If you'd like to review your current procedures or set up, your expert Account Manager is here to help
Get in touch with our Bacs experts today.
Managing payments in and out of your business safely, without delay and in full compliance is critical.
Here at paygate, protecting security is the number one priority in every decision we make, from how we develop our products to how we do business. You’d expect nothing less. We have a range of tools that will help you improve payment security and reduce the risk of fraud.
Used at point of entry, as part of your payment or collection processes, paygate’s validate quickly checks account accuracy against up to date bank account data, avoiding errors and remediation costs, as well as saving time.
Providing improved processes control and auditing, automation allows you to lock down payment procedures, help reduce fraud risk, avoid legislation breaches and minimise costly payment errors.
HSM is the most secure, efficient way to submit Bacs payments—replacing smartcards, enabling secure signing from anywhere, removing Internet Explorer dependence, and supporting full automation.
Check out these frequently asked questions for more tips and guidance
on submitting Bacs files on time, safely and securely.
Types of Bacs payments
There are 2 core types of Bacs payments:
Yes, anyone can make a Bacs payment, as long as their bank offers this service. Businesses tend to use a Bacs product or service rather than using bank portals etc as it’s easier, faster, and less prone to errors, or alternatively a Bacs bureau for handling the Bacs transfers on their behalf.
Bacs Direct Credit payments is simple and efficient – and it takes less than three days from start to finish. You remain in control of the process at all times. Bacs payment (credit and debit) take 3 working days to clear. On day 1 (submission day), the instruction (credit or debit) is sent to Bacs. On day 2 (Processing Day) the bank processes the request and the transaction is completed on day 3 (due date), where the funds are moved from the sender account and credited to the recipient account.
You remain in control of the process at all times. You can submit your payment instructions up to 30 days in advance of the payment date.
Submissions can be input from 7:00 onwards. The submission window remains open until 22:30.
To make a Bacs Direct Credit payment, the minimum information you require is the sort code and account number of the payee’s account. It is vital that you double check that the account number and sort code you are given are correct; payments are processed only using these numbers.
When making file submissions remember the Bacs Payment System only accepts uppercase letters, any lowercase characters used are converted into spaces. Using the wrong character format can have unintended consequences and might cause confusion for your customers when reviewing their bank statements.
Yes. Very important. You must access and act on your reports promptly, as they contain time-critical information. When reports are not accessed and the correct action isn’t taken in a timely manner, then payments to accounts, or collections against them may be unsuccessful in the future, which could result in issues with failed payments or unpaid Direct Debits. Frequent checks are essential and if the usual staff are away, identify a colleague who can pick this up in their absence.
If an expected payment has not been received, you should first find out how the organisation sent it e.g. via Bacs. Also ask them for the sort code and account number they quoted on the payment, and the date they requested it to be credited to your account. Next contact your payment service provider to ensure that they haven’t received the payment. They may require additional information, including details of the remitting organisation and their sort code and account number.
Get in touch with our Bacs experts today.
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| paygate on prem | paygate v2 | paygate v3 | |
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Security policy manager * Includes: password complexity manager, inactive timeout, time restrictions, IP address restrictions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
AWS ISO27001 hosted * Primary fail over and back up UK data centres | ✓ | ✓ | |
SFTP file uploads/downloads *Secure way to move files across the internet, customers can use their own certificates | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Gemalto security tokens MFA | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Email MFA | ✓ | ||
| SMS MFA | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
APP MFA * Works with common auth apps such as Google Authenticator, Authy. Works on Android or iOS. | ✓ | ||
| PG Platform ISO27001 | ✓ | ||
Fraud tool *Currently support Blacklists and Whitelists. In a blacklist you add various sortcodes / account numbers and the system will prevent any payment to those accounts. In a whitelist you add sortcodes and account numbers and the system will ONLY allow payments to accounts on the whitelist. We include various tools to help build and maintain the lists. | ✓ | ||
GDPR subject access request * Search tools to help perform a GDRP lookup. Then can optionally ‘sanitise’ personal data from the system. | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
GDPR Data cleansing *Remove historical data by bulk or individual. | ✓ | ||
Browser compatbility * We maintain support for Chrome, Edge and Firefox. | ✓ | ||
Built for performance * Version 3 runs on super modern, high-end infrastructure | ✓ | ||
Single Platform * Customers have a single user account that they can use across all services (Enterprise, Online, Validate, etc). | ✓ | ||
Agent rebuilt key management system * Very secure way to get files to and from the Paygate cloud. Supports ways to automate files being sent into the paygate cloud and retrieving reports from the cloud. Key management was rebuilt for V3 to further increase security. | ✓ | ||
HTTPS uploads/downloads * paygate v3 supports both SFTP and HTTPS. | ✓ | ||
In browser File and Folder handling * Allows customers to securely organise their files and folders that are stored on paygate | ✓ |
| PG on prem | PG Ev2 | PGv3 | |
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| Logging tickets by email | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Logging tickets by portal | ✓ | ||
| Logging tickets by phone | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Dedicated account management | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Uptime improvements | ✓ | ||
| Ongoing development | ✓ | ||
| Bug fixing | ✓ | ||
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Auto File Import *Automatically imports a payment file and validates it. Users no longer need to manually browse for and import a file, paygate will do this in the background and present the validation results to the user. |
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| PG on prem | PG Ev2 | PGv3 | |
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Designer in browser * In V2 Workflows use an older style desktop app. In V3 workflows are built and managed in the Paygate Browser app. It’s much easier to deploy and manage. |
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| Designer 3rd party app | ✓ | ✓ | |
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Improved logging * A feature mainly for PS/CS to help them diagnose problems with workflows. Problems can be diagnosed and fixed faster. |
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New scheduler triggers * A new trigger type that allows the user to set up a workflow like you set up a meeting in Outlook. For some, this is more flexible and easier to understand than using CRON. |
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Triggers for multiple workflows * You can use a single trigger to start multiple workflows. It’s a simple feature that will make things easier to manage if you have a lot of workflows. |
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Workflow validation * Troubleshoots new workflows, validation |
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Workflow chaining * Allows a workflow to call another workflow. Using this you can simplify large complicated workflows in smaller separate ones. Easier to manage and diagnose issues. |
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New nodes * Various new nodes that help to build new types of workflows or help manage existing workflows. |
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Full documentation V3 will be fully documented with help guides and tutorials.
and tutorials * |
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Multiple filename variables * Supporting multiple filename variables should make designing complex workflows a bit easier. |
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Future developments * Pure Excel Importer – XLSX; BACS Calendar Widget; Workflow Timeline; Workflow / Mobile App notification / management; S3 Connector |
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Download and distribute A Reports * When you have workflow and HSM you can automate the entire BACS report download process. They can automatically be converted to other formats for integration into finance apps. They can be emailed to customers as html, pdf or zips. They can be made available for collection via SFTP. Or, if you use Agent, they can be security delivered to the customer’s private network. |
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| Partial submission | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
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Lightsout submission * No signing |
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| Standard nodes for initiation | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| PG on prem | PG Ev2 | PGv3 | |
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| Batched bureau submissions | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Manual & Automated submission builder | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Customer import | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bacs reporting tools | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Recall Bureau Customers by ID | ✓ | ||
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Submission Re-entry * Complete your submissions over any amount of time
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Familiar workflow throughout *It will be familiar to V2 customer but they will notice improvements. |
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| Revamped manual submission mode *This is completely new in V3 Bureau.
Those customers wanting a more manual way of building their submission (Rather than using Jobs) will find a new, efficient way of working.
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Drag and drop files from anywhere *Like in other areas of V3. User can just drag and drop file in Bureau for processing. They can also use the Restricted File Browser and Server file browser – that add more security – if they wish. |
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Support for multiple file formats per submission * No longer limited to single Standard 18 submission for example
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Better default filename support *Makes working with files easier. |
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Usage Reporting over data range *Small but useful improvement to reporting. User can set a date range on the usage report. |
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| PG on prem | PG Ev2 | PGv3 | |
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Validate *Validate is integrated in V3 and so customers that have both products can access them from the same client with the same account. |
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API Access *Validate API and the Payment API.
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| 4x Faster | ✓ | ||
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Save Submissions *Save an ‘in-progress’ submission and return to it later. Build up a submission during the day |
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| Improved payment and submission searching | ✓ | ||
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Customisable dashboard *Many useful, module specific, dashboard widgets, e.g. Payments, collections, workflow, etc. |
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| PG on prem | PG Ev2 | PGv3 | |
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| Enhanced reporting including real-time usage | ✓ |