Why Debitura needs your bank account
Your bank account stores the destination where debtors send recovered funds. When a collection partner successfully recovers money on your behalf, those funds need somewhere to go. The bank account you configure ensures payments reach you automatically without manual intervention.
For a complete overview of how money moves between debtor, collection partner, and you, see Payments, payouts & invoicing.
Add a new bank account
Goal: Add a bank account to receive payouts from recovered debts.
Steps:
Go to Bank Accounts in your settings.
Click Add bank account.
Enter the required details:
Account holder name - the name on the bank account
Account format - choose IBAN, SWIFT/BIC, or LOCAL depending on your bank location
Account details - the specific identifiers for your chosen format (see table below)
Currency - the currency of the account
Bank country - where your bank is located
Billing email (optional) - an email address your collection partner should use for invoice and commission-related communications tied to this bank account. This is useful if you have multiple bank accounts serving different business units with separate accounting contacts.
Configure assignment rules (optional) to control when this account is used automatically.
Save the account.
No automatic default: Debitura does not automatically make your first bank account the default. If you want an account to be used for all new cases by default, you must explicitly choose "Use as default account" when configuring assignment rules. Without an assignment rule, the account is only used when you select it manually.
Required fields by account format
Format | Required fields | When to use |
IBAN | IBAN number (validated with MOD-97 checksum) | European accounts - includes built-in country code and validation |
SWIFT/BIC | Account number + SWIFT/BIC code | International transfers outside Europe |
LOCAL | Local bank identifier (e.g. ABA routing number for US accounts, sort code for UK accounts) + account number | Country-specific formats where IBAN does not apply. For US accounts, an ABA routing number is required. |
US bank accounts: If your bank is in the United States, select LOCAL format and enter your 9-digit ABA routing number and account number. SWIFT/BIC is not required for US domestic accounts.
Heads-up if you select SWIFT for a US bank: When you choose SWIFT for a US-located bank account, Debitura shows an informational hint suggesting LOCAL instead. SWIFT works for international wires, but domestic ACH transfers from US debtors require the LOCAL scheme with an ABA routing number. If your US bank account is intended for receiving payments from US debtors, switch the scheme to LOCAL.
If you accidentally paste an IBAN into the account number field when using the SWIFT format, the system will display a warning suggesting you switch to the IBAN format instead.
Result: The bank account appears in your list and can be assigned to cases. If you set it as the default, it will be used automatically for new cases when no other assignment rules match.
You can see our video tutorial on adding bank accounts below:
Update an existing bank account
Goal: Change the label or assignment rules of an existing bank account.
Steps:
Go to Bank Accounts.
Find the account you want to update and click Edit.
Update the label or assignment rules as needed.
Save your changes.
What you can change:
Label (display name)
Default status
Assignment rules (division, currency, debtor country)
What you cannot change:
Account identifiers (IBAN, account number, BIC)
Account format (IBAN/SWIFT/LOCAL)
Currency
Bank country
If you need to change any of the locked fields, add a new bank account with the correct details and archive the old one.
Note on assignment rules: Changes to assignment rules only affect future cases. Cases that already have a bank account keep the account that was assigned at creation time. To change the bank account assigned to a specific active case, see How to change the bank account on an active case below.
Archive a bank account
Goal: Remove a bank account from active use while preserving historical records.
Steps:
Go to Bank Accounts.
Find the account you want to archive and click Archive.
Confirm the action.
What happens when you archive:
The account is removed from the list of available accounts for new cases
Existing cases that reference the archived account keep their assignment - the account details remain visible for historical accuracy and audit purposes
New cases cannot be assigned to the archived account - the auto-selection system automatically excludes archived accounts
Archived accounts cannot be restored; if you need to use the same account again, add it as a new entry
Note: You can archive a bank account at any time, even if active cases still reference it. This does not affect those existing cases - it only prevents the account from being used for future cases.
Assignment rules: automatic account selection
Assignment rules let Debitura automatically select the correct bank account for each case. This eliminates manual selection errors and ensures payments are routed correctly.
Priority order (highest to lowest):
Division - if you use divisions to organize your business units, you can assign bank accounts per division
Currency - accounts assigned to specific currencies (EUR, USD, GBP) match next, reducing conversion fees
Debtor country - country-specific accounts can improve payment success rates
Global default - the fallback account used when no other rules match
Example: A case from your UK Division invoiced in EUR to a German debtor would use the UK Division account (Priority 1), even if you also have EUR-specific and Germany-specific accounts.
Once a bank account is assigned to a case, the assignment is preserved through automatic routing. If your business needs change, creditor admins can manually change the assigned bank account on an active case from the case detail page. The collection partner is notified so they can update payment instructions to the debtor. See How to change the bank account on an active case below.
How to change the bank account on an active case
If your case has been accepted by a collection partner and is in Active, Paused, or Needs Additional Details, you can still change the assigned bank account, but only if you are a creditor admin.
Steps:
Open the case from your Cases list.
In the sidebar, find the Bank Account section. If you are an admin, you'll see a pencil icon next to the account.
Click the pencil. The "Change bank account" modal opens with a warning that your collection partner may need to reissue payment instructions to the debtor.
Select a different account from your existing bank accounts and confirm.
What happens next:
The case is updated immediately to use the new bank account.
Your collection partner receives a task ("Bank account updated on [reference] - verify payment instructions") and a matching action item on their case page with a "See new bank account" button.
Only the partner can reissue payment instructions to the debtor - changing the bank account on the case does not automatically update anything the partner has already sent. Use the case chat to coordinate with the partner.
If you are not a creditor admin: the bank account is shown as read-only on the case page. Ask your account admin to make the change.
If you forget to assign a bank account
When you create a case without a bank account, Debitura will remind you in three places:
1. Email
You will receive an hourly reminder email listing the cases that are missing a bank account. Each email includes the case reference number, amount, debtor name, and a direct link so you can assign a bank account straight away.
To manage what emails you receive, see Managing email preferences.
2. Tasks page
A creditor-level task called "Assign bank accounts to N cases" appears on your Tasks page with a 7-business-day deadline. Clicking it takes you to a filtered list of all your cases missing a bank account. As you assign bank accounts, the task title updates to reflect the remaining count. The task auto-resolves when you have no remaining cases without a bank account.
3. Case detail page
Each affected case shows an Action Item: "Assign a bank account to receive payouts for this case." If you have no bank accounts configured at all, this directs you to add one. If you already have at least one bank account, it opens the bank account assignment flow for that case.
Tip: You can fix all affected cases in one go using the bulk assignment flow from the Cases list. Filter for cases without a bank account, select them, and use the bulk action to assign.