Agree a monthly fee and a collection date with each client, have them sign a SEPA direct debit mandate once, and send notice of each amount at least 14 calendar days before you collect it, which can go on the invoice. A simple way to set the monthly figure is to divide the annual fee for recurring work by twelve. Through Adfin, a monthly fee of up to €2,000 costs at most €2.20 to collect by direct debit, because the 1% part of its 20c + 1% price is capped at €2 on direct debit and bank transfer, though not on cards.
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The short version
- Dividing the annual fee by twelve gives a steady monthly collection.
- Each collection needs at least 14 calendar days' notice, which can go on the invoice.
- A €150 monthly fee costs €1.70 to collect by direct debit through Adfin.
- Above €200, each direct debit of up to €2,000 costs €2.20 through Adfin.
- Clients moving from another SEPA provider to Adfin keep their existing mandates.
An annual fee as twelve collections
You probably price recurring work for the year, whether that's bookkeeping, payroll, VAT returns or year-end accounts, and then decide how the client pays for it. Collecting a twelfth each month by direct debit gives you steady income through the year, and the client never faces one large bill when the accounts are finished.
Take a client on a €1,800 annual fee. Collected as twelve payments of €150, each one costs €1.70 through Adfin (1% is €1.50, plus 20c), or €20.40 over the year. A single €1,800 bank transfer would cost €2.20, so collecting monthly adds €18.20 in payment fees across the year. In return, you know when the money arrives each month, and there's no year-end invoice left to chase.
Annual fees don't always divide neatly, so a €1,750 fee works out at €145.83 a month for eleven months and €145.87 in the twelfth. Putting that split in your engagement letter saves a query when the last collection is a few cents different.
What collecting a fee book costs
You pay per successful payment, with no monthly fee, setup fee or contract, so what you pay follows your fee book. Say you have 70 clients on monthly direct debit at four fee levels.
| Monthly fee | Clients | Cost per collection | Cost per month |
|---|---|---|---|
| €90 | 25 | €1.10 | €27.50 |
| €150 | 20 | €1.70 | €34.00 |
| €200 | 15 | €2.20 | €33.00 |
| €450 | 10 | €2.20 | €22.00 |
| Total | 70 | €116.50 |
Those 70 collections bring in €12,750 a month and cost €116.50 to collect, a little under 1% of the fees. At €200 the 1% part reaches exactly €2, and from there up to €2,000 every direct debit stays at €2.20, so your larger clients cost proportionally less to collect. Card payments have no cap, which means a €450 fee paid by standard card would cost €4.70 instead.
A calendar that leaves room for the notice
Under the SEPA Direct Debit Core rules, each client gets a pre-notification at least 14 calendar days before a collection, unless you've agreed a different period with them. The invoice can carry it, so the simplest routine is to send each month's invoice, showing the amount and the collection date, a fortnight or more before you collect.
If you collect on the 1st, sending invoices on the 14th of the previous month gives you at least 15 days in every month, February included. A collection on the 1st for that month's fee means clients pay in advance. If you'd rather bill in arrears, invoice on the 1st for the month just ended and collect on the 16th or later.
When 14 days doesn't fit how you work, agree a shorter notice period in your engagement letter at the point the client signs the mandate.
Fee changes, one-off work and collections that come back
When you raise a fee, the notice for the first collection at the new amount is how the client hears about it. A client moving from €150 to €165 a month from January needs that notice by 18 December for a collection on 1 January, and each collection then costs €1.85 instead of €1.70.
One-off fees, such as a personal tax return outside the monthly arrangement, suit a payment link sent by email, SMS or WhatsApp, which the client can pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay or bank transfer. On a €350 fee, bank transfer costs €2.20 and a standard card costs €3.70.
Some collections come back unpaid, for reasons such as insufficient funds or a closed account, and a client can ask their bank to refund any collection within eight weeks without giving a reason. A returned fee then needs following up like any other overdue invoice. Adfin's free Essential credit control sends unlimited reminders by email, SMS and WhatsApp, and its aged debtors view lets you give each client an owner and next steps, so a partner can see who's following up which fee.
If your clients already pay by direct debit through another provider, moving them to Adfin doesn't mean new mandates. They keep the mandates they've signed, the mandate moves across with the next collection, and they're told before that collection happens.
Common questions
Can I collect a different fee from each client by direct debit? Yes, each client signs their own mandate and gets their own notice before every collection, so fees can differ between clients and change over time.
Can the direct debit notice go on the invoice? The SEPA rules let the pre-notification travel with another document, so an invoice that shows the amount and collection date and goes out at least 14 calendar days ahead covers it.
What does Adfin charge to collect a €90 monthly fee? €1.10 per collection, which is 1% of €90 (90c) plus 20c. Over a year, that comes to €13.20.
Should a practice collect fees monthly or once a year? Monthly collection costs a little more in payment fees but spreads income evenly. On a €1,800 fee through Adfin, twelve €150 collections cost €20.40 a year, against €2.20 for one bank transfer.
What happens if a client's direct debit is returned? The fee is still unpaid and needs following up like any overdue invoice. Returns happen for reasons such as insufficient funds or a closed account.
Can a client get a fee taken by direct debit refunded? Within eight weeks of the collection, through their own bank and for any reason. If they say they never authorised it, the window runs to 13 months.
Sources
- European Payments Council - 2025 SEPA Direct Debit Core Rulebook (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/node/26581
- Bank of Ireland - Direct Debit Creditor Guide (accurate as of November 2026) https://businessbanking.bankofireland.com/app/uploads/4293010_3240302-Direct-Debit-Creditor-Guide-Apr23-V02-FA.pdf
- Citizens Information - Payment Services Directive (accurate as of November 2026) https://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/money-and-tax/personal-finance/eu-payments/psd2/
