Bank payments and local methods · Payment methods
Bacs Direct Debit for online stores: how UK Direct Debit works
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Bacs Direct Debit collects pounds from a UK bank account after the customer gives their sort code and account number and accepts a mandate. It is built for recurring payments, but slow: Stripe needs about four business days to confirm a payment, or seven when setting up a new mandate. Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, customers can get a full and immediate refund from their bank, and Stripe says there is no set time limit on Bacs disputes.
- Type
- Bank debit under a Direct Debit Instruction (mandate)
- Where it works
- UK bank accounts
- Currency
- GBP
- Confirmation
- About 4 business days; 7 with a new mandate
- Limits
- £10,000 per debit by default; new Stripe users start with a £10,000 weekly limit
- Disputes
- No set time limit; cannot be contested
- Refunds
- Within 180 days, sent by Stripe outside the Bacs scheme
- Recurring payments
- Yes
What PlatformDTC does
PlatformDTC checkout has no Bacs Direct Debit today; UK customers can subscribe with a saved card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or PayPal, and use Klarna or Clearpay on one-time orders.
The Direct Debit Guarantee
Direct Debit is owned and run by Pay.UK. Every Direct Debit is covered by the Guarantee: the customer must be told in advance of any change (normally 10 working days), and if an error is made they are entitled to a full and immediate refund from their bank. They can cancel at any time through their bank.
Stripe sends the required notices (mandate confirmation and advance debit notice) by default.
What it means for your store
- Disputes have no time limit and cannot be contested; the dispute fee is not refunded.
- If you refund and the customer also claims from their bank, you can lose both amounts. Tell customers when you refund.
- By default the customer's statement names Stripe; showing your own name costs £50 per month with Stripe's Custom Branding.
- Stripe can retry an insufficient-funds failure up to two times within 30 days.
Frequently asked questions
- How long can a customer dispute a Direct Debit?
- Stripe says there is no set time limit for Bacs Direct Debit disputes, and you cannot counter them.
- How long does a first Bacs payment take?
- About seven business days with a new mandate: three for the mandate to activate, then funds leave the customer's account around day five and reach Stripe around day seven.
- Who runs Direct Debit in the UK?
- Direct Debit is owned and managed by Pay.UK Limited.
Sources
- Bacs Direct Debit payments — Stripe
- The Direct Debit Guarantee — Pay.UK (Direct Debit)
Related
- Pay by Bank — Open-banking payment: the shopper picks their bank and approves the payment in its app.
- SEPA Direct Debit — Euro bank debit across the EU: the shopper gives an IBAN and signs a mandate; you collect later.
- ACH Direct Debit — US bank-account debit through the ACH network; up to 4 business days to confirm.
- PayTo — Australian real-time bank payment: the shopper approves a PayTo agreement in their banking app.
- FPX — Malaysia's online banking payment run by PayNet; shoppers pick their bank and approve.
- PayNow — Singapore's instant bank transfer; shoppers scan a PayNow QR code in their bank or wallet app.
- PromptPay — Thailand's QR bank payment: shoppers scan a PromptPay QR code with their Thai banking app.
- UPI — India's real-time bank payment: shoppers approve in a UPI app by QR code or app switch.