Our terms of service

GoCardless Product Description Document 

Any capitalised terms used in this Product Description Document have the meaning given to them in the Definitions Document. 

This GoCardless Product Description Document sets out:

1. the Services included in each GoCardless Pricing Plan, depending on which Pricing Plan you apply for (Part 1); 

2. a description of each of the Services which comprise the Pricing Plans (Part 2); and

3. a description of which jurisdictions you can be located in to be eligible to use the Services and which GoCardless entity provides the Services in each jurisdiction (Part 3). 

Services listed in the Pricing Plan Description below are available for use now and any new Services will be listed as soon as they become available.

The Add-On features are optional add-ons specific to each Pricing Plan and may carry additional Fees.  

Not all Services are available in all jurisdictions GoCardless operates in, and may not be available to all users.

A link to the Service Terms for each of the Services can be found in Part 2 of this Product Description Document.

If a Service is not stated as being available for a Pricing Plan, there is no way for you to use that Service.  If you wish to use a particular Service, you must ensure you select a Pricing Plan which includes the ability to use that Service.  

Most Services within a Pricing Plan are automatically available, but certain Services may need to be enabled before they can be used.  If so, this will be stated in this Product Description Document and/or the relevant Service Terms.  

Part 1: Pricing Plan Description

* Availability is based on Customer’s location.

** General availability means it is available if you are based in any of the jurisdictions that GoCardless provides services (as set out in Part 3 of this Product Description Document).

*** Not all iterations of the Instant Bank Pay feature are available to all users.  If you are uncertain as to which iterations of the Instant Bank Pay feature are available for you, please contact help@gocardless.com.

Part 2: Description of the Services

This section gives a general description of each Service which forms part of GoCardless Payments and GoCardless Payments Intelligence.  It is intended to be read in conjunction with the relevant Service Terms which apply to each Service.  It can also be read in conjunction with the Pricing Plan Description in Part 1 to enable you to identify which Services are included in your Pricing Plan and where those Services are available. 

GOCARDLESS PAYMENTS

GoCardless Payments are GoCardless’ core payments products which enable you to collect payments from your Customers in different ways.   GoCardless categorises its GoCardless Payments services into different product lines, each of which serve a different purpose from a user perspective.  The products which form part of the GoCardless Payments service are:

Bank Payments - enables you to move money;

Checkout - enables you to optimise your Customer acquisition.

Each of these products are made up of various features, including in some cases Add-On features (which may carry an additional Fee).  A description of the various features is set out below

Bank Payments - Move Money

Bank Debit Feature

The Service Terms for the Bank Debit Feature govern your use of the Bank Debit Feature.

GoCardless’ Bank Debit Feature enables you to collect payments from your Customers using the traditional bank debit payment scheme infrastructure.  Bank debit is a traditional, pull-based payment service which enables you to collect one-off or recurring payments from your Customers based on a permission (i.e. the Payment Scheme Mandate) given by the Customer to their bank.  The Payment Scheme Mandate given by the Customer to its bank authorises the entity the Customer wants to pay to collect sums from the Customer's bank account on a regular basis.  

Bank Debit is the name GoCardless uses to describe this feature, but each country or region operates its own bank debit scheme and each bank debit scheme may be referred to generally in a different way, such as Direct Debit, Pre-Authorised Debit (or Pre-Auth) or ACH.  GoCardless defines each bank debit scheme as a Payment Scheme, and each Payment Scheme has its own rules and regulations, governing things like advance payment notice requirements, request submission processes, failure notice periods etc.  When you use the Bank Debit feature, you will be subject to the rules and regulations of each Payment Scheme.  A Payment Scheme is the infrastructure and/or operational mechanism - and by association, the body who owns, administers, and maintains that mechanism - that enables bank-to-bank payments to be processed within a particular country or region. The Payment Scheme through which a payment is processed is determined by where the Customer (or more specifically, their bank account) is based.  

The Bank Debit Payment Schemes are as follows:

Same Day Settlement Feature

The Same Day Settlement feature is an Add-On feature which applies to Bank Debit only.  The Bank Debit Payment Schemes in which the Same Day Settlement feature is available are:

Use of the Same Day Settlement feature is subject to availability and an eligibility assessment and the feature is not automatically enabled.  If you wish to be considered to be able to use the Same Day Settlement feature, you can email us at help@gocardless.com.

The Same Day Settlement feature enables you to be paid out funds on the same day the funds are collected by GoCardless from the Customer.  

Your use of the Same Day Settlement feature is subject to the relevant provisions set out in the Service Terms for the Bank Debit Feature. 

Instant Bank Pay Feature

The Service Terms for the Instant Bank Pay Feature govern your use of the Instant Bank Pay Feature.

