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Collect Payments
Overview Integration Planner
Setting up MandatesDirect Debit Mandates Verified Mandates Collecting mandates offline Importing Mandates
One-off PaymentsOne-off Direct Debit Instant Bank Payment
Recurring PaymentsSubscription Instalments Variable Recurring Payments Instant Bank Payment + Direct Debit
Integration TypesGoCardless Hosted Pages GoCardless Components NEWJavascript Drop-in Flow Custom Payment Pages
Events & WebhooksMandate Events Billing Requests Events
Managing paymentsFX Payments Reconciling Payouts
Scheme guidanceACH and PAD Consent Types Billing Request Purpose Codes VRP Commercial Payment Purpose Codes PayTo Agreements and Payments
Send money
Introduction to Outbound Payments Payment Account API request signing
Send an outbound paymentAdding a new recipient Initiate an outbound payment Approve an outbound payment Cancel an outbound payment
Tracking outbound payments Bank Account Holder Verification Strong Customer Authentication
Optimise and increase revenue
Prevent fraud with Protect+ Retain customers with fallbacks Reduced failed payments with Success+
Prefill customer detailsNew customer record Existing customer record Populate Billing Request Flow
Blocking mandates
Tutorials
Taking Direct Debit payments using Billing Requests and Custom Payment Pages Handling tax Handling Customer Notifications
GoCardless Embed
Introduction Creating a creditor Adding a creditor bank account OptionalSetting a scheme identifer Optional
Setting up mandates / collecting paymentsBilling Request with Actions: Setting up a Direct Debit mandate Collecting a Direct Debit payment Billing Request with Actions: Taking an Instant Bank Payment Billing Request with Actions Dual Flow: Taking an Instant Bank Payment and setting up a Direct Debit mandate
Handling webhooks
Reconciling payoutsPayout Items API Automated Payout Reporting Optional
Setting Up Branding OptionalAPI request signing OptionalBank Details Access Optional
Bank Account Data
Overview Quickstart Guide Endpoints Bank Selection UI Sandbox Statuses and Error code Output: Account Details Output: Balances Output: Transaction Details Postman Collection FAQs

Integration Planner

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The simplest way to create any payment is with a Billing Request. It combines the customer, their mandate, their bank details, and the payment into a single object that works for one-off and recurring payments.

Billing Requests give you flexibility to build the right integration for your business. That also means several paths and many steps to choose from. Pick your integration type below, and we'll show you exactly what to build.

The Billing Request API

What is a Billing Request?

A Billing Request helps create resources that require input or action from a customer. This single API supports all geographies and features offered by GoCardless.

What to use it for?

Set up a Direct Debit, PayTo, or VRP mandate; take a one-off Instant Bank Payment via Open Banking; or combine both.

How it works?

  1. Create a Billing Request specifying your desired outcome

  2. Complete the required actions

  3. Use the Billing Request Flow to complete any remaining actions

Compare Integration Paths

Pick the approach that fits the level of control you want over the customer experience.

 Simplest 

Hosted payment pages

GoCardless handles the full customer UX. You redirect your customer to a GoCardless-hosted page to complete their mandate or payment authorisation, then we redirect them back.

Best for: Getting live quickly with minimal frontend work.

Hosted payment pages guide →

JavaScript Drop-in flow

Embed a GoCardless-managed modal directly into your page. Customers complete the payment flow without leaving your site, while GoCardless handles the UX inside the drop-in.

Best for: Keeping customers on your site with minimal integration effort

JavaScript Drop-in guide →

 Most flexible 

Custom payment pages

You own the full customer UX and call the GoCardless API directly at each step. Requires more development effort but gives you complete control over design and flow.

Best for: Teams with engineering resources who want a fully branded experience.

Custom pages guide →

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