GoCardless: collect client payments by direct debit

GoCardless is an automatic bank direct debit solution founded in 2011. Unlike Stripe or PayPal, which use bank cards, GoCardless collects payment directly from your clients' bank accounts. The result: fewer failed payments and lower fees. Ideal for subscriptions and recurring payments.

• Collect by direct debit: your clients authorize the debit once, and you get paid automatically after that.
• Manage recurring payments: perfect for subscriptions, monthly installments or regular invoices.
• Send payment links: for one-off payments, send a link to your client.
• Retry automatically: with Success+, GoCardless automatically retries when a payment fails.
• Detect fraud: Protect+ uses machine learning to spot fraudulent payers.
• Connect your tools: compatible with more than 200 solutions (Sage, Xero, QuickBooks, etc.).

GoCardless works with no mandatory subscription:

• Transaction fees: 1% + €0.20 (capped at €2 max) in the eurozone.
• International transactions: 2% + €0.20 per transaction.
• Transactions over €2000: an additional 0.3% fee.

Optional plans:

• Standard: Free, basic features.
• Plus: €50/month, your name on bank statements, custom pages.
• Pro: €250/month, manual mandates, full customization.

• 97.5% success rate: well above the 80-85% for card payments.
• Lower fees: direct debit costs less than card commissions.
• No more expired cards: no more failed payments because your client's card has changed.
• Ideal for recurring work: subscriptions, retainers, monthly installments.
• No commitment: no fixed fees if you choose the Standard plan.

• Debits aren't instant (3-6 day delay)
• Limit of €5,000 per transaction
• No instant payment in France for now
• No mobile app (web interface only)
• Less suited to one-off payments than Stripe or PayPal

GoCardless is the ideal solution if you have recurring clients (subscriptions, monthly retainers, packages). Direct debit eliminates expired card problems and drastically reduces failed payments. For one-off payments or if you need to get paid immediately, Stripe remains a better fit.