Top tips to maintain your Bacs processes, all day, every day

With Easter approaching some of your staff may be thinking of taking time off.

It is important to plan ahead and make sure you’re still able to operate business as usual as far as your Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit processes are concerned, even when key staff are unavailable.

Take a look look at the Bacs best practice advice below which will help you safeguard your Bacs payment processes throughout the Easter Holidays and beyond!

File submissions
Who makes your Bacs file submissions? What if they are unavailable?

• Bacs payments can be submitted up to 30 days in advance of the processing date. Schedule in advance where possible to avoid planned staff holiday dates. The Bacs processing calendar shows all of the non-processing dates throughout the year to aid you plan your submissions. Ensure all of your staff involved in your Bacs processes know where to find it
• If your organisation is a direct submitter have you considered a bureau arrangement as your fall back situation, especially for any circumstances when key staff are unexpectedly unavailable?

Collecting and taking action on reports
Who can collect and take action on your Bacs reports? What’s your back up plan if they aren’t available?

• Have you thought about a bureau arrangement as your fall back situation, especially for any circumstances when key staff are unexpectedly unavailable?

Staff contact details
Are all your staff contact details on the Payment Services Website up to date, even those who act as a back up in the absence of others? Make sure you regularly check we have the correct contact information of everyone involved in your Bacs processes so we can ensure they receive important operational communications from us.

Smartcards
Smartcards should not be shared so make sure everyone who needs to use one has their own.

Bacs.co.uk password access
The Guide and Rules microsites and many of the operational documents necessary to effectively operate Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit are located in the password protected area of bacs.co.uk. All staff involved in your Bacs processes should have access to this. If they haven’t yet registered for password access encourage them to do so now.