Direct Debit
The most flexible way to collect recurring payments in the UK, protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee that gives payers an immediate refund right.
Resources
Bacs Payment System
Bacs is the foundation of recurring UK payments — the system behind salaries, pensions, benefits and Direct Debits. It clears billions of transactions every year on a predictable three-day cycle.
1968
Launched
6.5bn
Payments in 2025
4.7bn
Direct Debits collected
Direct Credit
Used by employers and Government to pay salaries, pensions and benefits straight into bank accounts on a predictable schedule.
The three-day cycle
Bacs runs on a submit / process / settle cycle that gives banks and businesses time to validate and reconcile high volumes of payments.
Accreditation
Service users and bureaus go through Bacs accreditation to ensure they meet the standards required to submit payments into the network.