Bacs payments
Our Direct Credit (payment) and Direct Debit (collection) service that safely transfers money from one account to another. Make secure, electronic payments and collections on a day that suits your business needs. Pay employees, collect invoices due and choose when payments come into and go out of your account.
Improved cash flow management
Know exactly when funds will be leaving your account with Bacs Direct Credit. Reduce reconciliation and save on the administration time and cost associated with other forms of payment.
Automatic payment collection
Take control of when you’re paid with Bacs Direct Debit. Automate your payment collection process. Get payments in cleared funds, quickly identify non-payments, and spend less time chasing invoices.
Secure Bacs submissions
Safely make your Bacs submissions with the Metro Bank Bacs payment software. Fully protected and backed up, you can view, process and approve payments from anywhere with an internet connection.
Find your nearest store
Additional information
Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Bacs payments eligibility
Before you apply for Bacs payments, make sure your business is eligible for the Direct Credit and/or the Direct Debit service.
|
Direct Credit |
Direct Debit |
|---|---|
|
Have a yearly turnover of over £500K. |
Have a yearly turnover of over £500K. |
|
Have been trading for at least three months. |
Have been trading for at least 12 months. |
|
Be in a Metro Bank approved industry for a Business and/or Commercial account. To find out if your industry is approved speak to your Relationship Manager or pop in store. |
Be in a Metro Bank approved industry for a Business and/or Commercial account (excluding the Travel industry). To find out if your industry is approved speak to your Relationship Manager or pop in store |
|
Have access to Commercial Online Banking, use the Metro Bank Bacs payment software or a BACSTEL-IP service. |
Use the Metro Bank Bacs payment software or a BACSTEL-IP service. |
|
Have a Metro Bank Business and/or Commercial account which is the business’s main transactional banking account. |
Have a Metro Bank Business and/or Commercial account which is the business’s main transactional banking account. |
|
If you already use Bacs through another provider, you will need to provide us with your Service User Number. If you don’t already use Bacs or have a Service User Number speak to your Relationship Manager or pop in store. |
If you already use Bacs through another provider, you will need to provide us with your Service User Number. If you don’t already use Bacs or have a Service User Number speak your Relationship Manager or pop in store. |
|
Have a minimum of 240 collections in a 12 month period. |
How to Apply
How to Apply
Get Started
To get started with Bacs payments, you need to speak to your Relationship Manager. You also need to have a Metro Bank Business and/or Commercial account which you will use to make Bacs submissions.
If you don’t have a Relationship Manager or a Metro Business and/or Commercial account, just pop in store so we can help you.
Fees and Charges
To use Bacs payments, there is a set-up fee, a monthly charge and transaction fees. The rest of the fees and charges will depend on any additional services you choose to use.
You can make payments only, collections only or payments and collections - you will be charged per transaction. You can use the Metro Bank Bacs payment software for transactions or another Bacs approved software. All of this will influence what you pay.
Same day processing
Bacs submissions will be processed on the same day if they are:
- Metro Bank online banking Bacs submissions made by 7pm, Monday to Friday
- Bacs payment software submissions made by 10.30pm, Monday to Friday
Next day processing
All Bacs submissions will be processed on the next working day if they are made after the times shown above, at the weekend, or on a public holiday.
When you submit a Bacs payment, please make sure you have the funds to pay it on the day it’s due to be debited from your account. If you don’t, the payment will still be made, which means you’ll become overdrawn and will be charged.
Download our Bacs payments fees and charges PDF
The Basics of Bacs
The Basics of Bacs
Bacs Basics
Bacs is the company that runs the Direct Credit (payment) and Direct Debit (collection) scheme in the UK. The scheme is used to pay salaries, settle supplier invoices, collect customer payments and more.
The Benefits of Bacs
Direct Credit and Direct Debit
- Three working days processing for GBP payments between UK bank accounts*
- Nominated staff can authorise payments with a Smart Card and reader
- Payments can be submitted from your computer using a Bacs approved software
* Working days Monday to Friday excluding UK Bank Holidays
Direct Credit
- The most secure and cost-effective way to make regular payments
- Improves cash flow management
- Saves time and admin costs
- Cuts down on reconciliation
Direct Debit collections
- You control when you’re paid
- Collect payments agreed by you and your customer
- Payments are made in cleared funds
Useful documents
Frequently asked questions
What is Bacs Direct Credit?
Bacs Direct Credit is a simple, secure and reliable service that allows organisations to make payments directly into another bank or building society account.
The benefits of Bacs Direct Credit
- The most secure and cost-effective way to make regular payments
- Improves cash flow management
- Saves time and admin costs
- Cuts down on reconciliation
What is the Metro Bank Bacs payment software?
The Metro Bank Bacs payment software is Bacs approved, cloud-based, and allows you to securely manage your Bacs Direct Credits and Direct Debits. You can view, process and approve payments from multiple devices anywhere there’s a net connection and track it through the submission process.
How our Bacs payment software works
Upload files - Secure file import from EPR, payroll, business systems
Validates - Confirms the banking details of each transaction
Schedule - Specify your payment and collection dates
Approves - Authorises files for onward processing
Submits - Processes Direct Credit and/or Direct Debit mandates
Manage - Oversee collections, payments and cash flow from the software
The Benefits of our Bacs payment software
- A Bacs approved software that exceeds the quality standards set by Bacs
- Always compliant with the latest regulatory changes
- Provides comprehensive reporting and audit trails
- Immediate confirmation on your Bacs submission
- All files are fully encrypted, protected, backed up and remotely accessible
- Limits exposure to errors and fraud with automated validation
- Greater visibility and control over payments and cash flow
- Scalable, only pay for the functionality used and transactions made
- Multi-user permissions and limits
- Control when payments are made and collected
- Fewer missed, late or rejected payments
What is Bottomline?
Bottomline is the technology company behind the Metro Bank Bacs payment software. Innovators in automated, digital payments, their technology has simplified and secured the way companies make and collect payments.
Can I use Internet Explorer 11 to make Bacs payments?
No. Microsoft ended their support for Internet Explorer 11 on 15 June 2022. If you have previously used the IE11 desktop application to make Bacs payments, you will need to set up IE11 compatibility mode on your Microsoft Edge browser.