Paying invoices with GoCardless

GoCardless lets you pay an issued GBP invoice by Direct Debit. Enter your bank details on GoCardless’s secure payment page.

Availability: Pay by Bank, retry handling and in-app refunds are in sandbox review. They are not generally available to customers yet. Use only the payment methods shown on your issued invoice.

Pay an invoice by Direct Debit

1. Open the invoice link and check the supplier, amount and description.
2. Choose Direct Debit and confirm the amount shown.
3. Select Continue to GoCardless and authorise the bank mandate.
4. Return to your invoice to see its payment status.

Authorising a mandate gives permission to collect. It does not mean the invoice has been paid. Direct Debit can take several working days. The invoice is marked paid after GoCardless confirms payment.

Each invoice payment is authorised separately. Please do not pay again while a collection is pending. For a Cars advert, the paid term starts after payment is confirmed.

Pay by Bank — awaiting launch

Pay by Bank is a one-off payment authorised through your bank. When available, select Pay by Bank on the invoice, choose your bank on the GoCardless-hosted page and authorise the payment with your bank. Return to the invoice to check its status. Bank authorisation or a successful browser return alone does not mark the invoice paid: Bivetica waits for confirmed provider information.

Pay by Bank does not create a Direct Debit mandate or start a subscription. Its availability depends on provider approval and the payment options enabled for the supplier.

Connect your business

Connections for other businesses are not live yet. Bivetica’s GoCardless partner integration is awaiting certification. Bivetica’s own issued invoices can already offer Direct Debit.

Once business connections are available, an owner can open Payment setup, select Connect GoCardless, and sign in or create an account with GoCardless. Authorise Bivetica Invoice, then return to Payment setup to check the connection status.

GoCardless must verify the business and its GBP payout account before collection is enabled. If verification is pending, complete it in GoCardless and reconnect. Money is paid to the connected business’s own payout account. Bivetica does not hold that business’s customer funds.

Failed payments, refunds and stopping collections

If a payment fails, contact the supplier before trying again. Automatic recovery is not currently offered through this integration. The upcoming Success+ support allows GoCardless to retry eligible failed Direct Debits when enabled for the merchant; GoCardless determines eligibility and timing, and recovery is not guaranteed. Refund requests are handled by the supplier through GoCardless; Bivetica updates the invoice when it receives or retrieves the changed payment status. In-app partial refunds are awaiting launch. In that flow, the original payment is retained and the refund is recorded separately. A requested refund is not yet a completed refund; settlement can be pending, fail or bounce. Production refund waiting periods and provider eligibility still apply. The testing-only waiting-period exception does not apply automatically to live payments.

An owner can disable new collections in Payment setup. This does not cancel a payment already submitted to the bank. Existing records are kept. Revoking access in GoCardless may require reconnecting before Bivetica can update older payments.

For Bivetica’s own Invoice subscriptions, use My subscription to manage cancellation. Subscription payments are separate from individual invoice payments.

Frequently asked questions

Is my invoice paid as soon as I authorise Direct Debit?

No. Authorisation gives permission to collect the amount you agreed. Your invoice stays unpaid while the payment is being processed and updates after GoCardless confirms payment. This can take several working days.

Is Pay by Bank available now?

Not generally. The flow has been tested in sandbox and is awaiting approval and production enablement. It will appear on eligible invoices when available.

Will a failed payment be retried automatically?

Do not assume it will. Success+ support is in review. When enabled, GoCardless decides which failed Direct Debits can be retried. Ask your supplier before starting another payment.

Should I pay again if the invoice still shows a balance?

If a payment is pending, do not pay again. Reopen the invoice to check its status. Contact the supplier if you are unsure, or if the payment has failed.

Who receives my payment?

The supplier named on your invoice. When business connections become available, each connected business receives its customer payments into its own verified GoCardless payout account.

Does Bivetica store the bank details I enter?

You enter your bank details on GoCardless’s hosted page. Bivetica Invoice keeps the payer contact details, provider references, amounts, currency, payment/refund status and event history needed to reconcile the invoice and provide support. Bank authorisation takes place with the payment provider or bank. Bivetica does not receive your online-banking password. See our privacy notice for data handling details.

Will paying an invoice start a subscription?

No. Individual invoice payments require separate authorisation. A Bivetica subscription has its own checkout and cancellation controls under My subscription.

How do I request a refund or stop a payment?

Contact your supplier. Refunds are handled through GoCardless, and the invoice updates when the changed status is received or retrieved. Disabling new collections in Bivetica does not cancel a payment already submitted to the bank.

Can I receive a partial refund?

Ask your supplier. Any refund depends on the payment, the amount still refundable and provider restrictions. In-app partial refunds are in review; once available, the original payment and separate refund adjustment will remain visible. A refund does not automatically cancel a subscription or resolve the underlying invoice or sales agreement.

Why can’t my business connect yet?

Business connections depend on Bivetica’s partner approval and verification of your business and GBP payout account by GoCardless. Payment setup shows whether your connection is available and ready.

When does my paid Cars promotion start?

After payment is confirmed. The promotion’s paid term starts then, so time spent waiting for Direct Debit confirmation does not use up your promotion days.

Need help?

Contact your invoice supplier about a specific payment. For Bivetica support: hello@bivetica.com or 01491 712012, Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm UK time.