In this article we will cover:
1. Connecting your GoCardless account
2. Importing Existing Mandates
3. Adding or Updating a Mandate for a Member
4. Understanding GoCardless Payment Timings
5. Understanding the GoCardless Payment Report
6. Cancelling Payments for GoCardless Members
1. Connecting Your GoCardless Account
Connecting GoCardless to Clubworx lets you automate direct debit payments for your members. Whether you're new to GoCardless or already have an existing account, the setup process is quick and straightforward.
Steps to Connect
Go to Settings and select Account Profile.
Open the Autopayments section.
Choose GoCardless.
Click Select GoCardless Account.
You will be redirected to the GoCardless website, where you can either create a new account or sign in to an existing one.
Completing Verification
After signing in, you’ll be redirected back to the Autopayments page in Clubworx and prompted to verify your account.
Click Go to account verification.
Sign in to GoCardless again to complete the process.
During verification, you’ll need to:
Select a plan
Enter your company and contact details
Connect your bank account
This process typically takes 5–10 minutes. Once complete, your Autopayments page will show a Verified status.
2. Importing Existing Mandates
If you already have mandates set up in GoCardless, you can link them to your Clubworx members without needing to create them from scratch.
Before You Begin
Ensure your members are already imported into Clubworx. If you need help with a bulk member import, view our instructions here.
Import Steps
Go to Settings > Account Profile > Autopayments.
Click Import Mandates.
A list of GoCardless mandates not yet linked to a Clubworx contact will appear.
Click the chain icon next to a mandate and start typing the member's name to link them.
Note: If a member has no other mandates on their profile (including cancelled mandates), the imported mandate will automatically be set as their default mandate.
3. Adding or Updating a Mandate for a Member
You can add new direct debit mandates to a member's profile or update existing ones directly from within Clubworx.
Adding a New Mandate
Navigate to the member’s profile and click Add Mandate in their wallet.
In the pop-up window, click Continue to GoCardless.
Enter the member’s bank account details.
Required fields vary by region (e.g. UK: sort code and account number; AU: BSB and account number).
Click Set up Direct Debit Request, then confirm the details on the next page.
You’ll be redirected back to Clubworx, where the mandate will appear in the member’s wallet with a Pending Submission status.
Important: Mandates typically take around 3 days to become active. Any payments scheduled before activation will be delayed.
Managing Multiple Mandates
Members can have multiple mandates, but only one can be set as the default. The default mandate is the one used for payments.
You can set any active or pending mandate as the default from the Mandates tab in the member’s profile.
The Mandates tab becomes visible once GoCardless is connected to your account.
Notes:
If no mandates exist, the first one added will automatically become the default.
If a valid default mandate (active or pending) already exists, it will not be overwritten automatically.
Expired Mandates and “Check Mandate” Flag
If a default mandate expires, a Check Mandate flag will appear on the member’s profile.
To resume payments:
Add a new mandate.
Set it as the default.
Reporting on Mandates
To view and manage mandates by status:
Go to Reports > Contact > GoCardless Mandates.
Use the Status filter to locate specific mandates (e.g. expired).
To find expired mandates that are still set as default, select Only show default mandates under the Status filter.
4. Understanding GoCardless Payment Timings
GoCardless payments follow specific processing timeframes depending on whether a member has an active direct debit mandate. Understanding these timelines will help you schedule payments accurately.
Note:
Timings assume all actions are completed before 4pm GMT.
Actions completed after 4pm GMT add an extra business day.
Payments created on weekends or bank holidays will begin processing on the next working day.
Members Without an Active Mandate
If a member does not have an active mandate, they must first complete authorisation. This adds additional time before payments can be collected.
For a detailed breakdown of each step, refer to the GoCardless Bacs payment timing documentation.
Members With an Active Mandate
If a member already has an active mandate, payments are processed more quickly as no authorisation is required.
Payments are submitted directly to GoCardless
Funds are collected according to the standard Bacs processing timeline
Additional Resources
For full Bacs payment timing diagrams, see the GoCardless support article:
Bacs UK Payment Timings (available at support.gocardless.com)
5. Understanding Your GoCardless Payout Report
The Payout Report shows the total funds expected from GoCardless and when those funds will be deposited into your bank account.
How to View the Payout Report
Click Payments in the left-hand menu.
Select the Payouts tab at the top of the page.
What the Report Shows
By default, GoCardless sends payouts as soon as funds become available. If payments are collected daily, payouts are typically made daily and include all payments collected since the previous payout.
The report includes the following columns:
Remittance Date – The date funds are expected to be deposited into your bank account
Payment Reference – The GoCardless reference for the payout
Amount Paid Out – The total value of all payments included in the payout
Fees Paid to Provider – The processing fees charged for the included payments
Tip: For a detailed breakdown of individual payments within each payout, log in to your GoCardless account.
6. Cancelling Payments for GoCardless Members
In Clubworx, you can cancel GoCardless payments with a status of Upcoming or Submitted. Payments with a Pending status cannot be cancelled.
Payment Status Definitions
Upcoming – The payment has been scheduled but not yet submitted to GoCardless. The due date is usually in the future. If scheduled on the same day, it remains Upcoming until the next payment run.
Submitted – The payment has been sent to GoCardless and is visible in your GoCardless account, but has not yet been processed by the member’s bank.
Pending – The payment is currently being processed by the member’s bank. No changes can be made until a Paid or Failed status is returned.
How to Cancel a Payment
Click the … menu next to the payment (from the main payments list or the member’s payment list).
Select Cancel Invoice.
Choose one of the following options:
Cancel and Skip
Marks the payment as skipped. Use this if you no longer want to collect the payment.Cancel and Reschedule
Cancels the current payment and allows you to select a new future date. Use this if you still intend to collect the payment but need to delay it.Stop Payment
Stops the payment in GoCardless and returns it to Upcoming status in Clubworx. The original due date remains unchanged, so you’ll need to update it manually to prevent it from being processed in the next payment run. Use this if you’re unsure whether to skip or reschedule.
For further help, contact the Clubworx support team at support@clubworx.com.