Short answer
The original creditor is the lender you dealt with, such as a credit card bank. A debt collector collects debts owed to others, and debt buyers are usually treated as debt collectors too. The FDCPA mainly covers debt collectors, while the Texas Debt Collection Act also reaches creditors.
Helpful next
Sources
- Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. §§ 1692–1692p (Cornell LII)
- Tex. Fin. Code ch. 392 (Texas Debt Collection Act), incl. § 392.307
Updated November 2026. General information about Texas law, not legal advice for your case. Laws and court rules change; we review these answers regularly.