A Direct Debit is a recurring payment instruction that authorises an organisation (the originator) to collect funds directly from your budget. Direct Debits are commonly used for regular payments such as subscriptions, utility bills and loan repayments. The Equals Money API allows you to view, manage, and create Direct Debit mandates on your budgets. You can also monitor payment requests associated with each mandate and cancel mandates when they’re no longer needed.Documentation Index
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Direct Debits are currently supported for GBP budgets only.
How Direct Debits work
When a Direct Debit is set up, the originator (such as a utility company or subscription service) is authorised to request payments from your budget. Each time a payment is due, the originator submits a payment request through the BACS (Bankers’ Automated Clearing Services) network. The Direct Debit lifecycle typically follows these steps:- Mandate creation - A Direct Debit mandate is created, either electronically or from a signed paper form (known as a paper mandate)
- Payment requests - The originator submits payment requests when payments are due
- Processing - Payment requests are processed through BACS
- Settlement - Funds are debited from your budget and credited to the originator
Payment requests are typically processed with a T+1 settlement cycle. You’ll receive a webhook notification on day 1, allowing you to take action before funds are debited on day 2.
Direct Debit statuses
A Direct Debit mandate can have one of the following statuses:| Status | Description |
|---|---|
ACTIVE | The mandate is active and can receive payment requests |
CANCELLED | The mandate has been cancelled and can no longer receive payment requests |
Payment request statuses
Each payment request associated with a Direct Debit can have one of the following statuses:| Status | Description |
|---|---|
PENDING | The payment request has been received but not yet processed |
PAID | The payment request has been successfully processed and funds have been debited |
FAILED | The payment request could not be processed (e.g., due to insufficient funds) |