GoCardless is a leading direct debit payment solution, enabling businesses to take recurring payments quickly and efficiently. It’s widely adopted in the UK, particularly by companies offering subscription-based services or those needing to automate payment collections.
GoCardless integrates easily with major accounting and invoicing platforms. It simplifies payment processing and helps businesses improve cash flow while reducing administrative overhead.
Let’s delve in and explore 10 UK companies that use GoCardless to streamline their payment systems and enhance their operations.
Why Companies Use GoCardless | Top Reasons
UK companies choose GoCardless over competitors for several key reasons:
- Direct Debit Expertise: GoCardless specializes in direct debit payments, a widely preferred method for UK businesses. Unlike competitors, GoCardless focuses specifically on simplifying recurring payments, offering a tailored solution for businesses that need to automate subscription billing, invoice payments, and membership fees. This focus on direct debit makes it an appealing option for companies that prioritize predictable, recurring revenue streams.
- Seamless Integration with Accounting Software: GoCardless integrates easily with popular accounting platforms like Xero, QuickBooks, and Sage. This compatibility reduces manual work for finance teams, allowing businesses to automate invoicing, reconciliation, and cash flow management. Competitors may offer payment solutions, but GoCardless’s deep integration into accounting systems ensures a more streamlined financial process.
- Low Transaction Fees: GoCardless offers competitive pricing with low transaction fees, making it attractive to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) looking to minimize costs. For businesses handling large volumes of recurring payments, this cost advantage can significantly impact their bottom line compared to traditional payment gateways.
- Improved Cash Flow: GoCardless provides businesses with a reliable way to collect payments on time, reducing the risk of late or missed payments. Its automated system ensures businesses maintain steady cash flow, a critical advantage over competitors that may not offer as comprehensive automation features.
- Security and Compliance: GoCardless complies with strict regulatory standards, including FCA regulations and GDPR, ensuring that payments are handled securely. For UK companies concerned with data protection and regulatory compliance, GoCardless’s robust security framework gives it an edge over competitors.
What UK Companies Use GoCardless?
Here’s a list of the UK companies that have embraced GoCardless:
1. Xero
Industry: Accounting Software
CEO: Sukhinder Singh Cassidy
Employee Size: 4,000+
Why They Chose GoCardless: For seamless recurring payments integrated into their accounting platform.
Xero, one of the world’s most popular accounting software providers, has partnered with GoCardless to offer automated direct debit payments to its users. Through this integration, small businesses using Xero can set up recurring payments for invoices, improving cash flow by reducing the time it takes to get paid. GoCardless allows Xero’s users to streamline their payment collection processes, making it easier to reconcile payments and reducing manual intervention. This results in improved accuracy, less time spent chasing payments, and fewer late payments. GoCardless also offers international payment capabilities, making it easy for Xero’s global customer base to handle payments in multiple currencies. By integrating with GoCardless, Xero enhances its overall offering, helping businesses automate invoicing, improve cash flow, and simplify financial management.
2. Funding Circle
Industry: Financial Services
CEO: Lisa Jacobs
Employee Size: 1,000+
Why They Chose GoCardless: For efficient loan repayments and automatic payment collections.
Funding Circle, a leading online lending platform for small businesses, utilizes GoCardless to automate loan repayments. The partnership enables Funding Circle to collect direct debit payments from borrowers, streamlining the process and reducing administrative burdens. GoCardless ensures that repayments are taken automatically on the due date, minimizing late or missed payments and improving cash flow for lenders. The integration also offers full transparency for both Funding Circle and its borrowers, with real-time payment tracking and reporting available through the platform. With GoCardless, Funding Circle can provide a smoother borrowing experience while ensuring timely repayment collection, allowing the company to focus on delivering its core services of facilitating small business loans.
3. The Guardian
Industry: Media & Publishing
CEO: Katharine Viner
Employee Size: 1,500+
Why They Chose GoCardless: To simplify subscription payments for readers and donors.
The Guardian, one of the UK’s leading news organizations, uses GoCardless to handle subscription and membership payments. As the newspaper transitioned to a subscription and reader-supported revenue model, GoCardless provided a reliable way to manage recurring payments. By automating direct debit transactions, The Guardian can easily collect payments from readers and donors, ensuring steady cash flow and reducing the administrative hassle associated with manual payment processing. GoCardless offers a simple, user-friendly setup for subscribers, allowing them to manage their payments seamlessly. The service also integrates with The Guardian’s existing systems, providing real-time insights into payment performance and improving retention rates by reducing payment failures. This allows The Guardian to focus on delivering high-quality journalism while maintaining a steady revenue stream.
4. Bulb Energy
Industry: Energy
CEO: Hayden Wood
Employee Size: 1,000+
Why They Chose GoCardless: For automated and reliable bill payments from customers.
Bulb Energy, a UK-based renewable energy provider, adopted GoCardless to streamline payment collections from its customers. With GoCardless, Bulb can automatically collect monthly payments via direct debit, reducing the time and effort required for manual billing and payment processing. This integration helps Bulb improve cash flow by ensuring timely payments while offering customers a simple, transparent way to manage their energy bills. By using GoCardless, Bulb can also reduce failed payments and improve customer retention by offering a hassle-free payment experience. The platform’s seamless integration with Bulb’s billing system also allows for real-time tracking of payments, helping the company manage its accounts efficiently. This automation supports Bulb’s commitment to providing affordable, green energy while minimizing administrative overhead.
5. GoCardless
Industry: FinTech
CEO: Hiroki Takeuchi
Employee Size: 600+
Why They Chose GoCardless: As their own solution for recurring payments and business operations.
