1. It’s all in the timing...

- New Year? Payment increases? Moving house?

Spring is the key direct debit sign up period. With winter fuel bills, annual water bills and council tax bills all landing on the doormat, it is the key time to get customers to sign up.

And with the gloomy economic backdrop, pay freezes, bills rising and consumer spending falling everyone is facing tough times. So what could be better than being in with a chance to win a prize worth £1000 every month from January to October 2012.

2. Got the message...

- How will you reach your customers?

Use the handy promotional tools which are downloadable from the sidebar to help you promote payments by direct debit to your customer base.

3. Make an offer...

- What is the incentive?

Remember, if they sign up to pay by direct debit during March and April they could be in with a chance of winning their very own Big Break to the tune of £10,000! At the same time, they’ll trigger a donation to Marie Curie Cancer Care.*

- Make it EASY to set up the direct debit           

Remember, allpay Direct Debits collects payments every working day of the month, plus we have an intuitive direct debit payment portal which makes it quick and easy for you to set up direct debits over the phone. 

4. Know your customer...

- Who do you want to convert?

- What are the barriers to converting this customer?

5. Understand the message...

- What is the key benefit of direct debits to your customers?

It spreads the costs
Paying regular bills by direct debit means they can spread costs over a period that’s agreed with the organisation they’re paying.

It's guaranteed
Direct debit payments come with a guarantee so they’re automatically protected by three important safeguards:

• An immediate money back guarantee from your bank in the event of an error
• Advance notice if the date or amount changes
• The right to cancel at any time.

It gives peace of mind
Direct debit is one of the safest and most reassuring ways of paying bills:

• Payments are made automatically, so bills are never forgotten, lost in the post or delayed by postal problems and there's no risk of late payment charges
• Organisations using the direct debit scheme have to pass a careful vetting process, and are closely monitored by the banking industry
• The Direct Debit Guarantee protects them and their money.

It saves you time
Modern life is hectic – but direct debits help. It takes away much of the hassle associated with paying bills and puts an end to queuing at the bank and filling out cheques. They make it easier to stay on top of bills and they’ll know exactly how much money is going out each month.

The easy way to pay...

Remember to tell your customers how easy direct debits are.

At a time of the year when finances are stretched, it is the easiest way for your customers to pay their household bills and make regular payments and it’s all done automatically so they don’t have to worry. Not only is it convenient for them, it's also really simple and safe.

And whilst you help them get in control of their finances, they can help drive donations to Marie Curie Cancer Care.*

And what’s more customers can now download an app which puts them in complete control of their direct debits. It allows them to keep track of all of their direct debits, making sure they always know how much is scheduled to leave their bank account and when.

Call our dedicated team today to find out how many potential customers you could have using our direct debit service. 

We also have an in house Print & Design Service which is an integral part of the allpay service. They’ll work closely with you to produce material to help you show your customers how great direct debits are.  Call our team today on 0844 557 8325 and they’ll be happy to provide you with a quote.

* For every new direct debit set up between 1^st March and 30th April 2012 we’ll donate 1p to Marie Curie Cancer Care.