What it does
GoCardless collects bank payments for invoices, subscriptions and instalments through its dashboard, integrations and developer API. Direct Debit handles authorized collections, while Pay by Bank provides a separate option for eligible UK pound payments. Merchant eligibility depends on the country and legal entity; Slovenian applicants must be registered companies.
GoCardless distinguishes instant bank payments from recurring Direct Debit collection. A monthly membership and an invoice due today can need different confirmation and settlement behavior. Mollie has acquired GoCardless, but GoCardless says its current products, pricing, contracts and dashboard continue unchanged.
Collecting a Direct Debit
In the Dashboard, open Customers, then Invite customers, choose Email and send the authorization invitation. Once the customer is active, open that customer, select One-off payment and Collect via Direct Debit, then enter the amount, description and collection date. A scheduled payment will not be processed if the authorization is still incomplete.
Payout emails show the amount, expected date and reference, with a breakdown that includes fees, refunds and other adjustments. The reference helps match the payout to the bank statement.
UK transaction pricing
| Plan | Domestic payment fee | International payment fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | 1% + £0.20, capped at £4 | 2% + £0.20 |
| Advanced | 1.25% + £0.20, capped at £5 | 2.25% + £0.20 |
| Pro | 1.4% + £0.20, capped at £5.60 | 2.4% + £0.20 |
| Custom | Negotiated | Negotiated |
Published UK fees exclude VAT. Standard, Advanced and Pro have no setup or monthly fee; optional add-ons and Custom terms can add fixed charges. Domestic Direct Debit amounts above £2,000 attract an additional 0.3% on the portion above that threshold. Advanced adds payment-failure recovery tools, while Pro also adds fraud controls.
Pay by Bank is a different payment route. For UK pound payments, it gives instant confirmation; payments made before 11 a.m. on a business day can settle that day, with later payments subject to the stated processing timetable. An accounting or billing integration must support Pay by Bank before its users can use that feature.
Eligibility is specific to the merchant's entity and country. Slovenia is listed for registered companies only; the UK also accepts sole traders. UK verification may require company, director, owner and identity details, plus supporting documents if automated checks are insufficient.
Strengths
- Supports recurring bank collection
- Integrates with billing and accounting products
- Payout references and adjustment breakdowns help reconcile bank deposits
Watch out for
- Slovenian merchant onboarding is limited to registered companies
- Pay by Bank is not automatically available through every partner integration
Best for
- Businesses collecting recurring bank payments
- Eligible companies matching invoice collection to accounting records
Sources
- GoCardless UK pricing (Oct 27, 2026)
- Collect your first GoCardless payment through the Dashboard (Oct 27, 2026)
- GoCardless business entity types by country (Oct 27, 2026)
- GoCardless Pay by Bank (Oct 27, 2026)
- GoCardless merchant pricing questions (Oct 27, 2026)
- Select the correct business type for GoCardless (Oct 27, 2026)
- GoCardless UK supporting documents (Oct 27, 2026)
- Mollie has acquired GoCardless (Oct 27, 2026)