Revision as of 13:24, 13 July 2021

Supported Features

GoCardless is a payment gateway which allows for direct debit payments to be automated electronically.

Getting Started

To activate the GoCardless module in WHMCS, navigate to Configuration () > System Settings > Payment Gateways or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Payments > Payment Gateways. Then, choose GoCardless from the All Payment Gateways tab.

Upon clicking, you will be redirected to link you account to WHMCS GoCardless App. On the page displayed, it is possible to sign-up for a new account or sign-in to an existing account. Once signed up, you will be redirected back to your WHMCS installation where you can customise the display name of the module.

Automatic Configuration

There is no manual configuration required for the GoCardless Payment Module. All configuration fields will be filled automatically when redirected back to the WHMCS installation.

For each supported currency and scheme enabled a custom name can be defined that will be displayed to clients wherever the available payment gateways are listed. This allows for naming that provides a more friendly and recognisable name based on the customers location, for example "Direct Debit" for UK/GBP customers, "ACH" for US/USD customers, etc...

Supported Currencies

GoCardless only support the following currencies: 'AUD', 'CAD', 'DKK', 'EUR', 'GBP', 'NZD', 'SEK', and 'USD'. Any clients not using one of these currencies will be unable to make a payment using GoCardless and will receive an appropriate message.

SSL Requirement

GoCardless requires an HTTPS secured connection for the WHMCS installation that customers will be returned to following setup of a mandate. If the domain your WHMCS installation is installed on does not have a valid SSL Certificate, the payment return will not work.

If you need to purchase an SSL Certificate, you can do so at www.whmcs.com/ssl-certificates

Payment Workflow

When the first payment is made, a mandate is set up with the client's bank. This typically takes a few days, so the invoice will change from Unpaid to Payment Pending status. At this point you can view the mandate details and expected payment completion date by viewing the invoice. As soon as the mandate is set up and the first payment has cleared, the invoice's status will change to Paid and the service will be provisioned by WHMCS automatically.

When the renewal invoice is generated for a recurring service, a capture attempt will be made against the mandate in accordance with Process Days Before Due in Configuration () > System Settings > Automation Settings or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Automation Settings. As it can take a few days for the payment to complete, we recommend a setting of 3. This way, 3 days before the invoice Due Date, the payment process will be initiated by the cron and the invoice status updated from Unpaid to Payment Pending. Payment should then complete on the invoice Due Date and the invoice will be marked Paid once the payment has cleared.

Once a mandate has been created, WHMCS can use it for processing renewal payments for any other services associated with the client as long as they are set to the GoCardless gateway as well.

When making a manual payment, customers are able to select to use a previously stored bank account or enter a new one.

Please note that customers never leave your WHMCS installation during checkout or adding/removing a new bank account. Personal bank information is submitted directly to GoCardless and is never stored in your local WHMCS installation.

Charge Date Preference

By default, payment capture attempts will set the GoCardless Charge Date to the due date for an invoice. Enabling this setting on the GoCardless module will instead initiate the payment capture immediately.

To do, navigate to Configuration () > System Settings > Payment Gateways or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Payments > Payment Gateways. Click the Manage Existing Gateways tab. Tick the "Charge Date Preference" box and save changes.

Reversed Payments

The Direct Debit Guarantee scheme allows the payee to file a claim for any payment taken in error. WHMCS will monitor for charged_back events from GoCardless and will automatically process these as appropriate.

To learn more, visit Payment Reversals

Reinstate Mandate

When a mandate has been accidentally cancelled, WHMCS can initiate steps to reinstate the mandate without having the client set it up again. Navigate to Configuration () > System Settings > Payment Gateways or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Payments > Payment Gateways. Click the Manage Existing Gateways tab. Click on the Manage Cancelled Mandates button and follow the instructions in the modal that appears to reinstate a cancelled mandate.

Import Existing Mandates

For mandates that have been setup outside of WHMCS, they can be imported and associated with a client. Navigate to Configuration () > System Settings > Payment Gateways or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Payments > Payment Gateways. Click the Manage Existing Gateways tab. Click on the Import Existing Mandates button and follow the instructions in the modal that appears to import a active mandate to a specific client.

Reconfiguring Callbacks

After moving WHMCS, it is important that you navigate to Configuration () > System Settings > Payment Gateways or, prior to WHMCS 8.0, Setup > Payments > Payment Gateways and click Configure GoCardless Account Connection and sign back in using the same details. This will ensure that the new System URL and Gateway callback file URL are stored and used for existing and new mandates going forward.