Setting up SEPA direct debit for your hosting

With SEPA direct debit you let your hosting invoices be collected from your bank account automatically, so you never have to make a payment or act on a reminder again. You set up SEPA direct debit once through the customer portal and confirm your account with a 1 cent payment at your own bank. This article explains step by step how to set it up, how to withdraw the mandate again, and what happens if a collection ever fails.

What is SEPA direct debit?

Direct debit means you authorise LJPc to collect the amount of an invoice from your bank account. SEPA is the European standard for payments in euros, including recurring direct debits. You give this authorisation once. After that, new invoices are collected automatically around their due date and you no longer have to transfer anything yourself.

You stay in control. You always receive an advance notice by email, and you can have a collection reversed through your own bank. Want to understand how the invoices themselves work first? Read how billing at LJPc hosting works.

Before you start

You need two things: access to the customer portal and a bank account (IBAN) you can pay with online. You never have to type in your IBAN. It is taken over securely and automatically from the verification payment you make at your own bank.

Setting up SEPA direct debit

You set up direct debit in a few steps through the customer portal:

1. Log in to the customer portal.
2. Open the direct debit setting. There are two places to do this: the Set up direct debit shortcut on your dashboard, or through Financial and then Invoices, where you click the Direct debit button.
3. Read the explanation in the window that opens. Then tick the mandate box that authorises LJPc to send recurring direct debit instructions to your bank.
4. Click Verify with € 0.01. You are then redirected to your own bank.
5. Complete the one-off 1 cent payment at your bank. This verifies your account number and grants the SEPA mandate.
6. Once confirmed, direct debit is active. The portal then shows the Direct debit active label. Open invoices below 1,000 euro and all your future invoices are collected automatically from then on.

Why a 1 cent payment?

The 1 cent payment is a verification payment. Your bank confirms that the account is yours and passes on your verified IBAN. This way nobody has to retype an account number, which prevents mistakes and misuse. It really is just 1 cent. Larger amounts are only collected once there is an actual invoice.

What happens next

As soon as direct debit is active, paying happens by itself:

• Advance notice. Before every collection you receive an email with the exact amount, the date it will be debited and the invoice as an attachment. You always know what is coming.
• When it is debited. Invoices are collected around their due date. A SEPA collection usually reaches the LJPc account within a few business days.
• The 1,000 euro limit. Only invoices below 1,000 euro including VAT are collected automatically. Invoices of 1,000 euro or more you pay yourself online in the portal.
• No double payment. While a collection is running, you cannot also pay that same invoice manually. This prevents you from paying twice.

Make sure there is enough balance in your account on the due date. To review your invoices and payment preferences, you can manage your hosting account and invoices in the portal.

Withdrawing the mandate

Want to stop using direct debit? You arrange this in two ways, and it is wise to do both:

• Have LJPc switch it off. The portal has no button to turn direct debit off yourself. Create a support ticket or contact customer service, and we will switch off automatic collection for you.
• Withdraw the mandate at your bank. You can also withdraw the SEPA mandate yourself in your own bank's environment. Do this at least one business day before a collection is scheduled.

If you do both, nothing is debited any more and your records stay correct. You then pay open invoices manually online in the portal again.

What if a collection fails?

Sometimes a collection does not go through, for example because of insufficient balance, a daily limit or a blocked account. That is not a problem: the invoice simply reappears as open in the portal and you can still pay it online yourself.

Important: reversing a collection does not cancel the invoice itself. You remain liable for the underlying costs until the invoice is paid.

Cannot work it out, or does something about a debit look wrong? Feel free to contact support at support@ljpc.nl or 085 - 130 6429, and we will help you further.