Billing Requests

What is a Billing Request

Billing Request enables you to collect payments from your new or existing customers using the Billing Request Flow API (powered by Open Banking). There are three primary use cases for Billing Requests:

Taking instant one-off payments

Account top-ups, one-off charges for goods or services, easier and faster invoicing collection.

Creating mandates

Collect customers' bank details for future recurring payments.

Combining both actions

Taking a first-time instant payment (joining fee) with a mandate set up for subsequent payments.

✅ Instant confirmation - you will receive real-time confirmation that your customers can pay. 

✅ Faster payouts (0 - 1 working days) - Billing Request uses Open Banking rails which means that it enables your business to collect one-time payments faster.  

✅ Verified Mandates feature - reduces the chance of fraudulent customers by adding additional verification checks when the customers authorise their bank accounts. Available in the US (ACH) and Sweden (Autogiro).  

✅ Low cost - GoCardless is focused on bank to bank payments, we are not routing payments through expensive card networks. See pricing.

Billing Request timings: Payment timeline (working days)

Day 0	Payer completes Billing Request flow.	The Merchant receives confirmation of payment.
Day 0 - 1	Funds are paid out to the merchant.	Payments made before 10 am on business days will reach merchants' bank accounts on the same day.   Payments made after 6 pm will be processed the following working day.

View payment timings for direct debit