If your customers are based in Canada, you are required to contact them to let them know of this change under PAD Direct Debit scheme rules.
Process
1. Confirm details of your customer's mandates
Before the bulk change process can begin, you will first need to establish the notification timings that have already been agreed with customers.
If a switch will also require some change to the agreement (i.e. the timing of the payments, advance notice, name showing up on bank statement, etc.), the customer must be notified at least 10 days in advance of the first Pre-Authorized Debit being issued in the new name.
The notification timing may have been reduced when the agreement was initially signed by the customer. If this is the case, then the customer should be notified in alignment with the timings that have been agreed.
2. Contact GoCardless
Once you have confirmed the above information, 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. the agreed notice period).
3. Notify your customers
All customers whose mandates are being moved to GoCardless must be notified at least 10 days in advance of the first Pre-Authorized Debit being issued in the new name.
This will need to be completed in accordance with the notice period agreed when the customer first set up the Direct Debit Instruction.
Template to notify customers
You are required to notify all your existing customers that you are changing Direct Debit provider.
GoCardless will send you a template notification email you can use to inform your customers of the change in provider.
This template will state the minimum notice period as per the PAD scheme rules (10 days), as well as notification that the payer's authority will be transferred to GoCardless for any and all payments collected on and after the date of transfer.