If you regularly take payments from your customers on a weekly, biweekly or monthly basis, setting up a recurring payment plan will allow you to collect these payments automatically.
Whether it’s a regular subscription fee for content, charitable donations or membership fees for a club, recurring payments can be an easy way to collect customer payments.
Direct Debit is the most recognised and trusted method for businesses of all shapes and sizes, but there might be certain circumstances where recurring payments is the preferred option.
We take a closer look…
How does the recurring payments process work?
Setting up recurring payments gives your business the flexibility to create as many different subscription plans as you need. This allows you to customise the intervals when your customers are charged. This could be weekly, monthly or even bi-annually. You can also offer different pricing tiers to meet the needs of your customers and your business.
How easy is it to set up recurring payments?
Very easy. All you need from your customers are their debit or credit card details. With London & Zurich, you’ll simply need to answer a few basic questions about your business and we can start collecting your payments and paying them into your account. We can also keep your customers’ card details on file for instant setup if they return to your service.
What is the cost of recurring payments?
When choosing a recurring payment provider, it’s essential you consider the costs carefully.
Some providers may try to lure you in by offering low transaction costs, only to apply charges elsewhere.
When comparing the costs of different providers, you should consider the setup costs, the transaction costs and the admin costs. Only when you’ve factored in the cost of all three will you be in a position to make a fair comparison.
How can recurring payments maximise your customer conversions?
Accepting on-site payments can play an important part in increasing your conversion rates.
Re-directing customers to a different site to make a card payment can negatively impact your conversion rate. Not only does this make the payment process longer and slower, but it also raises more questions in the minds of customers about payment security.
By having a payment page embedded on your site, or by taking payments directly on your website, you can increase your conversions by up to 10%.
To accept on-site payments you will need an SSL certificate and compliance with certain legal and technical requirements.
How long does it take to process payments?
Direct Debit payments typically take slightly longer to clear, so if you want to ship goods immediately upon payment confirmation, credit card payments could provide the shorter turnaround times you need.
However, card payments are not protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee, so if a mistake is made, it can be more difficult for your customers to reclaim any payments that have been taken in error.
With Direct Debit, your customers will have the peace of mind that they’ll receive a full and immediate refund.
What level or support should you look for from a provider?
You need a provider who offers some form of email or telephone support for assistance when dealing with chargebacks or in the case of disputes. If you’re planning to collect payments from outside the UK, you should also look for a provider that operates internationally and can accept payments in different currencies.
Things to consider
It can be difficult to cancel a recurring card payment whereas Direct Debit gives your customers the right to cancel at any time, which can be an important factor when making their purchasing decision.
There’s a good reason why Direct Debit is the UK’s most popular method of collecting regular payments. It offers a level of security and safeguards that recurring card payments do not.
Get in Touch
If you’re interested in variable or fixed recurring payment collections or would prefer to set up a flexible Direct Debit payment scheme, speak to London & Zurich today. We will talk you through your options and help you understand every aspect of this cost-effective payment option.
Apply today
Fill out our form
Apply today to get the ball rolling and find the best payment solution for your business.
Apply Today
Switch to us
Whatever your situation, London & Zurich are here to help, switch to us today.
Serious about security
We take our responsibility of our client's security very seriously, and make it our top priority.
Apply today
Fill out our form
Apply today to get the ball rolling and find the best payment solution for your business.
Apply TodaySwitch to us
Whatever your situation, London & Zurich are here to help, switch to us today.
Serious about security
We take our responsibility of our client's security very seriously, and make it our top priority.