How to Troubleshoot issues with Direct Debit GoCardless

Troubleshooting

I can’t see “Direct Debit (Bank)” as a payment option

Possible causes

• The GoCardless gateway isn’t connected yet.
• Your Security Profile doesn’t allow access to Direct Debit features.
• Direct Debit (Bank) is not enabled for your region/property.
  If your property is outside AU/NZ (or any other supported region listed in release notes), Direct Debit with GoCardless may not be available yet.

What to check

1. Ask an admin to open Setup > Property Options > Property Information > Edit Property > Direct Debit (GoCoardless) and check:
   • The Connection Details show a connected status (e.g., Connected – Live).
2. If you still can’t see it:
   • Ask your manager/admin to review your Security Profile and confirm you have access to the items listed HERE.

“Connection Details” for GoCardless show an error.

You’ll find Connection Details in the Direct Debit gateway setup screen.

Common states you might see

• Not Connected – No GoCardless account linked yet.
• Connected – Live – Linked to a live GoCardless account and ready to use.
• Connection Error / Action Required – Something is wrong with the link (for example, revoked token).

What to do

• Not Connected
  • An admin needs to:
    1. Click Connect or similar.
    2. Complete the GoCardless login/authorisation flow.
    3. Return to RMS and confirm the status updates.
• Connection Error / Action Required
  • Ask an admin to:
    • Re‑authorise the connection (follow the “Connect” or “Re‑connect” flow again).
    • Check with GoCardless if the account has been changed, disabled, or permissions updated.

Until the status shows that you’re connected to a live account, you won’t be able to process real Direct Debit payments.

I can’t send a Direct Debit mandate request from the Guest Profile

What’s required before you send a mandate

From the Guest Profile or Reservation screens, you can open the Direct Debit (GoCardless) section to send a mandate request. If you get errors:

Typical issues

• Required guest details are missing (e.g. name, email, or address).
• The gateway is not connected (see section “Connection Details” for GoCardless show an error).
• You don’t have permission to send mandates.

What to do

1. Check for validation messages on the page:
   • Complete any missing fields (for example, email address or contact details).
2. Confirm the GoCardless gateway shows as connected (see section “Connection Details” for GoCardless showing an error).
3. If the option is greyed out or hidden, ask an admin to:
   • Review your Security Profile.
   • Confirm you are allowed to manage Direct Debit mandates.

The guest says they didn’t receive the mandate email

What might be happening

• The email address in the Guest Profile is wrong or outdated.
• The email went to spam/junk.
• The guest’s mail server blocked or delayed the message.

What to do

1. Confirm the guest’s email address in the Guest Profile.
2. Ask the guest to check their spam or junk folder.
3. If needed, resend the mandate request from:
   • The Guest Profile > Direct Debit (GoCardless) or 
   • The Guest Profile on a Reservation, select the Direct Debit Mandate icon
   • Delete the existing Request and resend a New Direct Debit Mandate request. 

I can’t see a mandate on the Guest account, but the guest says they completed it

Mandates are set up on a secure GoCardless page. Once the guest completes that page:

• GoCardless notifies RMS.
• RMS updates the Guest account with the mandate details and status.

If the mandate is missing or looks out‑of‑date

1. Refresh or reopen the Direct Debit (GoCardless) tab on the Guest Profile:
   • The page calls the provider’s API on load, so it should fetch the latest mandate status.
2. Check whether the mandate is in a pending status (for example, just created or pending_submission).
3. If nothing appears:
   • Confirm the guest actually reached the final confirmation step in GoCardless.
   • If in doubt, send a new mandate request.

I see a mandate, but still can’t take a Direct Debit (Bank) payment

When you go to an Account > Receipts > Direct Debit (GoCardless), you should see if a mandate is available.

Possible reasons you can’t use it

• The mandate exists, but the current status (from GoCardless) does not allow new payments (for example, cancelled, expired, or failed).
• The mandate is still pending/being submitted, and the scheme hasn’t accepted it yet (though in many schemes, the first payment can be requested while the mandate is in pending_submission).
• The guest account you receipt against doesn’t match the mandate’s guest (for example, wrong guest profile).

