If you’re already charging your customers via another Direct Debit provider, we may be able to move your existing customers’ mandates over to GoCardless for you.
Please note: This request is taken on a case-by-case basis and it is not guaranteed that you will be able to move your existing mandates over to GoCardless from a previous provider.
Requesting a bulk change of customer mandates
GoCardless must confirm details of payments taken via the previous provider. Such information may include:
- Your current Direct Debit provider
- Number of active mandates
- Average transaction size
- Payment frequency (e.g. monthly/annual)
- If you have valid email addresses for all customers
Process overview
1. Confirm details of your customer's mandates
Before the bulk change process can begin, you will first need to establish if your customers' Service Agreements are held with your business or with your existing Direct Debit provider/bureau.
In addition, you will need to check the notice period agreed in your customers' Service Agreements.
2. Create a GoCardless account (if you have not done so already)
3. Complete the verification process
Your details will need to be fully verified before you’re able to upload the bulk change file to import your customers’ details. If you would like more information on completing the verification process, please click here.
4. Contact GoCardless to request a bulk change
Once you have confirmed the information from step 1, please send an email to help@gocardless.com letting us know you wish to begin the bulk change process.
Please ensure you include confirmation of the details from the previous step in your email (i.e. with whom your customers' Service Agreements are held, and the agreed notice period).
5. Notify your customers
You will then need to send the notification email to all customers whose mandates you wish to move over to GoCardless.
This will need to be completed in accordance with the notice period agreed in their Service Agreements (i.e. your intended bulk change date must be a sufficient number of days in the future to allow for the full notice period to run).
You can see more information on notifying your customers here.
6. Confirm notification with GoCardless
Once all customers have been notified, please confirm this with GoCardless via your existing email thread. This email should include the following:
- Confirmation that all customers have been notified
- A copy of any notification emails or letters sent to your customers
7. Import BECS customer data
We will provide you with access to our bulk change import tool, and confirm the deadline that you will need to have completed the import process by. We will also confirm the date that we will create new mandates for your customers in our system.
You can see a step-by-step guide on how to import this information here.
GoCardless will verify and approve the uploaded details, before processing the creation of your customers' new mandates on the date agreed (and specified in the previous step). You will receive confirmation from GoCardless once completed.
8. Cancel mandates with previous provider
You will need to ensure that all previous (transferred) customer mandates are cancelled. If you're moving to GoCardless from another provider/bureau, they will need to perform this action on your behalf.
We recommend that this action is performed on the same date as the new mandates being created.
9. GoCardless to send an updated Service Agreement
Within 7 days of your customers' mandates being set up, GoCardless will send all affected customers an updated Service Agreement.
This agreement will confirm your merchant name (as it appears in the GoCardless system), along with your Direct Debit User ID.
Checklist
Here’s a checklist you can use to help keep track of where you are in the
process:
🔲 GoCardless account has been fully verified
🔲 Requested a bulk change from GoCardless
🔲 Agreed a bulk change date with previous provider
🔲 Notified customers
🔲 Requested customer information from previous provider
🔲 Imported customer data to GoCardless dashboard
🔲 Cancelled mandates with previous provider