BACS Payments

[Mayhem 1]

Hiya Gentlemen hope your Easter is going well.

Anywho, my question is this (please forgive me if it seems naieve.)

I have PAYPAL option for payments on my website but I have had quite a few people wanting to pay via BACS transfer.

Couple of questions about BACS if I may guys,

1) Is it safe?

2) Is there anyway somebody can rip off my account if they have my number and sort code?

3) How many of you use BACS transfers? and do you find it works ok?

Hope you can help guys :beer1:

[Penfold42]

BACS is safe. Get paid from work by this.....it's also very quick. :)

[Mayhem 1]

Thanks for that mate :beer1:

[Excalibur]

Hiya Gentlemen hope your Easter is going well.

Anywho, my question is this (please forgive me if it seems naieve.)

I have PAYPAL option for payments on my website but I have had quite a few people wanting to pay via BACS transfer.

Couple of questions about BACS if I may guys,

1) Is it safe?

2) Is there anyway somebody can rip off my account if they have my number and sort code?

3) How many of you use BACS transfers? and do you find it works ok?

Hope you can help guys :beer1:

Never had Disco customers wanting to use it ( yet) but a couple of Day Job customers use it. It's win-win in my opinion. The people who use it tend to be business customers, so I'd guess it's secure, though I have no actual knowledge.

Edit: Penmare types faster, and uses fewer words. Agreed with him on speed, and when it's arrived, it's arrived, no waiting for it to clear.

[Penfold42]

Think Daz use's this a fair bit ....might be worth a PM. :)

[Mayhem 1]

I will Tony thanks buddy.

Also thanks to Excalibur for your input

[Spirits High]

Couple of questions about BACS if I may guys,

1) Is it safe?

As far as I know it is. I'm sure someone in the banking world will be able to give you it from the horses mouth


2) Is there anyway somebody can rip off my account if they have my number and sort code?

No, they'll need more info like passwords and other security measures. I would think the 3 numbers on the back of your card.



3) How many of you use BACS transfers? and do you find it works ok?


I'm finding this year more people are using it and it can be in your account the same day with the "Faster payments" system.

I prefer it to paypal as it's free :D Although I do have a paypal gateway on my site.

Here's a couple of links that may help

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BACS

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faster_Payments_Service


Hopefully that's of use to you.

[Mayhem 1]

Thanks Paul :beer1:

Will have a read of those links in a while mate

[CRAZY K]

Never had Disco customers wanting to use it ( yet) but a couple of Day Job customers use it. It's win-win in my opinion. The people who use it tend to be business customers, so I'd guess it's secure, though I have no actual knowledge.

Edit: Penmare types faster, and uses fewer words. Agreed with him on speed, and when it's arrived, it's arrived, no waiting for it to clear.

This is what it is Gary--used by Businesses

http://www.bacspayments.co.uk/ (http://www.bacspayments.co.uk/)

Should be totally secure--we now get a lot of fees paid over the net for my wifes agency by private customers who dont want to mess about with cheques, inefficient Post Office etc and send payment by Internet Bank Transfer as opposed to taking Card payments which cost your business money.

A changing market with cheques being phased out and some £20 notes no longer legal tender soon --see here--

http://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/elgar-20-note-no-longer-legal-tender-tele-30b4915a2fad.html

[Shaun]

Around 1 in 10 of my clients take up the option to pay by BACS. I've never experienced any problems with accepting payment via this method.

[Mayhem 1]

Wow!!! that is all most welcome chaps,

Many thanks again to all.

BACS it is then

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Think Daz use's this a fair bit ....might be worth a PM. :)

I use it to pay all my guys mainly.

[Corabar Entertainment]

I use it to pay all my guys mainly.Snap.

I don't offer it as standard to customers (ie I don't publicise bank details), but I do say that if they want to pay this way to contact us and I'll give them details. The reason being, I don't want payments landing in the account that I cannot identify easily, but if they've had to contact me for details, I know to look out for it.

Actually, very few (other than corporate customers) take this up. Most individuals just pay by card.

