Xero has launched a new version of the GoCardless integration as of the 7th of April 2021.
If these guides do not reflect your experience please switch to the new support guide here
There are two ways to invite customers to set up a Direct Debit mandate, automatically or manually.
Automatically
Selecting the automatic option for your mandate setting when configuring your GC4X account ensures that any new customers you add to your Xero account are automatically emailed an invite to set up a Direct Debit with you and/or your business.
You can change the content of this email, and turn automatic mandates on/off in the Xero automation page in the GoCardless for Xero Dashboard.
Manually
To control who you invite to set up a Direct Debit mandate, you can opt to use the manual process.
A customer can be manually invited to set up a Direct Debit mandate as follows.
- Go to the Customers page on the GoCardless for Xero dashboard and find the customer you would like to invite
- Click on the dotted actions button on the right
- Click Send email reminder to send an email invite from your dashboard; or Copy the link to send via your own email account or send via an alternative channel.
If you’re unsure about how to explain the benefits of paying via Direct Debit to your customers, please see this article.
Here’s an email template you may wish to use to message your clients:
“Hello [Name],
Direct Debit via GoCardless is now our preferred payment method. We think you’ll find it easier to pay through GoCardless, and it helps our business too. We’ll be saving hours of time each week managing our payments which we plan to reinvest into continually improving our service to you.
All you need to do to get started is enter your details online here:
[enter link to Direct Debit signup page].
How paying by Direct Debit benefits you:
- Unlike with other payment methods, you won’t have to remember to make future payments: as soon as[your invoice due date is reached/ subscription fee is due], we’ll collect payment straight from your pre-agreed bank account.
- GoCardless is the UK’s leading Direct Debit provider, processing over £5 billion in payments annually for more than 30,000 organisations including The Guardian and HM Government.
- You’ll be notified before each payment is taken and your payments are protected, so you’re guaranteed a refund if a payment was ever taken in error. Read more on:
If you have any questions, you can find out more details on the GoCardless website or get in touch with us on[phone number].
All the best, [Name and Company]”
What will my customer see?
Once your customer clicks on the set up link they will see the form below. Once they fill in their details and submit the form, their Direct Debit mandate set up will be processed.
What comes next?
We will notify you via email once your customer completes the authorisation form (shown above).
You can send a reminder email to your customer from the GoCardless for Xero dashboard if they need a little prompting to complete the setup.
Next, learn how to collect payments from a customer once their Direct Debit mandate is set up ->