Release Notes 04/20/2025

You can expect up to 30 minutes of downtime to deploy this release.

In This Issue

• Payment Plan Permissions

• Manage Case Permission Role

• API Documentation

• Campaign Flow Actions

• Cloning Action Path

• Global Opt In Status

• Inbound Text Blocking

• Revoke for Opt Out

• ACE System Message

• Text Message Opt In

• Unrestrict Letters

• Report Headers

• VA 2.0 Company

• VA 2.0 URLs

• Rainmaker Chatbot

• Updated Metrics

Payment and Promise Plan Permissions

Previously, users required the "Manage - Transactions" permission role in order to create and save secure payment plans and promise plans. In order to allow customers the ability to configure some users with access to create and save only promise plans, permissions have been updated as follows:

• A new permission, PAYMENT_PLAN_SAVE, is required for all users who create or save payment plans or promise plans. This permission has been automatically added to any permission role that already included the PAYMENT_PLAN_CREATE permission.

• The permission, PAYMENT_PLAN_VIEW, is required for all users who view payment plans or promise plans. This permission has been automatically added to any permission role that already included the TRANSACTION_VIEW permission.

• A new permission, PAYMENT_PLAN_PROMISES_ONLY, is required to be added for users who will be limited to creating or saving promise plans only.

• To prevent users from creating payment plans or posting payments, remove permissions starting with "TRANSACTION..." Some examples of permissions that would need to be removed are as follows:

  • TRANSACTION_NEW

  • TRANSACTION_SAVE

  • TRANSACTION_VIEW

Please Note:

If a new permission role needs to be created and you are not able to do so, please reach out to support for assistance.

Manage Case Permission Role

There are two new permissions that are being automatically added to the “Manage - Cases” permission role. Users who have the “Manage - Cases” permission role will now be able to add or delete accounts from a legal case, even if they do not have permission to add or delete accounts in ACE.

API Documentation

New job-related API endpoints have been added to API Documentation, including support for creating, updating, running, and retrieving job and task details. Users can access the API documentation by navigating to Help → API Documentation in ACE.

For more information see this article: ACE API Documentation Overview.

Campaign Flow Actions

There are two new flow actions that can be initiated from a job or trigger:

• Send Balanced Campaign Texts

• Send Balanced Campaign Emails

Send Balanced Campaign Texts and Send Balanced Campaign Emails will send one message from those selected for the flow each time a job runs or a trigger fires.

• This is done in a “round robin” style: for each account, moving to the next message (the message sent the least number of times) each time the flow action is initiated by a job or trigger.

• Among messages that have been sent the same number of times, the next message to be sent will be selected at random.

• If all messages reach a specified limit, no more messages go out.

• If you don’t set a limit, the rotation continues indefinitely.

Please Note:

It is best practice to configure only a single instance of one of these job tasks in an action path. To do otherwise may pose a risk to communication compliance.

Cloning Action Paths

Action Paths can now be cloned. If multiple action paths are selected, they can be cloned at the same time.

• Each new action path will have the word “CLONE” automatically added to its label

• Each flow action inside an action path will have the word “CLONE” automatically added to its label

Please Note:

1. Two action paths can have the same label but will have a distinct "Flow Action ID." It is important to modify the label immediately after cloning an action path for recognition and continuity.

2. Please remember that flow action labels inside an action path will not automatically change when the action's properties are modified. In these scenarios, the flow action label MUST be manually modified when changing the properties to avoid confusion. Flow action properties are not visible until the user drills down.

Global Opt in Status

Global email status, ELS status, global phone status, and text message status are updated as follows:

1. If an email address’s ELS Status is updated using an opt in link or opt out link, all instances of that email address across a customer’s ACE accounts will be updated to have that same ELS Status.

2. The on onAfterTextInbound and onEmailInbound triggers have been updated so they can initiate the following flow action to set status or opt in status as noted here:

   1. Set ELS Status has been updated - this update will be global and all instances of that email address across a customer’s ACE accounts will be updated to have that same ELS Status

   2. Set Txt Msg Status has been updated - this update will be global and all instances of that phone number across a customer’s ACE accounts will be updated to have that same Txt Msg Status

   3. Change Email Status is a new flow action - this behavior will be associated only with the account the flow action was initiated in association with (it’s not global)

   4. Change Phone Status is a new flow action - this behavior will be associated only with the account the flow action was initiated in association with (it’s not global)

Inbound Text Message Blocking

A new page is available under Utilities → Text Message Blocked Numbers, where you can enter a phone number to prevent inbound text messages (from that number) from being processed in ACE. Inbound text messages from the blocked phone number with an "Inbound Status" of "NEW" will be immediately archived.

