Membermeister only collects a payment through GoCardless when you send an invoice with automatic collection switched on, or when a subscription is set up. If GoCardless tries to collect payment for an invoice that is already paid, check whether your GoCardless account is also connected to Xero.
For: account owners and team members with Full or Finance access.
When does membermeister collect a payment?
When a customer has a Direct Debit mandate (their permission for you to collect payments from their bank account), membermeister collects a payment only when:
you send or resend an invoice with Collect payment (automatic) ticked
a customer pays their invoice via GoCardless, or
a subscription for that customer is due.
Connecting GoCardless to membermeister doesn't collect payment for invoices that were already paid by bank transfer, cash or cheque and marked as paid.
Why GoCardless might appear to collect payments for old invoices
GoCardless can also connect to accounting software such as Xero. If you connect it, Xero can see your customers' existing Direct Debit mandates. When you then import invoices into Xero that Xero thinks are unpaid, it can ask GoCardless to collect them, even if membermeister shows them as paid. Membermeister is not involved in these payments.
You don't need to connect GoCardless to Xero when membermeister creates your invoices and collects payments through GoCardless. Payments appear in your bank account, and you can record them in Xero as income.
What to do if payments have been taken
Check the payments in your GoCardless account and in Xero to see where they were started.
If they were started by the Xero connection, disconnect GoCardless from Xero.
Contact GoCardless or Xero about refunding any payments taken in error.
If the payments were started in membermeister, contact us and we will look into it.
Tips
Keep invoices in membermeister. You don't have to copy every invoice into Xero. Many schools record the bank payments in Xero as sales and keep the invoices in membermeister.
Ask your accountant. We can't give accounting or tax advice.
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Still need help? Click Get Support in your membermeister account or email [email protected].