I was recently approached by GoCardless, to offer advice on their development of an interface for their Direct Debit service with Sage 50. I was really pleased that they had the foresight to consult with Sage users and trainers as they did the development, and they listened to our comments and acted on the advice too.

GoCardless is the leading Direct Debit provider in the UK. Their system helps companies to take payments without having to chase customers, and unlike their competitors, they only charge 1% per payment (minimum charge 20p) up to a maximum of £2 – and nothing else.

Go Cardless Screenshot in Sage

They have developed an add-on for Sage 50 Accounts that allows you to use their award-winning system from within Sage for the first time. I have used it myself and can vouch for the fact that it is remarkably easy to use – once you have customers set up, there’s no need to chase them for payments, saving you loads of time.
It works well for regular subscription type payments, account customers where you have an ongoing relationship with your customers, and service businesses such as accountants and credit check provider. It is a great alternative to asking your clients to set up standing order payments, as well as for more general invoice payments.
What are the benefits?

• low cost – They only charge 1% transaction fee; the add-on itself is free at the moment (although they are planning to introduce a charge in the future). That means no risk in trying it out, and it’s much cheaper than card payments.
• Instant signup – You can sign up online and start collecting immediately, unlike other DD providers. (You can use my affiliate link to sign up and get £50 credit against your GoCardless Fees).
• No more chasing customers – setting up a customer is really easy, and after that the customer doesn’t need to manually pay you every month! This can result in your debtor days being significantly reduced.
• It all works within Sage – you can set up Direct Debits, charge your customers, and automatically reconcile your accounts, all from within Sage.
• You do not need Sage to use GoCardless – they integrate with other accounting products such as Xero, and you can also use the system from your web browser.

To find out more, contact Alison at alison.mead@siliconbullet.com and I will introduce you to my contact at GoCardless.