Please Note:

• Blocking a phone number for inbound text messages will have no impact on outbound text messages and will have no impact on using the phone number otherwise.

• If a phone number is unblocked, text messages that were archived while it was blocked will remain archived.

• This feature can be used to prevent agents from needing to manage excessive inbound text messages from a consumer.

• Text message billing includes blocked messages.

Revoke for Opt Out

A new keyword, “revoke” has been added to the list of words that will result in a consumer’s phone number being opted out for text messaging. The list of keywords for opting out of ITMS text messages can be found in this article: ITMS Opting in and Opting Out.

ACE System Message Text Templates

We’ve made updates to how ACE System Messages (auto-response text messages managed through vendor profiles) are configured and displayed in ACE. For a full breakdown of the changes, including profile location, use case details, role permissions, and sending behavior, please see the full article: ITMS Setup in ACE.

Please Note:

• Do not use ACE System Messages in action path workflows. These messages are triggered automatically by ACE. Adding them to a workflow can cause unintended messaging and pose compliance risks.

• SBTv2 users should also avoid inserting these messages into workflows. SBT manages its own auto-responses separately.

Text Message Opt In

The SetTxtMsgStatus flow action now has an optional parameter called Text Message Vendor.

If a text message vendor is specified as SBT 2.0 or ITMS:

1. If Text Message Status is set as Opted In, the consumer will receive a text message from the vendor indicating they are opted in and the phone number will be opted in for text messaging with the vendor.

2. If Text Message Status is set as Opt In Requested, the phone number text message status will be updated in ACE, but there will be no text message received from the vendor.

3. If Text Message Status is set as Opted Out,  the consumer will receive a text message from the vendor indicating they are opted out and the phone number will be opted out for text messaging with the vendor.

4. If Text Message Status is set as Send Opt In Request, the consumer will receive a text message from the vendor requesting they opt in.

5. If a consumer enables text for a phone number in their VA 2.0 Contact Details, the consumer will receive a text message from the vendor indicating they are opted in and the phone number will be opted in for text messaging.

SBT v2.0

1. If an admin manually sets the Text Message Status to “OPTED_IN” in ACE the consumer will receive a text message from the vendor indicating they are opted in and the phone number will be opted in for text messaging.

2. If a consumer receives a text message initiated from ACE, associated with a category that does not require opt-in, the consumer will:

   1. receive a text message from SBT indicating the consumer is opted in,

   2. the phone number will be opted in for text messaging with the vendor,

   3. the consumer will receive the original text message initiated from ACE following the opted in message.

   4. Please Note: due to the order the consumer receives these messages, with the opted in message first, you may need to modify the message configured in ACE to reduce confusion (since it will be received right after the opted in message). Optimally, the consumer would be opted in via other methods prior to running a text message campaign.

Unrestrict Letters

There is now an option to unrestrict letters that have been restricted.

• If a letter remains restricted because the original Restricted Reason remains true and/or if the letter would be restricted for some other reason, the user will see an error message on screen and the letter(s) will remain on the Restricted Letters list.

• Otherwise, the letters will be returned to the scheduled queue and will be sent when the Letter Job runs as expected.

Report Headers

HTML report headers in Inventory and SQL Designer reports/tests now remain visible when scrolling down the page.

VA 2.0 Company Fields

VA 2.0 Profile company field values are now available to be included in text message profiles and letter profiles.4

This offers the option to use branding associated with different VA profile configurations rather than being restricted to company profile branding.

For example, using ${virtualAgentPref.companyName} will result in the companyName associated with the VA 2.0 Profile being inserted into the message. This example could be used when it is desirable to show the companyName associated with a VA 2.0 Profile instead of the one associated with the customer’s company.

VA 2.0 Authenticated URLs

a Virtual Agent Pref ID can be added to the Virtual Agent url so users accessing the login page from the link will be authenticated to the preferences associated with a specific Virtual Agent profile.

In practice, this means that if the consumer goes to the Guest Login page, then selects the Privacy Policy, they will see the one associated with that specified VA profile.

It also means that the logo and other preferences will be seen on the login page.

Here are a couple of examples showing how the prefID is added to the customer's login url. The prefID is the numeric portion in the examples: "?vaPrefID=1" and "?vaPrefID=102". That number can be found in the VA 2.0 profile page's url and in the data at the bottom of the VA 2.0 profile page.