What to do

1. Open the Guest Profile > Direct Debit (GoCardless) tab and check:
   • That there is an active mandate.
   • The status is one that allows taking payments.
2. If the mandate is cancelled or no longer valid:
   • Send a new mandate request.
3. If the status is pending for a long time:
   • Ask your admin to verify with GoCardless that the mandate is successfully submitted.

My payment shows as “Pending” and doesn’t update

When you trigger a Direct Debit payment:

• It will show under the Account > Direct Debit (GoCardless) tab as Pending.
• RMS uses scheduled polling to update the status.

If it stays pending for longer than expected

1. Confirm that the GoCardless gateway is connected and healthy (see section “Connection Details” for GoCardless showing an error).
2. Check your expected settlement timelines with GoCardless:
   • Direct Debit schemes can take multiple business days.
3. If other payments are updating, but this one is stuck:
   • Capture the payment ID, guest, and date.
   • Contact Support to investigate whether:
     • Webhooks are being received.
     • Is there any known delay or issue with GoCardless?

Why didn’t a receipt get created for a Direct Debit payment I triggered?

RMS only issues a Receipt once the payment has been successfully settled and confirmed by GoCardless.

Key points

• A request sent to GoCardless does not mean that the payment was successful.
• The Direct Debit must clear the guest’s bank first.
• Once GoCardless confirms success:
  • RMS issues a Receipt dated with the confirmed settlement date.
• If the payment fails, no receipt is issued; instead, you will receive a failure notification via Message Centre, and failed payments are searchable via the Automated Payments Dashboard.

If you expected a receipt and don’t see one

1. Check the payment status on the Direct Debit (GoCardless) tab of the Receipt screen:
   • If still pending, you may need to wait for the settlement.
   • If failed, no receipt will be created.
2. If the provider shows the payment as successful, but RMS doesn’t:
   • Ask your admin to check that the connection is working correctly - “Connection Details” for GoCardless show an error.
   • Contact Support with the payment ID and dates.

A payment failed – what should I do?

When a Direct Debit payment fails:

• RMS marks the payment as Failed in:
  • The Direct Debit (GoCardless) tab.
  • Any applicable dashboards (for example, Direct Debit (Bank Automation) or Automated Payments Dashboard).
• Staff are notified via the usual Message Centre/dashboard alerts.

Next steps

1. Review the failure reason (where provided by GoCardless).
2. Decide whether to:
   • Try again (if the failure suggests a temporary issue, and you have a valid mandate).
   • Contact the guest to update payment details or arrange another payment method.
   • Send a new mandate request if the existing one has been cancelled or is invalid.
3. If you’ve enabled Retry if Possible on the receipt:
   • GoCardless may automatically retry, according to their rules and schedule.
   • RMS will update the status when GoCardless confirms success or final failure.

How does “Retry if Possible” work on a Direct Debit (Bank) receipt?

When you tick Retry if Possible while receipting a Direct Debit (Bank):

• You’re allowing the Direct Debit provider (GoCardless) to:
  • Automatically retry a failed payment if the failure is considered temporary and retry‑able.
• RMS:
  • Does not control how often or how many times GoCardless retries.
  • Simply updates the payment status as GoCardless notifies outcomes via webhook.

In practice

• If the failure is temporary (e.g., insufficient funds, transient bank error):
  • GoCardless may retry automatically, within the scheme rules.
• If the failure is final (e.g., mandate cancelled, account closed):
  • No retries are made.
  • RMS marks the payment as failed and notifies staff.

Why does the dashboard show “Processed”, but I don’t see the payment in the bank yet?

For Automated Invoice and Payments and the Direct Debit (Bank Automation) dashboard:

• Processed usually means:
  • RMS has sent the payment instruction to GoCardless.
• Successful means:
  • GoCardless has confirmed that funds have cleared from the guest’s bank.

What this means for you

• If the status is Processed, it may still be moving through the Direct Debit clearing cycle.
• Once GoCardless confirms success:
  • The status is updated to Successful.
  • A Receipt is created and stored on the account.

If a payment stays processed for longer than normal, your admin should check GoCardless reporting and, if needed, raise a support request with RMS, including specific examples.