When you're choosing software to automate invoice collection and credit control, compare which payment methods it takes, whether it can run direct debit without your own bank facility, how it chases, and how it reconciles with your accounting software. Then compare how the fees are worked out, including failed payments and how payouts arrive, and what it takes to switch, because two tools with the same headline price can cost you very different amounts.
In this article
The short version
- Compare payment methods first, including direct debit without your own bank facility.
- Check chasing channels, per-customer schedules and a two-way sync with Xero or QuickBooks.
- Price last month's invoices on each tool, including failed payments and separate tools.
- Ask whether payouts arrive gross or net of fees.
- Check the contract and whether direct debit mandates move without customers signing again.
The criteria side by side
Many UK businesses come to this with a patchwork already in place: customers paying by bank transfer when they get round to it, a few on direct debit, a card processor for the odd one-off, and reminders sent by hand or from the accounting software. The table sets out what to ask each vendor, so you can compare like for like.
| Criterion | What to ask | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Payment methods | Can customers pay by card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, pay by bank, bank transfer and direct debit from one account? | A tool that only chases leaves customers paying however they did before |
| Direct debit set-up | Do you need your own Service User Number or bank facility? | Your own facility means a bank application and its own checks before you can collect |
| Chasing | Email, SMS and WhatsApp? Different schedules for different customers? Can you pause one customer? | One email schedule for everyone is easy for some customers to ignore |
| Accounting sync | Does it sync both ways with Xero or QuickBooks and mark invoices paid? | A one-way sync can leave reminders going out for invoices that are already paid |
| Reconciliation | Does it match part payments and transfers with a missing reference? | Payments nobody can match tend to get chased |
| Fees | Charged per successful payment or per submission? Any cap? Any monthly fee? | Fees on failed payments and extra tools add up outside the headline rate |
| Payouts | Gross or net of fees, and how often? | Net payouts mean booking fees out of each lump sum before you reconcile |
| Contract and switching | Minimum term? Can existing direct debit mandates move across? | A re-signing exercise leaves gaps while customers get round to it |
Put payment methods near the top of your list. Collecting regular invoices by direct debit means you know when the money is due to land, which helps with cash flow planning, and a payment link in every reminder means a customer can settle there and then. Adfin takes all of these payment methods in one account: card, Apple Pay, Google Pay, pay by bank, bank transfer to unique bank details in your business's name, and direct debit without your own Service User Number. It chases over email, SMS and WhatsApp on schedules you set, and marks invoices as paid in Xero or QuickBooks automatically, so a customer who's paid stops getting reminders.
How the fees add up
Pricing in this market comes in several shapes: a percentage plus a fixed fee per payment, a monthly plan by revenue band or invoice volume, a price per user, or a percentage per paid invoice. Because the units don't line up, the fairest comparison is to price last month's actual invoices on each tool.
A few things tend to sit outside the headline rate:
- Some providers charge their fee on every payment you submit, so you pay for direct debits that fail as well as those that succeed.
- A direct debit provider that doesn't take cards or chase means paying for a card processor and a chasing tool as well.
- When fees are deducted before you're paid, every payout needs splitting into income and fees before it matches your invoices.
- Card fees usually aren't capped, so the methods your customers use change the total.
Here's how the mix plays out on Adfin's published pricing of 1% + 20p per successful payment, with the percentage capped at £4 on direct debit and bank payments. A £600 invoice costs £4.20 by direct debit or pay by bank, £6.20 on a standard card and £12.20 on a business card, which is priced at 2% + 20p. There's no monthly fee and nothing to pay on a failed payment, and Adfin pays you gross every weekday with its fee invoiced separately. Essential credit control is free, and enhanced credit control, which adds AI agents that tailor each reminder, automatic late fees and emails from your own address, costs 0.3% per paid invoice, only when used.
Contract, switching and support
Check the minimum term, how much notice you'd have to give and whether the contract renews automatically. Monthly plans and no-contract pricing give you room to try a tool on part of your ledger before committing.
If you already collect by direct debit, ask how your mandates would move. If every customer has to sign a new mandate, some won't get round to it, and those invoices go back to being chased by hand. With 10 or more mandates, Adfin moves them through the Bacs bulk change process, so your customers don't sign anything and collections carry on.
Ask about support too: how you reach a person, whether there's help setting up, and who handles a customer's question about a payment. And once your new tool is chasing, switch off the reminders in your accounting software so customers don't get two sets.
Common questions
Do I need separate software for payments and credit control? Not necessarily. Some platforms take payments, chase and reconcile in one account, while others only chase and leave you to collect through another provider.
Can I collect direct debit without my own Service User Number? Yes, through a provider that runs direct debit under its own facility. Adfin collects direct debit without you needing your own Service User Number.
What's the difference between gross and net payouts? A gross payout is the full amount your customers paid, with fees invoiced separately. A net payout has fees taken off first, so it won't match your invoices until you book the fees.
Is it better to pay per user or per payment? Per-user and revenue-based plans cost the same in a quiet month as a busy one. Per-payment pricing rises and falls with what you collect, so cost both against a typical month.
Will my customers need to sign new direct debit mandates if I switch? Not with Adfin if you have 10 or more mandates, because they move through the Bacs bulk change process. With fewer than 10, customers sign a new Adfin mandate.
Should I keep my accounting software's reminders switched on? It's usually best to switch them off once the new tool is chasing. Otherwise customers can get two reminders about the same invoice.
Sources
- Adfin - Pricing (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.adfin.com/pricing
- Adfin - Accept payments (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.adfin.com/accept-payments
- Adfin - Credit control (accurate as of October 2026) https://www.adfin.com/credit-control
- Bacs - Late payment tips (accurate as of October 2026) https://bacs.co.uk/resources/late-payment-tips/