Rainmaker Chatbot

The Rainmaker chatbot automatically generated responses have been improved. The chatbot may conversationally request confirmation or additional details from the consumer before taking action.

There are three new triggers that can be used in association with chatbot behavior. They are also noted in the details below.

• onAfterChatBotDispute

• onAfterChatBotEscalate

• onAfterChatBotDNC

Details are as follows:

• Dispute Notification - If Rainmaker detects a chat from the consumer confirming, they are disputing their debt:

  • A dispute record will be created automatically on the account.

  • The dispute record will have a status of DIS.

  • The onAfterDispute trigger, if active, will be initiated

  • A new trigger, onAfterChatBotDispute, if active, will be initiated

• Escalation Request - If Rainmaker detects a chat from the consumer confirming they want their account escalated:

  • a note is created in the debt notes

  • A new trigger, onAfterChatBotEscalate, if active, will be initiated – It is best practice to configure workflow to ensure appropriate responsiveness to the consumer

• Settlement Request - If Rainmaker detects a chat from the consumer confirming they are interested in settling their debt

  • the consumer will receive a chat message with a link to view available settlement terms, per configuration

  • if no settlement terms are available, the consumer will receive a chat message specifying that

• Document Request - If Rainmaker detects a chat from the consumer to request a copy of a document:

  • If there are documents available and visible to VA 2.0, the consumer will be pointed to a link to their VA 2.0 documents page

  • If not, the consumer will receive a chat message explaining that

• Do not contact Request - If Rainmaker detects a chat from the consumer to ask that they not be contacted anymore:

  • These four fields in the Debt Information section of the Account Page will be set to true:

    • Do Not Mail

    • Do Not Call

    • Do Not Txt

    • Do Not Email

  • A new trigger, onAfterChatBotDNC, if active, will be initiated

For more information, review the article: What is Rainmaker Chatbot?

Updated Metrics

The Help → About page section for Metrics has been updated as follows:

Panels have been separated and updated and are now displayed as follows.

1. App CPU Usage

2. App Memory Usage

3. Database CPU Usage

4. Database IOPS (Input/Output Operations Per Second)

   1. databaseServer (average IOPS per database size for all customers)

   2. Baseline IOPS for DB Size (average expected IOPS per database size for all customers)

5. Deadlocks → databaseServer (deadlocks per second - may occur when there were two queries simultaneously waiting for each other)

6. Current Locks → # (this is the number of queries updating/deleting/creating data in the database at a point in time)

Fixed These:

• With two accounts open in separate tabs, attempting TCN click to call after loading the second account (tab) and returning to the first account (tab), was resulting in the active page erroneously refreshing to the second account. This has been fixed.

• Un-responded chat messages were being retained for chats sent to the consumer. This has been fixed so that only inbound chat messages show up in un-responded chat messages.

• ETL Profiles with Currency Format = Implicit Decimal or Percent Format = Implied combined with files having some values including Explicit Decimal Currency Formats or Fractional Percent Formats were showing unexpected results. Now, if the ETL Import Profile setting does not match the format of the value being imported, a warning message will be presented for manual loads or in the affiliated logs for loads associated with jobs.

• Customers with multiple servers were experiencing issues with user authentication being asynchronous. This has been fixed.

• There were instances where the Last Pay Date and the Payment Transaction Date were not updating/synchronizing daily as expected. That has been fixed.

• A problem where a change to a payment destination’s Nuvei API Credentials was not saving as expected. This is fixed.

• Launch Date Trigger “Portal: Refresh Contact Window Statistics” job task was taking a long time. This has been improved.

• Intellitech Export - Import processes were slow. They have been Optimized.

• The BundleGroup.ItemizationCurrentBalance field was not accurately representing the value expected. It is now.

• There was a scenario where failures in the VA 2.0 were resulting in stalled queries in ACE. This has been fixed.

• Clients → Client Access → Pending Notes pages were slow to load or were timing out. That has been fixed.

• In some instances, a VA 2.0 payment plan source was not accurately identifying the Voice Mail contact as the source (AMD_VM). It is now.

• VA 2.0 Custom Text for “register_error_no_account_found” was not working. This has been fixed.

• The title (showing with the url) when on the Payment Plan page (following payment setup) was showing up as Payment - Virtual Agent Payment Portal (https://yourcompanyname.va.int001.com/payment). It now shows up as Payment Plan - Virtual Agent Payment Portal (https://yourcompanyname.va.int001.com/plan-payment).

• The Parent Release branch was showing “null” in the Help → About page. It now shows the branch information.