Overview
GoCardless is a payment processing platform that enables organisations to collect bank-to-bank payments, commonly known as Direct Debit in the UK and similar schemes internationally.
CiviPlus includes a GoCardless integration that allows you to collect recurring payments for donations and memberships via webforms and the self-service portal. This integration is particularly well suited to recurring income and helps reduce administration while improving payment reliability .
In CiviPlus, GoCardless is primarily used for:
Recurring donations
Membership fees paid by Direct Debit
Automated renewals linked to payment plans
When a supporter chooses Direct Debit using GoCardless:
They authorise your organisation to collect payments from their bank account.
GoCardless manages the mandate and payment collection.
Payment status updates are synchronised back into CiviPlus.
Funds are transferred directly to your organisation’s bank account.
Supporters provide bank details rather than card details, making this approach ideal for long-term recurring payments .
Using GoCardless for Recurring Donations
For recurring donations, a feature in GoCardless called "Subscriptions" is used to set up and take the payments.
There are some key points to note about the way that this works:
GoCardless manages the recurring payment schedule.
Unlike Membership, CiviPlus only records a contribution once a payment has been successfully collected.
No future or pending donations are created in advance, except for the first payment which is handled by CiviCRM automatically.
This approach reflects the optional nature of donations, where supporters are not contractually obliged to make future payments .
Using GoCardless for Membership Payments
Membership payments work differently to donations.
For memberships:
Contributions (invoices) are created in advance for each instalment in the period.
On the due date, GoCardless attempts to collect the payment.
Once payment is confirmed, the contribution is marked as completed.
If an invoice is partially paid or adjusted, only the outstanding balance is collected.
This reflects the fact that membership fees represent a commitment to pay and must be invoiced correctly from an accounting perspective .
Membership Signup and Application Workflows
CiviPlus supports different membership workflows depending on how your organisation operates:
Membership Signup
Members can sign up directly online and membership will be created at time submission.
Direct Debit can be selected during signup.
Suitable for organisations with open membership models.
Membership Applications
Applicants apply first and are approved before becoming members.
Once approved, members can be invited to set up Direct Debit.
This can be done either through
The Switch to Go Cardless option in the self-service portal, or
Via a secure signup link.
The appropriate approach depends on your governance and approval processes .
Webforms and Direct Debit
CiviPlus webforms can be configured to:
Offer Direct Debit as a payment option
Support recurring payments
Apply the correct Direct Debit scheme based on currency and country
The webform will need to be configured to support the appropriate options for your organisation based on your requirements.
Important Considerations and Limitations
When using GoCardless with CiviPlus:
Direct Debit is best suited to recurring payments rather than one-off payments.
Some advanced scenarios, such as migrating mandates from other Direct Debit providers, may require additional configuration or development.
Organisational memberships and complex instalment plans may have limitations depending on your setup.
These considerations should be discussed during implementation or onboarding.