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Last editedOct 2023
| Term | Meaning | More details |
|---|---|---|
| ADDACS messages | Automated Direct Debit Amendment and Cancellation messages notify Service Users of amendments and cancellations made by their customers to their DDIs. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Advance Notice | Notice that must be given, under the Scheme rules, to customers of each payment before it leaves their account. | Taking payments |
| ARUDD messages | Automated Return of Unpaid Direct Debits messages notify Service Users of any unpaid Direct Debits. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| AUDDIS | The AUtomated Direct Debit Instruction Service, through which all new direct Service Users must now submit requests to Bacs. | Submitting to the banks |
| AUDDIS messages | AUtomated Direct Debit Instruction Service messages notify Service Users of issues setting up or cancelling a Direct Debit Instruction. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Bacs | The clearing system that administers the Direct Debit scheme - all Direct Debit communications go through Bacs. Originally an acronym for "Bankers' Automated Clearing Services", you will sometimes see Bacs written as BACS. | What is Direct Debit? |
| Bacs payment cycle | All communications through Bacs operate on the Bacs three working day cycle. See timings for more information. | Payment timings |
| Bacstel-IP | The secure internet-based service provided by Bacs for communications between Service Users and Bacs. | Submitting to the banks |
| Bacstel-IP software | A Bacs approved software package must be used to communicate over Bacstel-IP. | Submitting to the banks |
| Bureau | An organisation that submits Direct Debit requests to Bacs on behalf of a 3rd party. A list of approved bureaux is published by Bacs. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Counter claim | The claim raised by a Service User to dispute an indemnity claim from a customer. Counter claims must be made within 14 days of an indemnity claim being settled. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| DDICA messages | Direct Debit Indemnity Claim Advice messages notify Service Users of indemnity claims from their customers. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Direct Debit Guarantee | The guarantee given on all payments made by Direct Debit. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| Direct Debit Instruction | An authorisation from your customer to collect future payments automatically. To set up a DDI your customers must complete a standardised form. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Direct Debit Instruction form | A paper form that customers must complete to authorise a Direct Debit Instruction to you. You can see an example here. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Direct Debit Mandate | Alternative name for a Direct Debit Instruction. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Due date | The date a payment is due to be debited from a payer's account. | Payment timings |
| Facilities Management | A service provided by a Bureau in which they submit payments to Bacs on behalf of a merchant under a Service User Number attached to a bank account owned by the bureau. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Indemnity Claim | A request for a refund under the Direct Debit Guarantee. Claims are assessed by the Payer's bank and funds are then recouped from the Service User automatically. | Direct Debit Guarantee |
| Input file | A file, in a standardised format, submitted to Bacs by Service Users to lodge new Direct Debit Instruction and payment requests. | Submitting to the banks |
| Input report | Every time a Service User submits payments or DDIs to Bacs, they receive an Input Report summarising the submission. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Managed Administration | A service provided by a Bureau in which they submit payments to Bacs on your behalf, under your own Service User Number. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Paperless Direct Debit | Process for authorising a Direct Debit Instruction over the phone or online, instead of with a paper form. | Direct Debit Mandates |
| Paying bank | The bank or building society at which a customer's DDI is lodged. | Taking payments |
| SEPA Direct Debit | A single Direct Debit Scheme which applies across the whole Single European Payments Area. | SEPA Direct Debit guide |
| Service User | An organisation approved by a sponsor bank to submit Direct Debit requests to Bacs. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Service User Number (SUN) | A 6 digit unique identifier issued to every Service User. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Sponsor Bank | A bank that enables you to access the Direct Debit Scheme and provides you with a Service User Number. | Getting Access to Direct Debit |
| Unpaid Direct Debits | Payments which could not be collected from the customer's account, for a variety of reasons, including insufficient funds. | Receiving messages from Bacs |
| Working Days | Submissions to Bacs can only occur on working days, which exclude weekends and bank holidays. Bacs provide a definitive list of working days for the Direct Debit system. | Payment timings |
