Make a BACS payment

User manual — making a BACS supplier, purchase or direct debit payment.

This guide provides a step-by-step process for making BACS payments, ensuring users can navigate the system efficiently. It simplifies complex tasks into manageable actions, making it ideal for both new and experienced users. By following this guide, users can avoid common pitfalls and streamline their payment processes, saving time and reducing errors.

How to: make a BACS payment

1. Open BACS actions

Click the BACS actions menu from the left hand menu window.

BACS actions in the left hand menu

Tip File sweeping enables you to automatically import the payment file generated in your MIS (Management Information System), eliminating the need to manually upload the file.

2. Choose the payment type

Click the appropriate sub-menu — Direct Debit, Payroll Payments or Supplier Payments.

BACS payment type sub-menus

Tip When you first use the system for Direct Debits (DDs), ensure that you load all your existing DD instructions through the Mandate menu. This step allows you to collect payments smoothly and without interruption.

3. Upload and open the batch

From the Payment Type sub-menu, select the Upload button to fetch your payment file.
After uploading, click the Refresh Batches icon to display the file (this step is not required if you are using File Sweeping).
To proceed, click the blue View button next to the payment batch.

Payment batch list with the View button

Tip — viewing a payment batch historyClicking on the three dots to the right hand side of the file shows who approved it and when they sent the file.

4. Step 1 — Information

On step 1 of the wizard (labelled 1 Information at the top of the page), you have the option to Discard batch or rename it.

Then click Continue to move to Step 2.

Step 1 Information screen of the wizard

5. Step 2 — Account

Step 2 Account allows you to select the SUN/account used for the payment. Select the blue box on the left-hand side of the account.

Then select Continue to move to Step 3.

Step 2 Account selection screen

Tip Friendly names can be added to the account (please contact support) to make it easier to identify.

Alert Selecting the wrong account could result in the bank rejecting the payment.

Alert When uploading the file, validation checks are run on account name, account number and sort code. Loading times vary depending on the number of instructions in the file.

6. Step 3 — Instruction

You are now viewing a list of instructions shown in the View All tab. Each instruction requires an action, indicated by the blue Action Required star icon.

Select the Action Required tab to review the action needed.

Step 3 Instruction list with Action Required tab

Tip The action required buttons can be any one or more of the following:

invalid_reference — a BACS reference can be blank or 6+ characters long
overdue — the payment/collection date is not valid
invalid_sort_code — the sort code is invalid
invalid_account_number — the account number is not correct
invalid_account_name — the account name is not recognised
valid — all instructions are correct and can now be included in the batch

7. Action the notifications

Any action required notification buttons will be displayed above the list of instructions. If you see the valid notification, proceed to How to: update the payment date below, as there are no additional notifications to action. Otherwise, you will need to action each notification, as demonstrated in the following examples.

The example below shows an invalid_reference. There is only one in the screenshot, which can be seen next to the action button, and that reference is only four characters long.

Example of an invalid_reference notification

Tip You have two options: remove the reference or exclude the instruction. Selecting Remove invalid references makes the instruction valid and allows you to include it later.

8. Select the instructions

To action any warning messages, click on each button or message. Then select the square next to the instruction (if choosing instructions line by line). If you have multiple instructions, press the main square at the top left of the instruction list, which acts as a Select All option.

Selecting instructions in the list

Tip If you choose to remove the reference, you will need to update the payee/supplier to let them know you have paid, as they may be expecting a certain reference. If you exclude the instruction, you will need to re-submit it later with the correct reference.

9. Remove or exclude

You have two options when an invalid action required notification appears. Either remove the reference using the Remove invalid references option, or use the Exclude payments option.

Remove invalid references and Exclude payments options

10. Overdue notifications

The example below is an overdue notification. This appears when no date is found in the payment file, or when an outdated date is detected. The date needs to be amended and can be updated in the portal.

Example of an overdue notification

How to: update the payment date

11. Select the instructions

Instructions can be selected individually to assign different payment dates, or you can press the Select All option to bulk change the payment date.

Selecting instructions to update the payment date

12. Update Payment Date

Next, select the Update Payment Date button to adjust the payment (or collection) date.

Update Payment Date button

Alert BACS payments require three business days (one BACS cycle) from the date of submission. For example, payments submitted Monday will be processed Tuesday and paid or collected on Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday are not included when making BACS payments.

Payments have to be made before 8:30pm to be included for that day. Payments made after this time cannot be guaranteed to be submitted on the same day.

13. Choose a valid date

Click on the chevron, which shows the valid dates. The top date displays the first valid date available.

Valid date picker

14. Confirm the date

Once the date is selected, click the blue Confirm button to update the instructions.

Confirm button on the date update

Tip You also have the option to exclude individual or multiple instructions at this stage. Simply select the Exclude Payment button once the instructions are highlighted. This will remove them from the final batch.

15. Include the payments

Once all instructions are marked as valid and no additional warning notifications remain, you will need to add them to the batch for inclusion.

Click the Select All checkbox.
Click Include Payments to add all the instructions to the batch.
Click the Continue button — a batch summary will now show.

Select All and Include Payments on the instruction list

Alert — important noteAt this stage it is essential to check the payment date (this date is also used when collecting Direct Debits) on each instruction and ensure it is correct. Any incorrect dates entered here will result in early or late payments.

Refer back to How to: update the payment date for full instructions on changing the payment date.

16. Confirm the summary

The pop-up window displays a summary of payments and totals. Click Confirm to continue.

Batch summary pop-up window

Tip This step is optional, but useful as a sense check. Click the Included tab to review the instructions that are included, or the Excluded tab to review any instructions that will not be sent.

17. Continue to approvers

Once you have completed the checks, proceed to Step 4 — Approvers by clicking the Continue button.

Continue button to the approvers step

18. Step 4 — Approvers

Click Approve once you have reviewed the instructions. The example below shows only one approver needed for this batch.

Step 4 Approvers screen

Tip The batch is only approved at this stage and not yet sent. You may also require a second approver if this option is enabled. By default, the system operates with a single approval level — please reach out to support to enable second level approvers.

Alert — important note Please ensure the SUN and account selected, along with the payment date, are reviewed before completing the final step. Once reviewed, press the Send to bureau button. Be aware that any issues — incorrect dates, payments, or accounts selected — cannot be undone after this step.

19. Step 5 — Review

The final step before payment is to send the batch to the bank via the bureau. The review screen displays a summary of the account, along with totals for the included and excluded instructions (if any). It also shows the batch as approved, with the approver's name, date and time stamp. If dual approvals are enabled, two users will be shown.

Press the Send to bureau button for the final step and send the batch to the bank via the bureau.

Step 5 Review screen with Send to bureau

20. Export the audit report

Additional step — if you need a physical copy of the batch, click Export Audit Report to download the PDF.

Export Audit Report button

Review historical batch payments

21. Open Transactions

The payment batch has been sent. To review historical payments, including the payment just sent, click the Transactions menu.

Transactions menu

Select one of the following sub-menus for BACS action payments: Direct Debit, Direct Credit Payroll, or Direct Credit Supplier.

Transactions sub-menus for BACS payments

23. Available actions

From each sub-menu you can:

Review live payments and check their real-time transaction status.
Search for older payments using the date filter and partial search match options.
Show or hide headers from the settings cog icon.
Download them in CSV file format from the download icon.

Transaction list with search, settings and download options