GoCardless’ Instant Bank Pay Feature enables users to collect one-off, recurring or variable recurring payments from Customers using open banking technology to facilitate a more flexible and dynamic approach to payment collection than may be possible using traditional bank debit.  

The Instant Bank Pay Payment Schemes are:

The jurisdictions where the Instant Bank Pay Feature can be used to collect payments from Customers is set out in the Pricing Plan Description in Part 1. 

The Instant Bank Pay Feature can be used as a standalone payment collection service, or alongside collecting payments using GoCardless’ Bank Debit Feature.  There are also two different ways in which funds collected using the Instant Bank Pay Feature can be settled by Customers to you: (a) collected by GoCardless into GoCardless’ safeguarding account before being paid out to you; or (b) paid straight to your bank account.  Where you ask for funds to be paid directly to your bank account (and not via GoCardless) this is referred to as ‘Instant Bank Pay Direct Settlement’.  Further information about availability and use cases for the Instant Bank Pay Feature can be found on the GoCardless Site. 

The jurisdiction of the Payment Scheme will determine the way the Instant Bank Pay Feature operates from a regulatory and technical perspective.  Where the Instant Bank Pay Feature operates within Payment Schemes in the UK and the European Economic Area, the feature involves the use of a Payment Initiation Service provided by GoCardless.  

Outbound Payments Feature

The Service Terms for the Outbound Payments govern your use of the Outbound Payments feature.

GoCardless’ Outbound Payments feature enables you to set up a Payment Account which can be used to hold funds and pay those funds out to third party beneficiaries.  You can choose to have the funds collected for you by GoCardless (using the Bank Debit feature and/or the Instant Bank Pay feature) paid into the Payment Account to enable more versatility and flexibility around when and who those funds are paid out to.    

The Outbound Payments Payment Schemes are:

FX Feature: International Payment Collection

The FX Feature enables you to collect funds from Customers in various Payment Schemes across multiple currencies. It can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature to facilitate cross-border and/or cross-currency payment collection.  For example:  

• you are located in the United Kingdom and use the Bank Debit feature to collect payments in pounds sterling through the Bacs Payment Scheme;

• you want to start collecting payments from Customers based in the US who transact in US dollars.  You can use the FX Feature to collect payments from these Customers;

• GoCardless would collect the payment from the Customer in US dollars through the ACH Payment Scheme using the Bank Debit feature, and then would apply the FX Feature to convert the amount collected in US dollars into pounds sterling, and then pay the funds to your Nominated Account in pounds sterling.

The use of the FX Feature is subject to the Service Terms for the FX feature, which include provisions around Payment Scheme Timings and currency conversion rates.

Scheduled Payouts feature

When you use the Bank Debit Feature and/or the Instant Bank Pay Feature to collect payments from your Customers, GoCardless pays the collected funds to your Nominated Account in accordance with the Agreement and the Payment Scheme Timings.  The Scheduled Payouts Feature enables you to change the frequency with which funds are paid out to your Nominated Account and select whether the Payouts are made daily, weekly or monthly, as well as request interval Payouts.  

The ability to use the Scheduled Payouts Feature is subject to eligibility and is in GoCardless’ sole discretion.  If you are eligible to use the Scheduled Payouts Feature you can access and use it through the Dashboard.    

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Scheduled Payouts Feature, but if you use the Scheduled Payouts Feature your use will be subject to the provisions relating to the Scheduled Payouts Feature set out in the Bank Debit Service Terms, the Instant Bank Pay Service Terms and the Payment Scheme Timings Page. 

Multi-Account Feature

The Multi-Account Feature enables Merchants to create a Multi-Account Group of two or more Linked Accounts and nominate a Lead Merchant to administer access to each Linked Account on behalf of each Linked Account in order to streamline operational processes. The Multi-Account Feature enables the Lead Merchant to do a number of things for a Multi-Account Group including searching records and exporting data across multiple GoCardless Accounts, adding new Linked Accounts to an existing Multi-Account Group, setting up and onboarding new GoCardless Accounts with greater ease and viewing key performance metrics across Linked Accounts.  

The ability to set up Linked Accounts, create Multi-Account Groups  and therefore use the Multi-Account Feature is subject to eligibility and is in GoCardless’ sole discretion.   

The Service Terms for the Multi-Account Feature governs your use of the Multi-Account Feature.  

Refunds feature

The standard Refunds feature enables you to use your GoCardless Account to give Refunds to Customers for goods or services they have purchased from you.  The Refunds feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features and the Service Terms governing those features. 

The standard Refunds feature may not be automatically enabled, and if you wish to use the Refunds feature, you may need to enable it in accordance with the General Terms.  

