A strategic blueprint for commercial VRPs
Last editedMar 20261 min read
Get the first-mover advantage with a blueprint to rollout commercial VRPs
For recurring revenue businesses, the shift to commercial VRPs represents a significant shift to UK payment infrastructure in a generation. Powered by open banking and commercial VRPs (cVRP), businesses will be able to collect recurring payments with more automation, flexibility, and speed than ever before.
However, success isn’t guaranteed by simply turning a new payment method “on”. It requires a strategic blueprint that prioritises operational ease, stability, and a seamless user experience.
The execution gap: What businesses really want
In our research, we surveyed 489 recurring revenue business leaders, and their priorities were clear. They aren't looking for standalone tech – they want connectivity, integration with other platforms they use, and the assurance that consumer coverage will be better than what they have now.
The most cited factors for adoption of commercial VRPs include:
Built-in solution: Access to open banking payments through their current payments provider, so they don’t have to switch
Bank coverage: More banks offering open banking payments to consumers to make sure none of their customers (or sales) are left behind
Seamless integrations: Integration of open banking payments into other software they already use, such a billing or accounting platforms like Sage and Xero
Finding the right partner is essential
Choosing the right partner early in the journey is the difference between a failed pilot and a scalable success.
| Business Need | The Risk | The GoCardless Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage | Banks are going live in stages. Unsupported banks (with no fall back payment option) cause "broken" checkouts. | GoCardless Seamless routing: 100% coverage from day one by automatically falling back to Direct Debit when open banking isn't supported. |
| Conversion | Every extra click increases abandonment. | GoCardless ‘Bank Guess’: Check balances in real-time to reduce failures, lower operational costs and inform your next action (delay, notify customer or cancel). |
| Payment Success | Failed payments incur costs – e.g. retry cycles, support queries, and customer churn. | Balance Checks: Real-time fund verification before collection to reduce failures and bad debt. |
| Integration | Payment data needs to flow into existing software (e.g. CRMs, ERPs, etc.) and reporting tools without manual intervention. | GoCardless integrates with 400+ platforms: Payment data sits within and flows through the systems your team already uses. |
Winning over your customers
Technical readiness is only half the battle. To drive long-term adoption of a new payment method, businesses must also tap into what their customers care about.
Our research reveals the primary drivers for consumers to start using commercial VRPs, with security, discounts and payment flexibility coming out on top.
In the full report, Revolutionising recurring revenue: The strategic opportunity of commercial VRPs, we recommend a messaging strategy and four marketing levers to turn conceptual interest into active usage.
Get the first-mover advantage
The shift to commercial VRP isn't just a marginal gain – it’s a competitive reset. In 12 months, this technology won't be a "special feature" – it could be the industry standard.
Are you ready to lead the shift? Download the report: Revolutionising recurring revenue: The strategic opportunity of commercial VRPs get the blueprint for your own adoption.