[CRAZY K]

The reason being, I don't want payments landing in the account that I cannot identify easily,


My wife Angela just asks them to quote her booking reference which would be typically--

12th June BRIGHTON

Simple--we wont have more than one of those a night.

Theres a limit on the number of words you can use for Internet Banking.

[Chris1984]

Its pretty much all we use - make life very easy and helps keep accounts happy!

[soundtracker]

Its pretty much all we use - make life very easy and helps keep accounts happy!

and of course saves all those nasty paypal fees!

[DazzyD]

It's not something that we do here for payments much. The PayPal Buy Now button gets more work.

However, in the day job its BACS all the way (I work in Benefits) and we are striving to have 100% of claimants to receive their benefit in this way. There has been the odd problem (mis-directed payments, for example) but the bank returns these and it's just a case of contacting the claimant for the correct bank details.


Snap.

I don't offer it as standard to customers (ie I don't publicise bank details), but I do say that if they want to pay this way to contact us and I'll give them details. The reason being, I don't want payments landing in the account that I cannot identify easily, but if they've had to contact me for details, I know to look out for it.

Actually, very few (other than corporate customers) take this up. Most individuals just pay by card.

Can't you specify a reference to payments so that they can easily be identified? I know the BACS systems requires certain fields to be completely corrected but there is an extra field (sometimes used for Building Society Roll Numbers) which can carry an easily identifiable reference.

[Corabar Entertainment]

Having worked in conveyancing for more years than I care to mention, with lots of sums of money coming in to the client account on a daily basis, with the accounts clerk spending half their day running around between us asking "Are you expecting £x" and "Does the name abc mean anything to you?", I know that clients are really bad at providing the information you ask for! Plus the standard bank reports don't necessarily provide any additional information that the client has provided. Finally, I do not want to have to go and check the bank account each time on the off-chance that some money may have come in before I send out a follow-up/chaser.

If I offer the service, but ask them to contact me for bank details, then I will know it's coming and know to look for it :)

[DazzyD]

Having worked in conveyancing for more years than I care to mention, with lots of sums of money coming in to the client account on a daily basis, with the accounts clerk spending half their day running around between us asking "Are you expecting £x" and "Does the name abc mean anything to you?", I know that clients are really bad at providing the information you ask for! Plus the standard bank reports don't necessarily provide any additional information that the client has provided. Finally, I do not want to have to go and check the bank account each time on the off-chance that some money may have come in before I send out a follow-up/chaser.

If I offer the service, but ask them to contact me for bank details, then I will know it's coming and know to look for it :)

As I said, my experience is more paying by BACS than receiving the money.

PayPal "Buy Now" button it is, then! :D

[Excalibur]

Having worked in conveyancing for more years than I care to mention, with lots of sums of money coming in to the client account on a daily basis, with the accounts clerk spending half their day running around between us asking "Are you expecting £x" and "Does the name abc mean anything to you?", I know that clients are really bad at providing the information you ask for! Plus the standard bank reports don't necessarily provide any additional information that the client has provided. Finally, I do not want to have to go and check the bank account each time on the off-chance that some money may have come in before I send out a follow-up/chaser.

If I offer the service, but ask them to contact me for bank details, then I will know it's coming and know to look for it :)
Angela, from your answer it appears that the common or garden punter is likely to send what amounts to an anonymous payment, whereas businesses tend to annotate them sufficiently. I know my customers always put the invoice number with them as a minimum.

[Solitaire Events Ltd]

Having worked in conveyancing for more years than I care to mention, with lots of sums of money coming in to the client account on a daily basis,

...or not, if the bank forget to check the fax was sent...:bang: ;) :D

[Danno13]

I've had more anonymous cheques than BACS transfers, as I mainly do Weddings it would often be the parents paying, so I don't always recognise the name on the cheque. Luckily people paying by BACS seem to be intelligent enough to use a meaningful reference, though very few actually put the most sensible - the invoice number!

[Corabar Entertainment]

...or not, if the bank forget to check the fax was sent...:bang: ;) :D
:lol: ;) :D

[DazzyD]

I've had more anonymous cheques than BACS transfers, as I mainly do Weddings it would often be the parents paying, so I don't always recognise the name on the cheque. Luckily people paying by BACS seem to be intelligent enough to use a meaningful reference, though very few actually put the most sensible - the invoice number!

Funnily enough, I still get cheques sent to me with the business name on even though I don't have a business account. I make it clear in my T&Cs and every payment request I send who to make payment out to but people still insist on sending cheques made out to the business name. That's why I require 3 weeks prior to the event for the balance to be paid by cheque. Gives me time to sort out these problems!

[Danno13]

Funnily enough, I still get cheques sent to me with the business name on even though I don't have a business account. I make it clear in my T&Cs and every payment request I send who to make payment out to but people still insist on sending cheques made out to the business name. That's why I require 3 weeks prior to the event for the balance to be paid by cheque. Gives me time to sort out these problems!

Be easier just to get a business account surely? It's actually the reason I got one. This was 4 years ago so wasn't fully aware of the other advantages, I just couldn't be arsed with the extra admin with people inevitably writing the wrong name.

I moved house just before Christmas and used it as the perfect time to re-brand and wrote to all my clients informing them of changes. Every invoice I've sent since, has my new address on and tells them who to make the cheque payable to, yet I've still had a couple send them to the wrong address and/or made out to the wrong name (my bank have still accepted them though!) - including a thank you card after the gig!

[rob1963]

Be easier just to get a business account surely? It's actually the reason I got one. This was 4 years ago so wasn't fully aware of the other advantages, I just couldn't be arsed with the extra admin with people inevitably writing the wrong name.

Not just easier, but more professional looking too.

If I booked Xanadu discos & was asked to make out the cheque to an actual person rather than the business name, I'd think it was a bit odd.

[DazzyD]

Not just easier, but more professional looking too.

If I booked Xanadu discos & was asked to make out the cheque to an actual person rather than the business name, I'd think it was a bit odd.

True. But people don't see the bigger picture! ;)

[rob1963]

True. But people don't see the bigger picture! ;)

Fair enough.

With my banking background, and knowing that personal accounts are usually free whereas business accounts have charges, if I was asked to make out a cheque to an individual rather than the business name, I'd think they were trying to save money by using their personal account to pass through the business cheques...which I wouldn't see as very professional.

[DazzyD]

Rob, I totally agree with you. From a Service User's point of view.

But I'm a service provider with a personal history whose credit record isn't perfect (far from it, not always my fault but that's another story). I provide the best service I can with limited banking options. I know you've never been in my shoes but I'm sure you get my meaning! ;)

[rob1963]

Rob, I totally agree with you. From a Service User's point of view.

But I'm a service provider with a personal history whose credit record isn't perfect (far from it, not always my fault but that's another story). I provide the best service I can with limited banking options. I know you've never been in my shoes but I'm sure you get my meaning! ;)

Yes Dazzy...I think I understand what you mean.

:)

[Tom]

I don't think I had anyone use this when I used to offer it but I only accept BACS as a form of online payment.

[DazzyD]

Yes Dazzy...I think I understand what you mean.

:)

Thanks for that, Rob. Whilst we're all striving for the same thing (to offer the best possible service to our clients) our backgrounds mean we all have to approach it from different angles. Despite what some folk think, we are not all the same! ;)

[James]

we are all the same, it's just that everyone is different.

[DazzyD]

we are all the same, it's just that everyone is different.

With all due respect, believe me, we are not all the same. We are all so very, very different. ;)

[James]

I don't mean WE as djs, i mean WE as human beings.

so in that sense, we are all the same, yet we're all different. if you know what i mean?

[DazzyD]

I get what you're saying, James, but it's our history that makes us who we are in this world. And it's that which makes us all very different even though we strive for the same thing.

[James]

without 'going off one one' i wouldn't like to be associated with our history as Englishmen, look back through history, and as an Englishman, you'll probably feel ashamed.

The original point i was trying to make is, we all have the same emotions, anxieties, fears, etc. so we're all the same in that sense, yet we're all different in how we act.