The Mandate Level Refund feature enables you to initiate a Refund that relates to more than one Transaction at a time, via a single Payment Order.  It can only be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and is subject to the Service Terms for the Bank Debit feature.  The Mandate Level Refund feature is not automatically enabled and if you wish to use it you will need to enable it in accordance with the General Terms.

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Refunds feature, but if you use the Refunds feature your use will be subject to the provisions relating to Refunds set out in the Service Terms for the Bank Debit feature or the Instant Bank Pay feature, as applicable.  

Configure Payment Schedules feature

The Configure Payment Schedules feature enables you to set up an agreed schedule of payments with a Customer, establishing the intervals and frequencies for the payments.  The Configure Payment Schedules feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features.

There are two types of payment schedule: parameterised and customised.

A parameterised schedule is fixed by market conventions and Payment Scheme Rules, and the parameters include payment frequency (weekly, monthly, bi-annually, annually etc), payment day (first Monday of the month, every Friday etc), date rolling (to adjust payment date when it does not fall on a business day), date of first payment, date of last payment (also known as maturity date).

A customised payment schedule consists of a sequence of dates fixed and agreed by the relevant parties determining when payments will be made.  

A scheduled payment means an individual payment scheduled for a specific date. 

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Configure Payment Schedules feature, but if you use the Configure Payment Schedules feature your use will be subject to any relevant provisions set out in the Service Terms for the Bank Debit feature or the Instant Bank Pay feature, as applicable. 

Set-up Payment Scheme Mandates by paper, online or via telephone feature 

The Set-up Payment Scheme Mandates by paper, online or via telephone feature (Set-up Mandates feature) enables you to set up Payment Scheme Mandates with a Customer through different channels i.e. online, over the telephone, or by post using a paper mandate.  The Set-up Mandates feature can generally be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features.  Given the nature of the Instant Bank Pay feature, the Set-up Mandates feature can only be used to set up Payment Scheme Mandates with a Customer online.  

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Set-up Mandates feature, but if you use the Set-up Mandates feature, your use will be subject to any relevant provisions set out in the Service Terms for the Bank Debit feature or the Instant Bank Pay feature, as applicable. 

Checkout - Customer Acquisition

The various features available are designed to enhance your Customer acquisition and checkout experience. There are different customisation options available which can be used to help you choose the best configuration to suit your Customer base and your business.  A description of the various features is set out below.   

Business’ Logo and Brand Colour on Sign Up Form feature

The Business’ Logo and Brand Colour on Sign Up Form feature (Branding feature) enables you to customise the sign-up form with your own design needs in mind.  It means you can include your business logo and brand colours on the Customer sign-up form in order to have a seamless payment experience.  The Branding feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features.   

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Branding feature, but if you use the Branding feature, your use will be subject to any relevant provisions set out in the Agreement. 

Drop-In Payment Page feature

The Drop-In Payment Page feature enables you to drop payment pages into your checkout flow. The Drop-In Payment Page feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features.   

There are no separate Service Terms governing the Drop-In Payment Page feature, but if you use the Drop-In Payment Page feature, your use will be subject to any relevant provisions set out in the Agreement. 

Hosted Payment Pages feature

The Hosted Payment Pages feature enables you to integrate an external checkout page created by GoCardless into your existing website.  A hosted payment page can be integrated into your existing website and take care of the entire transaction process.  It means you don’t have to worry about establishing an infrastructure for handling sensitive data, collecting payment information or facilitating a secure transaction as the hosted payment page does this for you.  The Hosted Payment Pages feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature, subject always to the availability of those features.   

There are no separate Services Terms governing the Hosted Payment Pages feature, but if you use the Hosted Payment Pages feature, your use will be subject to any relevant provisions set out in the Agreement. 

Verified Mandates feature

Verified Mandates is a feature that helps you prevent fraud.  It leverages an account information service provided to the Customer, or other open banking capability, to authenticate that the Customer does have access to the bank account they are using to set up the Payment Scheme Mandate.   This means that if a Customer successfully authenticates their bank account before setting up the Payment Scheme Mandate, it significantly reduces the risk of Payment Scheme Mandates being set up fraudulently. 

The Verified Mandates feature can only be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature.   

The use of the Verified Mandates feature is subject to the Service Terms for the Verified Mandates feature.

ADD-ON FEATURES FOR CHECKOUT (CUSTOMER ACQUISITION)

Set out below is a description of each Add-On feature which you can apply for to enhance further your checkout proposition.  These Add-On features give you the option to customise your use of the GoCardless Payments, so GoCardless itself is less visible to the Customer.  The Service Terms for the Add-on Features govern your use of each Add-On feature.

Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature

The Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature and enables you to be named on the Customer’s bank statement as the beneficiary of the payment, rather than this showing on the Customer’s bank statement as ‘GoCardless’.  

The Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature is not automatically enabled, and if you wish to use the Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature, you must enable it in accordance with the General Terms.  

The Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature involves the generation and allocation of a unique identifier provided by the Payment Scheme which links payments to an individual user. 

There may be certain Payment Schemes where the Merchant Name on Payer Bank Statements feature is not available, as set out in the Pricing Plan Description above.   

Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications

The Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature can be used in conjunction with the Bank Debit feature and the Instant Bank Pay feature and enables you to customise your payment flows in specific ways.  GoCardless generates the payment flows which the Customer goes through in order to create a Payment Scheme Mandate, as well as the notifications which must be sent to Customers with respect to Payment Scheme Mandates.  GoCardless also gives you the option to customise these payment flows and notifications, so they can be more seamlessly integrated into your own flows.  In order to do this, you can choose to use the Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature. 

The Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature is not automatically enabled, and if you wish to use the Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature, you must enable it in accordance with the General Terms.  

Where you use the Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature, you must ensure you do so in accordance with all specific requirements and guidelines issued by GoCardless from time to time, as the payment flows and notifications may be affected by Applicable Law and Payment Scheme Rules. 

There may be certain Payment Schemes and/or GoCardless Services where the Custom Checkout Experience and Payer Notifications feature is not available, as set out in the Pricing Plan Description above.   

GOCARDLESS PAYMENTS INTELLIGENCE

GoCardless Payments Intelligence products and features are designed to help you optimise your use of GoCardless Payments. The products which form part of the GoCardless Payments Intelligence service are:

GoCardless Success+ - optimises your chance of payments being successful.

GoCardless Protect+  - helps to reduce your risk of being subject to fraudulent payments. 

A description of each of these is set out below.

GoCardless Success+

The Service Terms for GoCardless Success+ govern your use of GoCardless Success+.

GoCardless Success+ is a product which works with the Bank Debit feature and is designed to help improve your ability to collect payments which may fail at the initial collection point.  GoCardless does this through making further attempts to collect the payment over a period of time.  The number of times GoCardless will try to collect the payment and the period over which it will do this can be set by you.  

Where you have a Pricing Plan which includes GoCardless Success+ it will be automatically enabled, but you will need to configure it in line with your preferred settings.

GoCardless Success+ also enables you to view payments subsequently collected using the GoCardless Success+ product, as well as view breakdowns of payments pending and revenue recovered in the Dashboard.  

GoCardless Protect+

The Service Terms for GoCardless Protect+ govern your use of GoCardless Protect+.

GoCardless Protect+ is a product which works with the Bank Debit feature and is designed to help reduce the risk that Customers fraudulently receive goods and services from you without any intention to pay for those goods and services.  GoCardless Protect+ is made up of four features which tackle fraud through the lifecycle of a Payment Scheme Mandate from the creation of the Payment Scheme Mandate, through to ongoing Transactions performed with respect to the Payment Scheme Mandate whilst it is active, in order to maximise the value of the Payment Scheme Mandate for you through reducing fraudulent behaviour.  

Where you have a Pricing Plan which includes GoCardless Protect+ it will be automatically enabled, but you will need to configure it in line with your preferred settings.

The four features comprising GoCardless Protect+ are: 

Detect: a Detect feature which is activated when a Customer sets up a Payment Scheme Mandate to try to identify potentially fraudulent payers by combining a wide range of data sources applied against the Payment Scheme Mandate details provided by the Customer. 

Verify: a Verified Mandates feature whereby if the Detect feature ​​identifies a Customer as a potential fraud risk, and based on a risk score metric selected by you, GoCardless Protect+ will require that Customer to verify they have access to the bank account they are using to set up the Payment Scheme Mandate, using GoCardless’ Verified Mandates feature.   The Verified Mandates feature is subject to the relevant provisions of the Service Terms for the Verified Mandates feature. 

Monitor: a Monitor feature which operates once a Payment Scheme Mandate has been successfully created.  The Monitor feature will involve GoCardless monitoring fraudulent activity on your GoCardless Account.  GoCardless will alert you if GoCardless identifies potential fraudulent activity.  GoCardless will also provide you with reports on various aspects of fraud. 

Challenge: a Chargeback Challenge feature which is a tool enabling you to challenge potentially fraudulent Chargebacks made by Customers and challenging those Chargebacks with the Customer’s bank, based on evidence gathered by GoCardless and information provided by you.

Part 3: Jurisdiction and GoCardless Service Providers

This document sets out: (a) where you need to be located in order to be eligible to use the Services; and (b) which GoCardless entity provides the Services in each jurisdiction and which GoCardless entity enters into the Agreement with you.

In order to be eligible to use the Services, you need to be located in one of the jurisdictions below: