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| Term | Meaning | More details |
|---|---|---|
| ADDACS messages | Automated Direct Debit Amendment and Cancellation messages notify Service Users of amendments and cancellations made by their customers to their DDIs. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Advance Notice | Notice that must be given, under the Scheme rules, to customers of each payment before it leaves their account. | Taking payments |
| ARUDD messages | Automated Return of Unpaid Direct Debits messages notify Service Users of any unpaid Direct Debits. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| AUDDIS | The AUtomated Direct Debit Instruction Service, through which all new direct Service Users must now submit requests to Bacs. | Submitting to the banks |
| AUDDIS messages | AUtomated Direct Debit Instruction Service messages notify Service Users of issues setting up or cancelling a Direct Debit Instruction. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Bacs | The clearing system that administers the Direct Debit scheme - all Direct Debit communications go through Bacs. Originally an acronym for "Bankers' Automated Clearing Services", you will sometimes see Bacs written as BACS. | What is Direct Debit? |
| Bacs payment cycle | All communications through Bacs operate on the Bacs three working day cycle. See timings for more information. | Payment timings |
| Bacstel-IP | The secure internet-based service provided by Bacs for communications between Service Users and Bacs. | Submitting to the banks |
| Bacstel-IP software | A Bacs approved software package must be used to communicate over Bacstel-IP. | Submitting to the banks |
| Bureau | An organisation that submits Direct Debit requests to Bacs on behalf of a 3rd party. A list of approved bureaux is published by Bacs. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Counter claim | The claim raised by a Service User to dispute an indemnity claim from a customer. Counter claims must be made within 14 days of an indemnity claim being settled. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| DDICA messages | Direct Debit Indemnity Claim Advice messages notify Service Users of indemnity claims from their customers. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Direct Debit Guarantee | The guarantee given on all payments made by Direct Debit. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| Direct Debit Instruction | An authorisation from your customer to collect future payments automatically. To set up a DDI your customers must complete a standardised form. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Direct Debit Instruction form | A paper form that customers must complete to authorise a Direct Debit Instruction to you. You can see an example here. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Direct Debit Mandate | Alternative name for a Direct Debit Instruction. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Due date | The date a payment is due to be debited from a payer's account. | Payment timings |
| Facilities Management | A service provided by a Bureau in which they submit payments to Bacs on behalf of a merchant under a Service User Number attached to a bank account owned by the bureau. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Indemnity Claim | A request for a refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee. Claims are assessed by the Payer's bank and funds are then recouped from the Service User automatically. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| Input file | A file, in a standardised format, submitted to Bacs by Service Users to lodge new Direct Debit Instruction and payment requests. | Submitting to the banks |
| Input report | Every time a Service User submits payments or DDIs to Bacs, they receive an Input Report summarising the submission. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Managed Administration | A service provided by a Bureau in which they submit payments to Bacs on your behalf, under your own Service User Number. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Paperless Direct Debit | Process for authorising a Direct Debit Instruction over the phone or online, instead of with a paper form. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Paying bank | The bank or building society at which a customer's DDI is lodged. | Taking payments |
| SEPA Direct Debit | A single Direct Debit Scheme which applies across the whole Single European Payments Area. | SEPA Direct Debit guide |
| Service User | An organisation approved by a sponsor bank to submit Direct Debit requests to Bacs. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Service User Number (SUN) | A 6 digit unique identifier issued to every Service User. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Sponsor Bank | A bank that enables you to access the Direct Debit Scheme and provides you with a Service User Number. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Unpaid Direct Debits | Payments which could not be collected from the customer's account, for a variety of reasons, including insufficient funds. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Working Days | Submissions to Bacs can only occur on working days, which exclude weekends and bank holidays. Bacs provide a definitive list of working days for the Direct Debit system. | Payment timings |
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.
