Switching Direct Debit provider is as easy as 1-2-3

One of the most common questions we're asked is "can I transfer my existing Direct Debit customers to GoCardless?" The answer is yes: there's a simple process for this called "bulk change".

We've written about all the technical details of bulk change in our Direct Debit guide, but in a nutshell:

1. Your customers don't need to lift a finger. There's no need for your customers to set up new mandates to you, or to "opt in" to the change. All that's required is that they're notified of the transfer.

2. The process takes around 4 weeks. From start to finish, it takes around 4 weeks to transfer providers. You can still collect payments using your existing provider for all but 5 working days of that period.

3. You'll need to know your customers' details. Transferring a mandate requires your customer's address, email, name and bank details. If you don't know these your current provider should be able to provide them to you.

GoCardless can manage the entire transfer process for you, as we have for companies like Greater Anglia Railways. We offer this service for completely free.