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Leveraging Confirmation of Payee and Bacsactive-IP+ for enhanced payment processing

Written by Liz Carroll Senior Product Manager
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The modern financial landscape is continuously changing and evolving. Future-facing businesses increasingly rely on automated transactions and scheduled payments like Bacs to promote operational efficiency and enhance their cash flow management.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of scheduled payments in more detail. We’ll also explore the important roles of Confirmation of Payee and Bacsactive-IP+ in streamlining payment processes, enhancing trust and accelerating order-to-cash cycles.

By understanding how to collect or pay by Bacs, businesses can improve their cash flow, manage risks, and build resilience in their payment systems.

The Importance of Forecasting in Payments

Precision forecasting is non-negotiable in today’s 24/7 payment, businesses need to forecast accurately to prevent overdrawn accounts.

Exact predictions of incoming and outgoing funds are crucial to avoid penalty fees and loss of trust. Effective liquidity management helps to ensure funds are always available to cover outgoing payments.

Scheduled and recurring payments including Bacs Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit transactions aid liquidity management by automating regular transactions. This, in turn, makes cash flow more predictable. Automation of your planned payments is great for aligning incoming and outgoing transactions, subsequently reducing the risk of surprise shortfalls. With Bacs payments you know what transactions will hit your accounts and when. However, you’ll have to be sure to cater for any failed payments which will impact your balance in the days following a Bacs submission. This is particularly important when you collect Bacs Direct Debit payments.

Financial institutions and businesses can adapt by using advanced technology and open finance solutions like Finastra to maintain stability and inspire trust in our always-on financial cycle.

Opportunities and Flexibility in Bacs Payments

Bacs payment software presents businesses with the opportunity to improve their cash flow management.

Scheduled transactions including Bacs Direct Debits and Direct Credits provide companies with resilient operations for the bulk of their transactions. Essentially, automation allows fund management that goes beyond traditional banking hours.

These capabilities optimise financial efficiency and responsiveness, giving businesses more control over their cash flow.

Scheduled payments are predictable and therefore more effective for capital management. Combining this robust scheduled payment functionality together with other payment methods with round-the-clock availability ensures businesses can be agile and responsive to financial needs and opportunities. This, in turn, can support real-time decision-making and enhance overall operational efficiency.

Evolving Payment Rails: Bacsactive-IP+ and Confirmation of Payee

Bacsactive-IP+ and Confirmation of Payee are pivotal in enhancing payment processing:

  • Bacsactive-IP+ supports scheduled payments for businesses, offering cloud-based flexibility and improved security. This Bacs software solution automates and secures Bacs payments, which are commonly used in the UK for collecting payments by Direct Debit and making payment by Direct Credit. This solution streamlines payment processing by automating the submission process, whilst making sure that data transmission is secure and adheres to Bacs standards.
  • Confirmation of Payee is a fraud prevention service that utilises a live bank check, Known as Confirmation of Payee when checking details of a payee, and Payer Name Verification when checking details of a payer. It verifies the account holders name against the account details during payment setup. This Confirmation of Payee process ensures that the payment is sent to, or collected from, the correct account holder, reducing the risk of fraud and errors. It builds payer confidence and reduces the risk of misdirected payments.

By adopting these solutions, businesses can ensure more secure and efficient payment processes, reducing operational risks and enhancing overall financial performance.

Combining Confirmation of Payee and Bacsactive-IP+ together further enhances payment processes by ensuring secure, accurate, and efficient transactions across many touchpoints. Integration leads to smoother and more secure financial transactions.

Building a Resilient Bacs Process

Operational resilience is crucial for maintaining trust and stability in electronic payments such as Bacs. A strategic partner can provide the necessary tools and support to build a robust and resilient payment infrastructure. Selecting a reliable payment solution provider such as Finastra is essential for enhancing Bacs payment processes and ensuring business continuity. Resilient operations are vital for trust and stability in electronic payments.

Businesses using scheduled bulk payments can better manage timing constraints with automated tools, ensure cash flow with accurate forecasting, and prevent errors through verification software and audits. Essentially, choosing a partner like Finastra can help make processes more efficient.

Enhance your payments processes with future-ready solutions

Businesses can transform their payment processing capabilities by utilising solutions like Confirmation of Payee and Bacsactive-IP+. Bacs approved software and other tools can improve cash flow management and operational flexibility while building a resilient and efficient payment system that meets the expectations of users who want to pay by Bacs.

To explore how these solutions can benefit your business, visit our Bacs payments page. Discover more about enhancing your payment processes and stay informed and ahead of the rapidly evolving financial landscape.

Written by
Liz Carroll

Liz Carroll

Senior Product Manager
Finastra

Liz has worked at Finastra since 2003, starting originally with Accountis Europe, a startup in North Wales, which is now part of Finastra. Liz was responsible for co-creating Finastra’s first Bacs solution, Bacsactive-IP. She began her career as a software developer with Sage Enterprise Solutions...

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