Getting access to BECS Direct Debit
Last editedApr 20231 min. read
In this guide, we walk you through options for accessing BECS Direct Debit.
If your business wants to to collect payments through the BECS Direct Debit scheme, there are three main options to choose from.
Direct access with your bank
If you’re a larger business, you may prefer to manage BECS Direct Debit collection in-house. To do so, you will need to apply to your bank to become a Debit User. If approved, your bank will provide a Direct Entry User ID, along with support for your business to submit Direct Debit payments directly with the bank.
Setting up direct access to BECS Direct Debit can be a time consuming and expensive process. In Australia, banks must carry out certain checks, including a credit risk assessment and financial strength review. Banks must also vouch for the integrity and reliability of the potential Debit User in BECS, so they will carefully review fraud controls, customer identification processes and risk processes. This process often takes a lot of time and resources.
Nevertheless, for large companies with a high volume of payments, the low transaction fees associated with direct access may outweigh the initial setup and overhead challenges and costs.
How to collect Direct Debit payments with GoCardless
1.
Create your free GoCardless account, access your user-friendly payments dashboard & connect your accounting software (if you use one).
2.
Easily set up & schedule Direct Debit payments via payment pages on your website checkout or secure payment links.
3.
From now on you'll get paid on time, every time, as GoCardless automatically collects payment on the scheduled date. Simple.
Submitting indirectly via a Direct Debit bureau
Many companies prefer someone else to manage the complexities of collecting Direct Debit. Third parties that manage these collections are called Direct Debit bureaus.
Some third parties offer multiple payment methods, including BECS Direct Debit, card payments and BPAY.
When it comes to handling BECS Direct Debit collections, third party providers do so with varying levels of service and ease of use. Most will charge you to set up the service, or per customer, in addition to costs per transaction. On top of that, most providers charge fees for failed payments.
Submitting indirectly via GoCardless
As a merchant using GoCardless, you can manage payments using our online dashboard, via an integration with your billing software, or by creating your own integration using our REST API. The main difference between GoCardless and other Australian Direct Debit bureaus is that GoCardless enables you to collect Direct Debit payments from multiple geographies, as well as collecting them within Australia.
Your customers can set up Direct Debit payments to you online using your own online request form or GoCardless’ suggested pages. As soon as a complete request is in place, you can automatically collect one-off or recurring payments from that customer.
Our pricing is simple and transparent, with no setup charges or hidden fees - and we don't charge fees for failed payments.