A mandate is the authorisation your customer gives you to collect payments from their bank account via Direct Debit. Without an active mandate, you cannot collect from a customer by Direct Debit. You only need to set one up once and it stays in place for all future collections.
Mandates in NRTH cover Direct Debit collections only. Open banking payments do not require a mandate and are processed separately as instant bank transfers.
How a customer sets up a mandate
NRTH sends your customer an email with a link to complete their Direct Debit Instruction online. You can also share the link directly or present it as a QR code. The customer fills in their bank details, confirms the authorisation, and the mandate is submitted.
How long activation takes
Once a customer signs, the mandate is submitted through the BACS system and your customer's bank is notified. Activation takes 6 business days. You cannot collect payments from a customer until their mandate is Active.
Mandate statuses
Pending The mandate has been submitted and is working through the 6-business-day activation process. No collections can be taken yet.
Active The mandate is set up and ready. NRTH can collect payments from this customer at any time.
Failed The bank rejected the mandate instruction. Common reasons include incorrect account details, a closed account, or an account that does not accept Direct Debits. You will need to invite the customer to set up a new mandate with the correct details.
Cancelled The mandate has been cancelled, either by you or by the customer through their bank. No further collections can be taken. A new mandate is required to collect again.
Expired A mandate that has not been used for 13 months is automatically cancelled by the customer's bank under BACS rules. It will show as Expired in NRTH. You will need to invite the customer to sign a new mandate.
Can you have more than one mandate per customer?
Yes. You can have multiple active mandates for the same customer if needed.
How much control do you have?
More than most businesses realise. You decide when to collect, how much to collect, and you can cancel a mandate from NRTH at any time. Your customer is protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee, which means they can reclaim any payment taken in error from their bank immediately. This protection is what makes customers comfortable signing mandates in the first place. It does not reduce your control over when and how you collect.