GoCardless - Basic Information

Introduction

If you want to choose GoCardless as your payment provider to integrate it with the Perfect Gym Software, this article is for you. Here, you will find answers to these questions:

1. What is GoCardless?
2. What is the scope of integration between GoCardless and PerfectGym?
3. What do you have to provide for the integration to succeed?

Feature description

What is GoCardless?

GoCardless is a payment provider that allows to accept Recurring Direct Debit payments and one-off payments. It offers accepting regular or ad hoc payments, and fixed or variable amounts. The method is simple, club member enters their payment details securely online, authorizing you to collect payments by Direct Debit. You can add the customizable payment page to your website or send them a secure link. Then, you collect payments automatically on invoice due dates by linking GoCardless to the existing invoicing system (in this case: PGM). 

• Go to this article if you want to generate Direct Debit authorization. 

What is the scope of integration between GoCardless and PerfectGym?

PerfectGym saves the club member's bank account data and gives the club employee a possibility to generate bookings. After booking acceptance, PerfectGym processes scheduled payments with GoCardless API. Everything is done automatically, there is no place for any manual file downloading, uploading, or processing (in contradiction to SEPA payment flow). 

• Only members with Direct Debit as a main payment method will be included in Direct Debit booking in PerfectGym.
• Only members with authorized Mandate will be included in Direct Debit booking in PerfectGym (please get familiar all about mandates flow)
• Once the Direct Debit booking is generated and accepted in PerfectGym, the request is sent to GoCardless automatically.
• Accepted Direct Debit booking in PerfectGym cannot be cancelled in PerfectGym.
• Club member's payment status in Perfect Gym is changed to „Payment in progress”.
• With „Payment in progress” status, club member can be allowed to enter the club or book classes.
• Once payment request is sent to GoCardless by PerfectGym, club member's bank account is charged within 3 working days (more about payment timelines in Go Cardless),
• Collection results from GoCardless should be updated in PerfectGym within 4 working days.
• Failed payments can be automatically retried either by PerfectGym or with Success+ on GoCardless side.

Since version R87, a new feature in Client Portal is introduced: Instant Bank Payments. This method allows Direct Debit payments made in real time. Payment confirmation is instantaneous and funds land in your bank account in one business day or less. During the payment process, member is redirected to the provider's safe page for payment authorization, ensuring privacy and security for customer's data. This method will not only allow first-time payment during member registration, but will also save bank account data for future payments.

The process of authorization of the Mandate of customer, gathered in Instant Bank Payments process, is parallel to the payments. Please bear on mind this fact when you schedule DD booking generation.

Currently, it is not available for all countries (to get more information about availability on GoCardless FAQ).

What do you have to provide for the integration to succeed?

• To start the process of integration, you should contact GoCardless Sales Team and sign up on the GoCardless web page. 
• The next step is the testing phase. You will have to take a test payment from yourself. It takes less than 5 minutes and is completely risk-free. Alternatively, you can create test account. This allows time to check if the process works well, and to limit the possibility of error occurrence. 
• The last step is the go-live phase on the production environment. You will have to provide the PerfectGym Implementation Team with the Account, Username, and Password to your account and the PerfectGym Implementation Team will do the set up with you.