BECS Direct Debit AU (Practice Better Payments)

Because bank debits can take several business days to confirm, they may not be ideal if you need to deliver services immediately.

⚠️ Bank Debits for Practice Better Payments is currently in an Early Access Program and is not yet available for all users.  

The bank debits supported through Practice Better Payments include ACH Direct Debit (ACH), Pre-Authorized Debit (PAD), SEPA Direct Debit, Bacs Direct Debit (UK), BECS Direct Debit Australia, BECS Direct Debit New Zealand. 

Review the parent article for an overview and links to each respective payment method article. 

In this article:

• BECS Direct Debit AU
• BECS Direct Debit AU Processing Fees*
• Timing of BECS Direct Debit AU Payouts (deposits)
• Storing BECS Direct Debit AU
• BECS Direct Debit AU Notifications
• BECS Direct Debit AU Mandates
• Cancelling a Bacs Direct Debit AU Mandate/DDR
• Disputed BECS Direct Debit AU
• Refunding BECS Direct Debit AU
• Disabling BECS Direct Debit AU
• Re-enabling BECS Direct Debit AU

BECS Direct Debit AU

BECS Direct Debit AU allows Practice Better practitioners in Australia to collect payments directly from clients’ Australian bank accounts.

This payment method is ideal for large or recurring charges, helping to reduce transaction costs compared to credit cards and increase revenue by offering clients a familiar and trusted payment option.

BECS (Bulk Electronic Clearing System) in Australia is the network that facilitates the exchange and settlement of bulk electronic payments between banks. BECS in Australia is administered by the Australian Payments Network. 

BECS Direct Debit AU Processing Fees*

*Fees include GST

Timing of BECS Direct Debit AU Payouts (deposits)

Standard payouts from BECS Direct Debit transactions will be deposited into your business bank account 2 business days from the initial transaction date. 

Here’s a visual representation of how settlements work for BECS Direct Debit transactions:

T = Transaction date

+# = Business days since transaction date 

💡 Pro tip: You can view all your payouts from the Payments & Disputes section of your Practice Better Payments Dashboard or through your Stripe dashboard. 

Storing BECS Direct Debit AU

There are three ways to securely store your clients’ BECS Direct Debit details for future payments:

Method 1: Require billing information at booking:

• Edit Service > Advanced Options > Require billing information when clients book this service/package.

Method 2: Opt to save billing information for future payments on invoices:

• Invoice Editor > Payment Options > Save billing information for future payments. 

Method 3: Ask your clients to enter their banking details in the Client Portal.

• Client Portal > Invoices & Billing > Billing Information. 

BECS Direct Debit AU Notifications

The Australia BECS Direct Debit scheme advises that you notify your clients when a mandate is established, and each time you debit their account. By default, Stripe automatically sends these emails to your clients on your behalf.

BECS Direct Debit AU Mandates

Before you can take payments directly from a client’s bank account, you need their permission. This permission is called a mandate, and for BECS Direct Debit, these mandates are called Direct Debit Requests or DDRs, and which explain the terms of the payment. 

When you process BECS Direct Debit payments through Practice Better Payments, your clients will automatically be shown the required DDR during checkout. This appears only the first time they add their bank account. Clients must review and accept the DDR before completing their payment using this method.

Your clients can cancel their DDR at any time by contacting either you or their bank. Once a mandate is cancelled, any future debit requests associated with it will no longer be valid. To resume accepting Bacs Direct Debit payments from that client, a new mandate must be established. See Cancelling a BECS Direct Debit AU Mandate/DDR for step-by-step instructions. 

Cancelling a Bacs Direct Debit AU Mandate/DDR

If your client contacts you to request you cancel their existing BECS Direct Debit Mandate or DDR, confirm their name and mandate reference number, and then follow these steps: 

1. Log in to Practice Better. 
    
2. Click on your Settings (gear icon) and select Payments Dashboard.
    
3. Click View in Stripe near the top-right.
    
4. In Stripe, go to Customers.
    
5. Search for the client’s name.
    
6. Delete the existing BECS Direct Debit AU payment method linked to that client.

Disputed BECS Direct Debit AU

Australia BECS Direct Debit provides a dispute process that allows account holders to challenge payments.

Your clients can dispute a BECS Direct Debit payment for up to 7 years with their bank on a “no questions asked” basis. 

When a dispute occurs and the bank accepts it, the disputed amount and a dispute fee will be deducted from your Practice Better Payments account balance.

Unlike credit card payments, BECS Direct Debit AU disputes cannot be appealed through Stripe. To resolve the issue, you’ll need to contact your client directly.

Refunding BECS Direct Debit AU

Refunds for payments made with an Australian BECS Direct Debit bank account must be issued within 90 days from the date of the original payment. 

Key details:

• Refunds are free of charge, but processing fees from the original payment are non-refundable.
• Refunds typically take 3–5 business days to process, and funds usually reach your client’s account within 5 business days.
• BECS Direct Debit AU refunds appear as credits in your client’s bank account, showing the original payment’s statement descriptor rather than being labelled explicitly as a refund.

Important considerations:

• Clients can still dispute a payment through their bank even after you’ve issued a refund. This may result in two credits for the same payment (one from your refund and one from the bank’s dispute process).
• To reduce the risk of confusion or duplicate credits, only issue a refund when:
  • The customer is trusted and verified
  • You’ve confirmed with the customer that you’re processing the refund
  • At least 2 business days have passed since the original payment

Disabling BECS Direct Debit AU

If you do not wish to accept BECS Direct Debit AU transactions, you can disable this payment method by following these instructions:

1. Log in to Practice Better. 
    
2. Click on your Settings (gear icon) and select Payments Dashboard.
    
3. Click View in Stripe near the top-right.
    
4. After successfully logging in to Stripe, click the Settings (gear icon).
    
5. Select Payments from your Settings page.
    
6. Go to the Payment methods tab.
    
7. Locate the payment method (ie. Bank debit) in your list and click on it to expand the payment method panel. 
    
8. Click Turn off on the payment method you no longer want to accept.

Re-enabling BECS Direct Debit AU

If you have disabled BECS Direct Debit AU transactions and need to re-enable this, follow steps 1-7 above, and click the button to Turn on your desired payment method.