Direct Debit with GoCardless

Direct Debit runs through GoCardless. You connect your own GoCardless account, and payments go straight into it. The money never passes through us.

Connecting. Only the owner can connect. In Settings, open Direct Debit and choose I'm new to GoCardless or I already use GoCardless. GoCardless asks you to sign up or log in, with your email and business name already filled in, then sends you back here. The Direct Debit page then shows your GoCardless account's name and id.

Verification. GoCardless checks every business before it can collect payments. Until it has, the Direct Debit page in Settings shows one of these:

• Verify your GoCardless account: GoCardless needs more details from you. Follow the link to GoCardless and finish its steps.
• GoCardless is checking your account: you've done your part and GoCardless is reviewing it.

We ask GoCardless for news every hour, or you can press Check again. You can set up customers' Direct Debits while you wait, but you can't collect payments until GoCardless has verified your account.

Setting up customers. Send a customer a Direct Debit set-up link from their page, or they can choose Pay with Direct Debit in your customer portal. They enter their bank details on GoCardless's secure pages, which show the Direct Debit Guarantee. GoCardless emails them to confirm the Direct Debit, and again before each payment. The Direct Debit shows as waiting until GoCardless confirms it, then active.

Collecting. Open the invoice and choose Collect by Direct Debit. GoCardless takes the payment on the earliest date it can, usually a few working days later, and tells the customer first. The payment shows as paid once GoCardless confirms it.

• Each collection can be from £1 to £5,000. Take smaller or larger amounts another way, such as cash, a card payment link or a bank transfer.
• Pressing Collect twice collects once.

Failed payments. If a payment fails, you're told in the app and the customer is emailed asking them to pay another way. The invoice is still owed, and you can collect again from Failed collections.

GoCardless Success+ retries don't run through this app. If you've turned Success+ on in GoCardless, payments collected here aren't retried by it. Collect again here instead.

Chargebacks. A chargeback is when a customer asks their bank to take back a payment under the Direct Debit Guarantee. You're told, the invoice is owed again, and Collect again isn't offered: talk to the customer first. If GoCardless cancels their Direct Debit as well, they'll need to set up a new one. To challenge a chargeback, use your GoCardless dashboard.

Refunds. Owners can refund all or part of a payment once GoCardless has confirmed it: open the invoice and choose Refund next to the payment. Managers don't see this. You're asked to confirm the amount first, and the money goes back to the customer through GoCardless. GoCardless must have refunds switched on for your account, and it explains if it can't make one. Refunds made in your GoCardless dashboard show here too. A refunded amount is owed on the invoice again.

Fees. We don't add any fee to Direct Debit payments. GoCardless charges its own fees to your GoCardless account, as shown on GoCardless's pricing page.

Disconnecting. The owner can disconnect in Settings, Direct Debit. This removes our access to your GoCardless account straight away, and you can't collect here until you connect again. Your customers' Direct Debits stay in your GoCardless account. If you disconnect from your GoCardless dashboard instead, the Direct Debit page in Settings shows it as disconnected.