GoCardless, being a direct debit solution provider, naturally uses its own platform to manage internal and external payment processes. The company relies on its own technology to collect payments from clients and manage subscriptions, demonstrating its confidence in the platform’s reliability. Using GoCardless allows the company to handle large volumes of transactions securely, ensuring payments are processed on time and with minimal friction. By using their own product, GoCardless showcases the efficiency, transparency, and ease of use of the platform, which also provides detailed insights into payment data. This helps them to continually improve their service while maintaining optimal cash flow and minimizing the operational burden associated with manual payment collections. This self-reliance on GoCardless’s platform exemplifies its value as a scalable solution for businesses of all sizes.
6. HM Government’s GOV.UK Pay
Industry: Government/Public Sector
CEO: N/A
Employee Size: N/A
Why They Chose GoCardless: To streamline payments for public services like taxes and fines.
GOV.UK Pay, the government’s official payment platform, uses GoCardless to facilitate direct debit payments for various services, including tax payments, fines, and government service fees. Through a seamless GoCardless integration, GOV.UK Pay offers citizens a secure and reliable method to make recurring payments to the government. This helps improve cash flow for the public sector. GoCardless provides transparency and ease of use, ensuring that payments are collected efficiently and securely. Its flexible API allows GOV.UK Pay to customize the payment experience to meet the needs of different public services while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance. The integration also improves the user experience by offering a simple way for citizens to manage payments without the need for manual interventions or reminders.
7. InvoiceBerry
Industry: SaaS/Financial Services
CEO: Uwe Dreissigacker
Employee Size: 50+
Why They Chose GoCardless: For seamless integration of recurring payments with its invoicing software.
InvoiceBerry, a UK-based invoicing software provider, leverages GoCardless to automate the collection of payments for its clients. With a focus on helping small businesses, InvoiceBerry integrates GoCardless to allow users to set up recurring payments for invoices, simplifying the payment process. This reduces the need for manual invoicing and ensures payments are collected on time, improving cash flow for small businesses. GoCardless integrates directly with InvoiceBerry’s platform, offering an end-to-end solution for invoicing and payment collection. Users can track the status of payments in real-time and automate follow-ups, reducing the risk of missed or late payments. The integration also allows businesses to offer their customers a flexible and convenient way to pay, boosting customer satisfaction while minimizing administrative work.
8. Thomas Cook Money
Industry: Travel and Financial Services
CEO: Alan French
Employee Size: 1,000+
Why They Chose GoCardless: To simplify recurring payments for financial products, such as insurance and loans.
Thomas Cook Money, the financial services arm of the well-known travel company, chose GoCardless to handle payments for its financial products, including travel insurance and personal loans. With GoCardless, Thomas Cook Money can automate the collection of recurring payments from customers, ensuring timely transactions without manual intervention. This seamless direct debit solution allows the company to offer flexible payment plans, making it easier for customers to spread the cost of products over time. GoCardless also provides real-time tracking of payments, improving the company’s ability to manage cash flow while reducing administrative work. By integrating with GoCardless, Thomas Cook Money enhances its customer experience by offering a simple and secure payment process that eliminates the need for manual invoicing. This efficient solution also helps the company focus on its core services, delivering financial products that complement its travel offerings.
9. CrowdCube
Industry: Equity Crowdfunding
CEO: Darren Westlake
Employee Size: 150+
Why They Chose GoCardless: To manage payments for investor subscriptions and crowdfunding transactions.
CrowdCube, a leading equity crowdfunding platform in the UK, uses GoCardless to handle payments between investors and businesses. By integrating GoCardless, CrowdCube automates the collection of investment payments and simplifies the process for both startups and investors. GoCardless allows investors to set up direct debit payments, which ensures their contributions are transferred securely and efficiently. The platform’s flexibility also supports recurring payments for subscriptions, allowing CrowdCube to maintain a steady flow of funds without manual follow-ups. This integration reduces the risk of failed payments and enhances transparency, providing both businesses and investors with real-time tracking of their transactions. CrowdCube benefits from GoCardless’s scalable API, which ensures smooth operations as the platform grows and attracts more investors. The partnership helps CrowdCube deliver a seamless and trusted crowdfunding experience for its users.
10. HarperCollins UK
Industry: Publishing
CEO: Charlie Redmayne
Employee Size: 2,000+
Why They Chose GoCardless: To automate royalty payments and manage subscription billing.
HarperCollins UK, one of the world’s largest publishing companies, uses GoCardless to manage subscription payments for its digital platforms and automate royalty payments to authors. With GoCardless, HarperCollins simplifies payment collection for its growing range of digital products, including eBooks and online content subscriptions. The platform’s ability to handle recurring payments ensures that subscribers are billed on time, and the automation reduces manual administrative tasks. Additionally, GoCardless enables HarperCollins to automate royalty payments to authors, streamlining the process and ensuring that payments are accurate and timely. The integration provides HarperCollins with improved visibility into its financial operations, allowing for real-time tracking of payments. By using GoCardless, HarperCollins strengthens its digital strategy, offering a seamless payment experience for customers while optimizing its internal financial processes.
Takeaway
GoCardless has proven to be an essential payment solution for a variety of UK companies, from financial services and publishing to energy and crowdfunding.
By automating recurring payments, reducing administrative burdens, and providing real-time visibility into transactions, GoCardless helps businesses improve cash flow and deliver a seamless payment experience for their customers.
With its scalability and ease of integration, GoCardless is a go-to choice for businesses looking to simplify their payment processes, whether they are small startups or large enterprises.