DebiCheck
What Is DebiCheck?
DebiCheck is an enhanced debit order system introduced by PASA and South African banks to improve the security of recurring and once-off debit collections. DebiCheck is a secure and verified way to collect payments directly from your customers’ bank accounts.
It ensures customers know exactly what amount, on what date, and to whom they are giving permission to debit their account.
Unlike normal debit orders, DebiCheck mandates require your customer to electronically approve the debit order, ensuring full transparency and consent before collections occur.
DebiCheck is ideal for recurring payments such as:
Subscriptions or membership fees
Insurance premiums
Loans or repayment agreements
Each payment is linked to an approved mandate, which the customer must confirm through their banking channel.
DebiCheck can only debit individual (personal) bank accounts, not business or trust accounts.
Key Points:
Verified approval – Customers confirm their debit mandates electronically through their bank.
Secure collections – Every mandate is authenticated by the payer, reducing disputes and returns.
Automated setup – Once configured, mandates and collections flow automatically.
View the consolidated list of banks known to participate in DebiCheck.
Collection schedule
DebiCheck collections run in the early collection window, which typically starts just after midnight — before 03:00 AM on banking days.
DebiCheck default settings
The following settings help you configure and understand key settings in the DebiCheck payment process:
Below are the key configurations to help you set up and understand your payment methods:
Type of payment - Specify the reason for the collection (e.g., Subscription, Donation, Service Fee). This appears on the bank file and can be customised per payment or set as a default. The payment type may be adjusted during the payment creation process.
Allow date adjustment? - The “Allow date adjustment?” setting controls whether the billing date of a DebiCheck mandate can be changed after the mandate has been approved. This provides flexibility in managing collections, especially if a customer wants to amend their debit date or if the original process date does not deliver as expected.
Switching this setting ON does not make the payment non-disputable when moving the collection date. It simply allows the bank to accept a new collection date. The payment may be disputed by the customer since the collection date differs from the date originally approved in the mandate.
If the “Allow date adjustment?” rule is switched ON and only the rule itself is updated, the updated rule will automatically apply to all active mandates where this rule is currently enabled.
Read more about Date Adjustment Rules here.
Is Collection Amount Variable? Enable this setting if you want to change the payment amount over time. If this setting is disabled, the bank will reject any amount other that what was specified on the mandate.
Enabling variable amounts does not make the payment non-disputable. Customers can still dispute a debit if the collected amount differs from what they expected or agreed to in the mandate. Always ensure the reason for the change is clearly communicated to the customer.
If the “Is Collection Amount Variable?” setting is updated, the change will only apply to new mandates created after the update. Existing mandates will retain the collection amount rules that were in effect when they were created.
Read more about variable collection amount rules.
Is Payment Tracking Enabled? Turn on payment tracking to monitor an account if the collection was unsuccessful on the initial process day. Bank accounts can be tracked for up to 10 days.
If “Is Payment Tracking Enabled?” is turned on or updated, the change will only apply to new mandates created after the update. Existing mandates will retain the previous tracking settings in effect at the time they were created.
Adjustment Settings: The Adjustment Settings determine how and when debit amounts may be adjusted under active DebiCheck mandates. These settings help ensure that future debit amounts remain accurate when fees, service rates, or membership contributions change over time — without requiring a new mandate each time.
Each adjustment follows predefined rules that control the frequency, type, and value of the adjustment:
Adjustment Category: This defines how often adjustments may occur.
Adjustment Type: This specifies how the adjustment amount is calculated:
Rate: The adjustment is based on a percentage increase (e.g., 5% annual increase).
Amount: The adjustment is a fixed amount added or subtracted each cycle (e.g., +R50 per year).
Adjustment Rate/Amount: Enter the value of the adjustment, depending on the type selected:
For Rate, enter the percentage (e.g., 5%).
For Amount, enter the rand amount (e.g., R50).
If the Adjustment Settings are updated, the changes will only apply to new mandates created after the update. Existing mandates will continue to follow the adjustment rules that were in effect when they were created.
Approval window:
DebiCheck has approval windows which define the timeframes within which a client must authorise their DebiCheck mandate. These windows ensure secure and timely authorisation of payments, with different options available depending on the urgency and method of approval.
Understanding the various approval window types helps manage transaction timelines efficiently.
Read more about DebiCheck approval windows here.
Email & Contact number: The Email and Contact Number fields store the merchant’s contact details that will be displayed on a customer’s DebiCheck mandate register. These details help customers identify who the debit order is from and provide a direct way to contact the merchant if they have questions about the mandate or payment.
If the Email or Contact Number is updated, the changes will only apply to new mandates created after the update. Existing mandates will continue to display the merchant contact details that were in effect when the mandate was created.
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