Setting Up Direct Debit (AUS, UK, & USA ACH)

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Requirements for Direct Debit / ACH

• An active Stripe account
• Payment method enabled in Stripe:
  • BECS Direct Debit (AUS)
  • BACS Direct Debit (UK)
  • ACH (USA)
• Currency restrictions based on region:
  • AUD (AUS)
  • GBP (UK)
  • USD (USA)
• Regular Giving donation frequency setup (weekly, monthly, etc)

Activating Direct Debit / ACH

1. Stripe Settings

Login to your Stripe account to enable the relevant payment method:

• BECS Direct Debit (AUS)
• BACS Direct Debit (UK)
• ACH (USA)

See Stripe support guides above.

2. Raisely Settings

1

Within your Raisely campaign, from the sidebar select Settings > Payments & Receipts.

ℹ️ If you are activating ACH (USA), ensure your Gateway account is connected to a US-based Stripe account (you can add multiple gateway accounts, but ACH requires a US Stripe account).

2

To enable Direct Debit, switch toggle to ON then select Enable Direct Debit in the popup.

3

Once enabled, select Add Direct Debit Option. Note: The Stripe account may be pre-selected if you already chose it under Gateway accounts.

4

Select your relevant Stripe account in the dropdown, and your related Direct Debit option enabled in Stripe. Then select Save Direct Debit Option.

5

Back in Settings, select Donation Form. Ensure there is at least one Donation Frequency added alongside One Time, such as Weekly or Monthly.

How the Payment Process Works

Stripe handles further email communication for direct debit, notifying donors of the details for upcoming installments. You can find Stripe documentation here explaining the process. This can be disabled, allowing communication to be handled by the charity, though Stripe charges for this function.

Screen Rec. - Direct Debit Demo, 2023

Processing Timelines

The payment processing time for direct debit donors in Australia (BECS) differ from direct debit donors in the UK (Bacs), as there are different requirements in both regions. 

Payment Processing for BECS Direct Debit in Australia

We attempt to charge the donor on their Next Payment Date. It can take up to 1 to 3 business days for Stripe to confirm if the payment has succeeded or failed. 

The payment processing time is the same, regardless of whether this is the first time the donor is setting up their direct debit arrangement or if this is a subsequent re-billing for an existing direct debit arrangement.

Payment Processing for Bacs Direct Debit in the UK

If this is the first time the donor is setting up their direct debit arrangement, it can take up to 6 business days for the new mandate to be created, as per Stripe's documentation. From then, it can take up to 3 business days for Stripe to confirm if the payment has succeeded or failed.

For subsequent re-billing, we attempt to charge the donor 2 days prior to their Next Payment Date, with the aim of the charge to go through on their Next Payment Date. It can take up to 1 to 3 business days for Stripe to confirm if the payment has succeeded or failed. 

Payment Processing for ACH (USA)

ACH Direct Debit is a reusable, delayed notification payment method. It can take up to 4 business days to receive acknowledgement of success or failure.

With ACH Direct Debit, it can take time for funds to become available in your Stripe balance. The amount of time it takes for funds to become available is referred to as the settlement timing. The following tables describe the settlement timings for ACH Direct Debit payments that Stripe offers.

FAQ

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# What happens with Direct Debit Failures, Cancellations & Modifications

Direct Debit agreements can be canceled by the donor's bank. If this happens, we will cancel the subscription and send any messages set up as such.

If the donor updates their bank details with their bank, we also get notified and will update the direct debit automatically.

If a payment fails, there are some failure codes that will cancel the direct debit right away. Others are temporary failures and we will leave the direct debit in place and try again on the next payment. For more information regarding the codes - see https://stripe.com/docs/payments/bacs-debit/accept-a-payment?platform=web#web-test-payment-failures

We also set a direct debit payment to a FAILED state if there are two consecutive failures. We will not automatically retry the direct debit.

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# Can one-off payments be made through Direct Debit?

No, as direct debit only works when the Donation Frequency is set to a periodic payment, such as fortnightly or weekly, etc.

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# When setting up the Direct Payment method in Stripe, Stripe recommends me to setup Webhooks. Do I need this?

The good news is that Raisely has already done this for you with our integration. Simply select Turn on Anyway to proceed with your setup.

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# How do I test that the Direct Debit works

Like testing with Credit Cards payments, Stripe offers test BSB and Account Numbers to use when testing Direct Debit payments. For a general test bank account, use 000 000 (for BSB) and 000123456 (for Account Number).

For more of Stripes testing options, check out Stripes support guide here to learn more

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# What is the difference between Direct Debit and Bank Transfer?

Direct Debit (via Stripe) is where the payment is 'PULLED' from the donors bank account and deposited in your account. Bank transfer differs in that the donor, via their bank account, 'PUSHES' a payment to your bank account. With Direct Debit therefore, the donor elects for the charity (you) to 'pull' the funds from their account on a regular basis, rather than 'pushing' the funds to you. This makes Direct Debit quite valuable for charities as it increases the effectiveness of regular payment being processed, as it ceases to rely on the donor as the payment manager.

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