What is a Direct Debit mandate?

A 'Mandate' or 'Direct Debit Instruction' is an authorisation from your customer to collect future payments from them when they are due. 

To set up a Direct Debit mandate, your customer will need to complete a mandate form. There are generally three ways your customers can fill out the mandates:

  • By paper: You can get your customers to fill out a paper Direct Debit Instruction form can and return it to you.
  • Over the Phone: Collect your customer's details over the phone, using a bank-approved script.
  • Online:  Get your customers to fill out an electronic mandate form.


GoCardless for Cheqdin makes it easy for you to set up a direct debit instruction with your customers using the online mandate system. Here are some of the exclusive features you will receive as part of your account:

  • Your own branded payment page. This payment page is a securely hosted, customisable online form. For example, you can add your centre's logo to make it instantly recognisable to your billpayers. 


  • A link you can share easily via email. You can send the mandate link to your customers via your Cheqdin billing dashboard. Customers can then complete the form online in seconds.


  • Track the status of mandates: Cheqdin dashboard gives to live status or option to send reminders for setting up mandates.


Here are some of the options to send and track mandates:

  • Setup Complete: Every time a parent sets up up a direct debit you will be notified by email and the status in your dashboard will change to 'Setup Complete'.


  • Setup Link sent to Payer: This is the status you'll see on your dashboard once the link has been sent to a parent/billpayer.


  • Not Setup: If you haven't shared the mandate's link to a bill payer, you will see the default status – ‘Not Setup’ next to the child's name on your dashboard.


  • DD Reminder Sent: This status appears for accounts you've sent a direct debit reminder.


  • Cancel Direct Debit Invite: This option lets you cancel a direct debit that has been set up by a bill payer.



Once a billpayer has finished setting up their direct debit with your centre, the status will automatically change to ‘Setup Complete’, and you can now start collecting payments from them.