Premium Billing and Collection Checklist

Monthly billing cycle for an insurance agency or carrier billing team — invoice generation, premium posting, dunning on overdue accounts, and cancellation/non-pay escalation. Run by the agency billing clerk or carrier accounts receivable specialist with oversight from the agen...

6 sections 22 steps Collects data
1

Pre-Bill Account Review

  1. Pull the open billing register from the AMS
    • Run the open invoice and installment-due report from Applied Epic, AMS360, or EZLynx for the upcoming bill cycle. Filter for agency-bill accounts only — direct-bill installments are managed by the carrier and shouldn't appear here.

  2. Reconcile pending endorsements against the dec page
    • Mid-term endorsements not yet posted will produce an inaccurate invoice. Cross-check the AMS endorsement queue against the in-force dec page; any premium-bearing endorsement issued before the bill date must post first.

  3. Verify producer of record and commission split
    • Producer transfers and commission-split changes that happen mid-cycle are a common source of post-bill commission disputes. Confirm the active producer in the AMS matches the broker-of-record letter on file before the invoice goes out.

  4. Confirm premium financing arrangement if present
    Collects list
2

Invoice Generation and Delivery

  1. Generate invoices for the cycle
    • Issue invoices at least 30 days before the installment due date so the insured has time to remit before any non-pay cancellation notice triggers. Include policy number, billing period, premium breakdown by line, taxes and fees, and prior balance.

  2. Notify the premium finance company of the funding draw
    • For accounts on PFA, send the signed agreement and request the funding draw. The PFA company pays the carrier directly and bills the insured on its own schedule — a missed funding request leaves the agency carrying the receivable.

  3. Deliver invoices via the insured's elected channel
    • Honor the e-delivery consent on file. Insureds without electronic consent must receive a paper invoice — most state insurance codes treat email-only delivery without consent as defective notice for downstream cancellation purposes.

  4. Log delivery confirmation in the AMS
    Collects file
3

Payment Posting and Reconciliation

  1. Post payments to the trust account daily
    • Premium funds belong in the agency premium trust account, segregated from operating funds. Most state DOIs require trust-fund segregation and prohibit commingling — applying premium to the operating account, even briefly, is a market-conduct finding waiting to happen.

  2. Run OFAC screening on each payor
    • Screen named insured and any third-party payor (parent company, lienholder, premium finance company) against the OFAC SDN list at the time of receipt. New parties added mid-policy are the common miss — many agencies screen at issuance only.

  3. Reconcile the trust account to the carrier statements
    • Match agency-bill receivables and remittances against each appointed carrier's monthly statement. Surface variances over $250 to the finance manager — common causes are unposted endorsements, commission-split errors, and audit additional premium not yet booked.

    • Document the reconciliation; carrier audits and DOI financial exams will request 12 months of trust reconciliations.

4

Overdue Account Follow-Up

  1. Identify accounts past due 10 days
    • Pull the aged receivables report from the AMS and isolate invoices 10+ days past due. Group by producer so each producer reviews their own book before dunning goes out.

  2. Issue the first dunning notice
    • Send a written reminder noting the original due date, balance owed, and the date a non-payment cancellation notice will issue if unresolved. Avoid threatening language that would trigger FDCPA-style scrutiny — agencies collecting their own premium aren't typically third-party debt collectors, but tone matters.

  3. Call the insured for accounts past due 20 days
    • Document the call attempt in the AMS activity log: date, time, person reached, commitment received. Voicemails count as attempts only if the message is preserved or logged.

  4. Document the collection outcome
    Collects list Collects paragraph Collects date
5

Non-Pay Cancellation Escalation

  1. Verify the state-specific non-pay notice window
    • Non-payment cancellation notice periods are state-specific: commonly 10 days for personal lines, 10–15 days for commercial, longer for some workers comp lines. Confirm the period in the policy state before drafting — defective notice extends coverage and creates uncollected exposure.

  2. Issue the notice of cancellation for non-payment
    • For agency-bill, issue from the agency; for direct-bill, request the carrier issue. Send by certificate of mailing or USPS proof-of-mailing — most states require provable delivery, and the proof-of-mailing receipt is what holds up at hearing.

  3. Notify lienholders and additional insureds
    • Mortgagees on property policies and loss payees on equipment policies have separate notice rights — typically 10 days, sometimes more. Pull the certificate holder list from ACORD 25s on file and the dec page schedule of additional insureds.

  4. Refer balance to outside collections
    • For balances surviving cancellation — earned premium owed for the period coverage was in force — refer to the agency's contracted collection vendor with the file: invoice, dunning history, cancellation notice with proof of mailing, and any signed financing agreement.

    Collects file
6

Month-End Close and Reporting

  1. Close the receivables ledger for the month
  2. Produce the aged receivables report for the principal
    • Buckets at 30/60/90/120+. Highlight any single account over $5,000 in the 60+ bucket and any concentration over 10% of total receivables in one insured — both are leading indicators of write-off risk.

  3. Sign off on the month-end close
    Collects list Collects signature Collects paragraph

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Sections 6
Steps 22
Category Insurance
Price Free to start
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