For many of us, direct debits are a key part of our everyday finances. From paying bills to keeping our gym membership up to date, we rely on direct debits to help us meet our financial commitments with the minimum of fuss. For businesses needing to debit customers on a regular basis, a direct debit makes sense. Indeed, in the year to February 2025, almost five billion direct debit transactions took place, totalling £1.49 trillion, underlining just how accustomed we are to using direct debit. But when you’re looking for a solution to take regular payments from customers, there are a number of options out there that all seem to offer the same end result. However, there are some very good reasons as to why you should partner with an Bacs (Bankers Automated Clearing Services) approved software provider such as Mosaic Software by ClearDebit , which is one of only 13 Bacs-approved software providers in the UK . You’ll have complete certainty Managing numerous payments every month is a big responsibility – and as a business you need to know you’re providing your customers with the very best. Mosaic Software by ClearDebit has undergone rigorous testing and successfully completed a robust approvals process to be one of only 13 software providers to be approved by Bacs – meaning you can have complete confidence in the platform and the service you’re providing your customers. Safety and security a priority As part of the Bacs approval process, the safety and security of the software is assessed and reviewed to ensure it meets the very high standards of Bacs. After all, Bacs has been processing payments since 1968, and has a very strong reputation to protect! As your customers become increasingly concerned with online and digital security in general – as well as the security of their money online in particular – being able to offer them a Bacs-approved Direct Debit will give them confidence that their money and personal details are going to be kept safe. Build your own brand reputation The partners and suppliers you use are an extension of both your brand and your brand reputation, too. By having a Bacs-approved Direct Debit Software provider on your side, you immediately benefit from the reflected show of quality, demonstrating a commitment to doing things well, and doing things properly. It’s a serious consideration – after all, we’ve all seen the repercussions for a business when a supplier does the wrong thing and the contracting business has to endure the reflected negativity. Imagine that happening with something affecting all of the customers you’re regularly debiting. To find out more about how Mosaic Software by ClearDebit can help your business, click here .
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Here’s everything you need to know about dealing with failed direct debits while maintaining customer trust and protecting your business’s reputation.
Many membership organisations run a tight ship when it comes to finances and resources, meaning cash flow and regular income – with minimum fuss – are key. Direct debits are a simple and straightforward way for membership organisations to take regular, recurring payments from their members. Automating this process sidesteps the need for an employee to manually issue and chase invoices, and the business can realise a whole host of benefits in the process. Here’s everything you need to know about direct debits and why switched-on membership organisations are increasingly using them to create a simple and easy payment method for their members. What is a direct debit? Many of us will be well accustomed to direct debits in our everyday lives. From gym memberships to insurance policies, household bills to streaming services, direct debit agreements are commonplace. The way they work is simple. When you sign up for a service or product, you agree on a price for it. If you choose to pay by direct debit, you give authority for the provider of that product or service to process the payment when it’s due. Usually, this is a recurring payment and when you sign up, you’ll agree how often it will be paid (weekly, fortnightly, monthly, etc.). What are the benefits of direct debits for membership organisations? For membership organisations, taking membership fees by direct debit can have a number of benefits, including: Predictable cash flow For any business, having some predictability when it comes to cash flow is important. Staff can be paid, financial commitments honoured, and spending allocated. Direct debits enable that predictability – you’re not waiting on a payment to be made, or wondering whether a payment has been cancelled. A direct debit payment can fail if there aren’t funds available, however, if that happens the member would be notified and the payment would be reattempted days later. Direct debits bring timeliness and predictability, which few other payment methods can, with funds usually received on the day of collection. Reduced admin burden Direct debits are far more ‘admin-light’ than many other payment options. You don’t need to send invoices out, you don’t need to chase missed or late payments. You simply upload your direct debit files to specialised software provided by your direct debit provider – or send your files to your direct debit provider to manage on your behalf. Enhanced membership experience For members, too, direct debits are hugely beneficial. They don’t need to remember to make a payment which takes one item off their regular to-do list, and it also allows them to spread payments over the course of the year, reducing the financial burden of paying membership fees upfront. For prospective members, that could make all the difference between signing up and not. Lower transaction costs Direct debits are a cost-effective method of collecting payment, avoiding expensive card transaction fees. Increased member retention By making membership subscription fees simple and straightforward, you can boost membership retention. Direct debits also offer the possibility of moving away from annual memberships to rolling memberships, removing the ‘will I, won’t I’ decision that usually comes with each renewal period. By making payments easy and simple, you can enhance member experience, and the decision to continue as a member becomes far easier. If your membership organisation would like more information about how you can use direct debits to help save time and resources and increase member retention, get in touch with the ClearDebit team today or enquire about our direct debit training .
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