Bacs is a widely used UK payment system handling millions of transactions daily, including salaries, supplier payments, and Direct Debits. Beyond the submission report, other Bacs reports offer useful insight into what happens after a file is submitted.
Understanding these reports helps teams track payments, identify issues and keep customer banking details accurate. This guide explains the most important Bacs payment reports in simple terms.
By reviewing Bacs payment reports regularly, organisations can:
To understand when each report appears, it helps to know how the Bacs payment cycle works:
In short, submission reports confirm receipt, processing reports confirm progress, and exception reports highlight problems.
The Submission Report confirms that a payment file has been received and passed Bacs’s initial validation checks. It is typically the first report reviewed after submitting a file.
It shows the file name, submission date, number of transactions, total value and confirmation that the file format is valid.
A payroll team, for example, would check this report to confirm the correct file was uploaded and that the expected number of payments and total value match their payroll summary. Importantly, it confirms the file has been submitted but does not guarantee every individual payment will succeed.
Where the Submission Report gives a high-level overview, the Input Report provides a detailed breakdown of exactly what was included in the submitted file — individual transactions, account details and values.
Finance teams use this report when investigating payment queries. If a supplier says they haven’t received payment, the Input Report can confirm whether their payment was included in the submission and what bank details were used, helping pinpoint where any issue occurred.
The Processing Report confirms that a submitted file has successfully moved through the Bacs processing stage. It flags any system-level issues detected during processing.
For organisations sending large or high-value payment runs, this report provides an important checkpoint. For example, a finance manager overseeing a large supplier payment run, can use it to confirm the file is progressing correctly before payments reach accounts on Day 3.
The ARUDD report is one of the most operationally important reports for any organisation collecting payments by Direct Debit. It lists collections that have been returned unpaid by the payer’s bank, along with the reason for each failure.
Common reasons include insufficient funds, a cancelled Direct Debit or a closed bank account.
Many organisations review the ARUDD report daily as part of their credit control process. A utilities provider collecting from thousands of customers, for example, can use it each morning to identify failed collections, contact affected customers and retry payments where appropriate, reducing missed revenue and improving collection success rates.
The ADDACS report notifies organisations when changes have been made to an existing Direct Debit instruction, as reported by the customer’s bank. This includes customers switching bank accounts, account transfers and Direct Debit cancellations.
Keeping on top of ADDACS notifications allows businesses to update their internal records so future collections use the correct account information. A subscription business, for example, can use ADDACS updates to avoid failed collections from customers who have switched banks.
The AUDDIS report provides feedback on newly submitted Direct Debit mandates, confirming whether they have been successfully set up within the Bacs system or flagging any issues with the bank details provided.
This is particularly useful for businesses that set up Direct Debits digitally. A gym signing up new members online, for instance, would review the AUDDIS report to confirm that mandates have been accepted before attempting a first collection.
The AWACS report identifies credit payments sent to bank accounts that are no longer valid — due to an account being closed, transferred or containing incorrect details.
This report allows finance teams to update beneficiary details and prevent repeat payment failures. A business paying contractors monthly might discover through AWACS that a contractor’s account has closed following a bank switch, giving them time to collect updated details before the next payment run.
A straightforward approach used by many finance teams is:
Building this into daily or weekly routines helps teams catch issues early, maintain accurate records and keep payment operations running smoothly.
Understanding Bacs reports gives finance teams much greater visibility over the payment lifecycle. The Submission Report confirms a file has been sent, but it’s the wider set of reports, particularly the ARUDD, ADDACS, AUDDIS and AWACS, that reveal what happens next and highlight anything that needs attention. Integrating these into regular processes means payments and Direct Debits can be managed with greater confidence and control.
Here at paygate, we have a long heritage of helping businesses achieve Bacs payment efficiency. Our payment platform is one of the longest established Bacs approved software solutions available on the market. To our customers, we’re trusted experts.
We’d love to speak to you about your payment challenge, answer any questions or offer advice. Complete the form below to reach out.
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A Bacs report is a file generated during the Bacs payment process that provides information about submitted payments or Direct Debit collections. These reports help organisations confirm submission, track processing progress and identify any failed or amended transactions.
The Submission Report confirms a file has been received and passed initial validation. The Input Report provides a detailed breakdown of all transactions within the file, while the Processing Report confirms the file has successfully moved through the Bacs system without system-level errors.
The ARUDD (Advice of Returned Unpaid Direct Debits) report lists Direct Debit collections that have failed. It includes reasons such as insufficient funds, cancelled instructions or closed accounts, helping businesses take action to recover payments.
Best practice is to review the Submission Report immediately after file submission, check Input and Processing Reports the following day, and monitor exception reports like ARUDD, ADDACS, AUDDIS and AWACS daily or regularly to catch issues early.
Bacs reports provide visibility across the payment lifecycle, helping finance teams track payments, identify failures, update customer bank details and improve reconciliation. Regular review reduces errors and ensures smoother payment operations.
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