The following is a guide to building custom payment pages for merchants using GoCardless Advanced or GoCardless Pro, and for partners, using the add-on feature Custom checkout experience and payer notifications.
Payers in Canada need to complete a Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement to authorise merchants to take payments from them via PAD, the local Direct Debit scheme.
Customers using GoCardless Advanced or GoCardless Pro, have the option to use GoCardless’ own payment pages, or to build their own custom payment pages by using our Custom checkout experience and payer notifications add-on feature. Please note there is an additional “add-on” monthly fee called Custom checkout experience and payer notifications.
Partners can opt to build and use custom payment pages as well. This will enable merchants who are using GoCardless through their app to offer their customers (payers) a consistent branding experience.
Please note: Custom payment pages will need to be approved by GoCardless before being implemented.
How to build custom payment pages
There are 5 steps to ensure compliance with the PAD scheme rules and GoCardless processes.
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Compulsory Requirements
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Recommended features
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Additional steps for Partners
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Summary table
The steps outlined below are a requirement of the PAD scheme in order for your custom payment pages to be compliant. The recommended features are in addition to the compulsory requirements and we strongly recommend using these.
Compulsory requirements
Listed below are the compulsory steps to follow for building your custom payment pages.
1. Host your payment pages with HTTPS
To ensure payers’ details are safely transmitted, your website must be configured to only accept secure (SSL - minimum of SHA-256 SSL support TLS.1 or TLS1.2) connections.
2. Information entry page
This is the sign-up page for your product / services, and is used to capture the payer information necessary to set up a Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement.
There are 3 compulsory elements:
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Page heading that is identifiable to payers. |
Title it ‘Set up a Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement with [merchant name]’. |
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Entry points to collect payer details |
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Page footer to let payers know about how GoCardless’ service is provided, and 3rd party data controllers that power your website |
Text to read ‘Payments securely processed by GoCardless. GoCardless Ltd (company registration number 07495895) is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, registration number 597190, for the provision of payment services. |
The footer is a requirement, as this upfront notice ensures compliance with regulatory requirements and data protection law. GoCardless, our merchants, and our partners could be in violation of this law if the notice is not included. You can read more here .
If the suggested footer isn’t technically possible, at a minimum you must include the following reference to GoCardless in your website privacy notice:
We use GoCardless to process your Pre-AuthorizedDirect Debit payments. More information on how GoCardless processes your payments, personal data and your data protection rights, including your right to object, is available at gocardless.com/legal/privacy/
3. Summary and confirmation page
This page enables payers to view and verify their details before submitting them.
There are 3 compulsory elements:
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Page heading that is identifiable to payers. Title it ‘Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement’.
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Date of Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement set up i.e., today’s date
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Payer details as collected in the information entry page - account holder name and bank account information
4. Setup success page
This page is to confirm that the Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement has been set up.
It is best practice, although not a scheme requirement, to include the below:
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Page heading that is identifiable to payers, i.e., message to confirm DD setup, such as “Direct Debit set up successfully”
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Reminder of what will appear on payers’ bank statements
5. GoCardless approval of payment pages
Example templates of your payment pages must be sent to GoCardless for approval prior to your go-live date. Once you have written approval from GoCardless, you may implement the payment pages.
To test your payment pages, you can sign up here for a sandbox account.
Recommended features
Listed below are recommended features for your custom payment pages. These are recommended additions to the steps outlined in the Compulsory Requirements section.
Information entry page
Include a visual showing payers where to find their account information.
Summary and confirmation page
Include an ‘edit’ button, allowing payers to amend any incorrect information.
We recommend you include the page footer to let payers know how GoCardless’ service is provided, and about 3rd party data controllers that power your website, on each of your payment pages (not just the information entry page). Text to read ‘Payments securely processed by GoCardless. GoCardless Ltd (company registration number 07495895) is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, registration number 597190, for the provision of payment services. GoCardless uses personal data as described in their Privacy Notice.’
Setup success page
We recommend you include the page footer to let payers know how GoCardless’ service is provided, and about 3rd party data controllers that power your website, on each of your payment pages (not just the information entry page). Text to read ‘Payments securely processed by GoCardless. GoCardless Ltd (company registration number 07495895) is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority under the Payment Services Regulations 2017, registration number 597190, for the provision of payment services. GoCardless uses personal data as described in their Privacy Notice.’
Additional steps for Partners
Information entry page
1. Make a GET request to the creditors endpoint, and pull [name] to populate the merchant name
2. You must include the above ‘Payments by’ notice on your payment pages, or at minimum, enable the merchant to provide a link to their privacy notice at the information entry page.
Setup success page
You can make a GET request to the creditors endpoint and pull [scheme_identifiers: name] to populate what will appear on payers’ bank statements.
GoCardless approval of payment pages
When creating a new partner app and going through our technical certification process, you’ll be able to submit custom payment pages for approval through our partner portal.
Summary table
The below shows a summary of the relevant information at each stage of the payment pages.
All information is required unless specified otherwise.
| INFORMATION ENTRY PAGE | SUMMARY & CONFIRMATION PAGE | SETUP SUCCESS PAGE | |
|---|---|---|---|
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Page heading that is identifiable to payers |
Displayed |
Displayed |
Displayed Recommended |
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Account holder name |
Captured |
Displayed |
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Email address |
Captured |
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|
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Bank account information |
Captured |
Displayed |
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Page footer to let payers know how GoCardless’ service is provided, and about 3rd party data controllers that power your website |
Displayed |
Recommended |
Recommended |
|
Include a visual showing payers where to find their account information |
Recommended |
|
|
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Date of Pre-Authorized Debit Agreement set up |
|
Displayed |
|
|
Edit button allowing payers to amend their details |
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Recommended |
|
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Name that will appear on payers’ bank statements |
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|
Displayed |