Direct debit

Direct debits are a European banking method where customers authorize automatic one-off or recurring debits directly from their bank account. It is available in 36 countries and supports Sofort and iDEAL.

Read how direct debits can benefit your business on multisafepay.com

SupportsDetails
CountriesSEPA region
Note: To avoid declined transactions, non-EEA countries must include name and address in the customer_object.
CurrenciesEUR
ChargebacksYes (see below)
Payment componentsYes
Payment pagesYes (current and deprecated versions)
Recurring paymentsYes
RefundsYes: Full and partial
Second ChanceYes
Virtual IBANsYes, to better manage direct debits

Payment flow

This diagram shows the flow for a successful transaction. Click to magnify.

SEPA Direct Debit payment flow

Payment statuses

The table below sets out the order status and transaction status for payments and refunds.

DescriptionOrder statusTransaction status
MultiSafepay's customer background check was successful and we've generated an e-mandate.UnclearedInitialized
We've sent the e-mandate to the customer's bank. You can no longer cancel.UnclearedUncleared
MultiSafepay has collected payment.CompletedCompleted
The customer cancelled the transaction or requested a chargeback, or their bank declined the transaction.VoidVoid
The customer's bank declined the transaction. See the reason codes below.DeclinedDeclined
Refunds: Refund initiated.ReservedReserved
Refunds: Refund complete.CompletedCompleted

Activation

  1. Email a request to [email protected]

    Include in the request the following information:

    • Monthly and annual direct debit volume
    • Minimum and maximum transaction amount
    • Type of products sold using this payment method
    • Whether you want to accept recurring payments
    • Whether any subscriptions are monthly, quarterly, or annual
    • Any additional information we request
      We send you an agreement to sign and email back to us.

    We check your eligibility and if approved, activate the payment method for your account.

  2. Once approved, sign in to your MultiSafepay dashboard .

  3. To activate the payment method for:

  • All sites, go to Settings > Payment methods.
  • A specific site, go to Sites, and then click the relevant site.
  1. Select the checkbox for the payment method, and then click Save changes.

💬 Support: If the payment method isn't visible in your dashboard, email [email protected]

Integration

API

  • See API reference – Create order > Banking order.

    Example requests

    For example requests, on the Create order page, in the black sandbox, see Examples > Direct debit direct/redirect.

Ready-made integrations

Supported in all ready-made integrations (direct).

Testing

To test direct debits, see Testing payment methods - Banking methods.


User guide

Chargebacks

Customers can request a chargeback within 56 days, or for unauthorized transactions (i.e. without verifiable consent from the customer) within 13 months. This makes direct debits unsuitable for most retail businesses, e.g. clothing.

You cannot dispute chargebacks and there is no facilitated process like there is for credit or debit card chargebacks. Chargebacks can cost up to 65 EUR in bank fees.

Declined transactions

If a direct debit is declined, a reason code is provided.

If the IBAN or BIC is incorrect, our bank informs us the next business day.

E-mandates

An e-mandate represents an agreement between you and the customer and is required for every direct debit. We create them automatically based on the customer's IBAN and the site_id, and specify if it is a one-time, initial, or recurring debit (see Recurring payments).

E-mandates are needed when resolving customer disputes and chargebacks.

We send all e-mandates to our bank at the end of every business day.

Processing times

Transactions are processed within:

  • Amounts less than 500 EUR: 9 days
  • Amounts over 500 EUR: 22 days

Processing times can be reduced on request. Email [email protected]

Refund risk

There is a risk that if you refund a customer and they also request a chargeback, you pay their money back twice. Customers can even request a chargeback after successfully receiving a refund.

How to reduce refund risks

To reduce the chances of this happening, we strongly recomend:

  • Only processing refunds for trusted, verified customers.
  • Avoiding refunding a customer if you have any ongoing dispute with them.
  • If refunding:
    • First check if the customer has already requested a chargeback.
    • Wait until 7 working days after payment was initiated to be sure payment is now complete.
    • Communicate clearly to the customer that you are sending a refund and that the funds will take a few days to arrive in their account.


💬

Support

Email [email protected]

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