Reducing Manual Work As part of a pilot program, Indiana Finance Company used the AI Servicing and Collections Agent to conduct proactive payment outreach campaigns and support inbound customer interactions. During one outbound campaign, the Agent placed as many calls in one hour as approximately 28 support staff members would typically place during that same period. Ninety percent of targeted accounts received a voicemail or Smart Link, completed a live conversation or were transferred to support staff. These results illustrate how the Agent can help businesses expand outreach capacity and adapt campaign volume as their needs change. "The AI Agent gives us the reach of a much larger team and lets us adjust the pace of campaigns based on our needs," said Carl Stamper, COO at Indiana Finance Company. "It gives our customers a direct path to payment, while our staff can focus on situations where personal attention matters most." Applying Agentic AI Across the Entire Payment Experience Integrating agents directly into PayXM is central to PayNearMe's vision for the future of AI in payments. Rather than acting as a bolt-on, AI becomes part of the payment experience itself. This integrated approach advances Payment Experience Management (PEM), which is designed to help businesses continuously improve the payment experience across customers, support and operations. The AI Servicing and Collections Agent gives customers easier paths to service, resolution and payment; enables support teams to focus on complex or high-value interactions; and reduces the workload for operations teams. To further advance this vision, PayNearMe recently acquired Marr Labs' technology assets and welcomed key members of its team. The new team members bring specialized expertise in building and operating sophisticated AI systems at scale in complex, regulated environments. Their expertise complements PayNearMe's existing product, engineering and AI teams and strengthens the company's ability to apply agentic AI across more of the payment experience. The AI Servicing and CollectionsAgent is available now to PayNearMe clients. It is the first in PayNearMe's broader agentic AI roadmap, with additional purpose-built agents planned to address the complex challenges that drive up the total cost of payment acceptance. About PayNearMe PayNearMe pioneered Payment Experience Management (PEM), the discipline of owning and continuously improving the entire payment experience, from request to reconciliation. Named one of CNBC's World's Top Fintech Companies for 2026, PayNearMe offers PayXM(TM), the industry's first platform purpose-built for PEM. With PayXM, every touchpoint in the payment journey becomes easy, driving customer satisfaction, accelerating payments and reducing the total cost of acceptance. The platform supports all major payment types and channels, from PayPal, Venmo, Cash App Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cards and ACH to cash at more than 62,000 U.S. retail locations. The content of this article, should not be printed, copied or published in any way, without permission by nonprimetimes.com 10.01.2026 September 29, 2026 - The Conference on Consumer Finance Law (CCFL) kicked off its year-long 100th... 09.24.2026 TALLAHASSEE, FL, September 24, 2026 - Auto finance leaders gathered in Tucson, Arizona, September... 09.10.2026 TALLAHASSEE, FL, September 11, 2026 - The National Automotive Finance (NAF) Association is inviti...