TrueAccord Wins Key TCPA Rulings on Debt Collection Text Messaging

Two federal courts ruled TrueAccord’s debt collection texts comply with TCPA restrictions.

Two federal court rulings in 2026 affirmed that TrueAccord’s debt collection text messages comply with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), clarifying regulatory limits for legal teams handling text-based debt collection.

In Nickson v. TrueAccord Corp., the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland ruled on October 5, 2026, that debt collection calls are not "marketing" under the TCPA's Do-Not-Call (DNC) provisions. This distinction means DNC rules simply do not apply to these calls.

The court examined TrueAccord’s dialing system and found it does not create or store telephone numbers nor use a random or sequential number generator—a key test for defining an automatic telephone dialing system (ATDS) under TCPA. The TCPA restricts calls made by ATDS to protect consumers from unwanted automated contacts. Since TrueAccord’s system doesn’t fit this definition, the court ruled it compliant.

Separately, on February 19, 2026, in Robertson v. TrueAccord Corp., the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas addressed TCPA claims based on text messages. It found that the texts containing personalized details, including specific debt amounts, indicate absence of ATDS use. This protects TrueAccord from TCPA restrictions on autodialed communications.

The same court applied the "mailbox rule," a legal principle presuming emails are received once sent unless rebutted. This presumption helped TrueAccord defend against claims based on email receipt timing.

The Robertson court noted, "This conduct does not approach a level that would allow the Court to infer an intent to harass," reinforcing that debt collection texts with personalized content differ crucially from automated spam calls. Such clarifications aid legal teams evaluating TCPA compliance in outreach strategies.

Together, these decisions provide clearer legal precedent, signaling to general counsels and compliance officers that personalized, non-random dialed debt collection texts and emails generally avoid TCPA violations. This reduces litigation risks and supports lawful debt collection communications.