Understanding your first Direct Debit collection

When you set up Direct Debit for your storage licence fee, your first collection follows a short, predictable timeline. This article walks through what happens, what you'll see in your portal, and when your money actually leaves your account.

What happens

Once your Direct Debit mandate is set up, we email you advance notice of the amount and date before every collection. Advance notice is part of how Direct Debit works, and it's there to protect you. On the collection date your bank takes the money from your account, and our payment provider confirms it, normally the next working day. Nothing about this is instant, and we never pretend it is.

What you'll see

From the moment we ask your bank to collect, your portal shows the invoice as Collecting, with the date your bank takes the money. This is not a confirmation that the money has moved yet — it's confirmation that we've asked your bank for it. We deliberately never say "Paid" at this point, because it isn't paid yet.

Once the money has been collected, the status updates to:

"Paid 7 Jul 2026 by Direct Debit"

That's the day your bank took the money from your account, and the date your invoice shows as paid. The invoice is marked paid when the bank confirms it, normally the next working day, and your receipt is emailed unless your operator has switched receipts off. For the whole story of what each step means, see When a Direct Debit counts as paid.

Timeline

Using a worked example: Aisha's £33.00 licence fee (a £29.00 Small unit fee plus a £4.00 Standard waiver) is due on Tuesday 7 July. Her advance notice goes out on Thursday 2 July, three working days ahead (Friday, Monday, Tuesday), and names Tuesday 7 July. Her bank takes the £33.00 on the 7th. Her invoice says Collecting until Wednesday 8 July, when our payment provider confirms the money has been collected. It then changes to Paid 7 Jul 2026 by Direct Debit.

Direct Debit only moves on working days, so the weekend in between doesn't count. If a collection date would fall on a weekend or a bank holiday, the notice names the next working day instead, so the date you're told is normally the day your bank takes the money. If a collection has to be requested late, the bank can take it up to three working days after that date, and we don't send a second notice for that.

What can still change

A collected Direct Debit is not automatically the end of the story. Under the Direct Debit Guarantee, your bank can reverse a payment after it has gone through — for example if a collection was taken in error. If that happens, the invoice reopens and your portal shows what happened to the payment; if the reversal comes after your operator has been paid out, we email you as well, unless your operator has switched that email off. This is uncommon, but it's honest to say it can happen; see What a late Direct Debit reversal means for what it looks like and what we do about it.

If a collection fails outright — for example the account has insufficient funds — the invoice stays outstanding, and your portal shows where it stands. If we collect again automatically, you'll get fresh advance notice first.

Who to contact

If a collection date or amount looks wrong, check your invoice first — the amount matches your licence fee plus any waiver, add-ons or late fees. If something still doesn't add up, contact your operator. Their phone number and email address are on Help & contact in your portal, where they've added them.