This article covers the following areas of the Direct Debit module:
Initial Settings
BACS Format Settings
Security Profile Settings
Customer Settings
Initiating a DD Instruction
AUDDIS Date
DD Status
Operation
Collections
Export
Reports
Initial settings
The Direct Debit module is enabled by the Dimensions Accounts unlock and appears as a tab in Sales Ledger Options.
Click the System tab.
Click Options, then Sales Ledger Options. A new window opens.
Click the Direct Debit tab.
Select the default BACS format (typically ALBACS).
📌 Note: To add the Direct Debit module, contact your Account Manager or Customer Success Manager.
BACS format settings
If the only installed format is ALBACS and you are familiar with the Access BACS Format Generator tool, you can create other formats and import them using the import icon above the Due Dates section in the Sales Ledger Options window.
Ensure the security profile for the relevant users grants access to DD Collections and DD Export. To enable these menu items:
On the System tab, in the Security section, click Profiles.
Next to Sales Ledger, click the green icon.
Next to Transactions, click the green icon.
Click Direct Debit Collections from the options shown.
Customer settings
To set up a direct debit for a customer, enter their bank details on their record.
Click the Debtors tab, then click Customers.
Click the customer you want to edit. The box on the left updates to show their details.
Click the Bank tab on the right side of the customer panel.
Enter the required bank details.
Click Save. A prompt appears: 'Would you like to initiate a new Direct Debit instruction?'
Yes — the DD tab opens showing the new status.
No — the customer is treated as opting out of the direct debit system.
📌 Note: To add a customer to the DD system later, edit their record and change the DD tab status to 0N – New AUDDIS Instruction. To cancel after collections have taken place, change the status to 0C – Cancel existing AUDDIS Instruction.
Initiating a DD instruction
The next stage is to initiate an instruction to the bank effectively stating that you will be henceforth requesting a variable amount of money from the customer’s bank. You will need to do this every time a new DD is set up. To do this:
Click the Debtors tab, then click Direct Debits.
Click Export. A new window opens.
Change the Collections drop-down to Instructions.
Click the Display icon. Customers with status 0N – New AUDDIS Instruction are listed.
Toggle the process flag from No to Yes for each customer to include.
Click the green tick icon. A prompt appears asking for the output destination.
📌 Note: If you send the output to file, enter the file name and location. This generates the file to upload to your banking software. A message then appears: 'Have the Instructions exported OK?'
Check the export. If correct, click Yes. A further prompt appears: 'OK to update the selected Instructions as exported?'
Click Yes. The AUDDIS Date will change to today’s date and the status has been changed to 01 – First Collection.
AUDDIS date
The AUDDIS date is set to the date the instructions were sent and cannot be changed in the front end. A 14-day cooling-off period must elapse before the first collection is made, giving the customer time to cancel. This date must not be changed in order to comply with banking guidelines.
DD status
The following status flags are used in the DD module:
No Direct Debit
01 – First Collection
0C – Cancel Existing AUDDIS Instruction
0N – New AUDDIS Instruction
17 – Subsequent Collection
18 – Re-presented Collection
19 – Final Collection
TB – Temporary Block
XX – Rejected Collection
Operation
Periodically, run a Collections Routine to select invoices due for payment and create the BACS file. The Export routine creates the file and allocates the cash against the invoice transaction.
Collections
To access the collections area:
Click the Debtors tab, then click Direct Debits > Collections.
Optionally, enter search criteria to filter the list of invoices.
Enter the payment reference.
Click List to display matching transactions. You can filter by status: First Collection, Subsequent, Re-presented, or Final. Valid outstanding sales transactions are displayed:
First Collection: all outstanding transactions for customers with this status where at least 14 days have elapsed since the AUDDIS instruction was sent.
Subsequent or Final Collection: all outstanding transactions for customers with these statuses.
Double-click a line to toggle the Payment flag to Yes. You can also enter a different amount if it does not match the invoice.
Once all required transactions are selected, click the green tick icon.
Click Print output.
If the output is sent to screen, no further action is needed.
If sent to a printer or file, a prompt appears to re-print receipts. Enter an allocation date and period when prompted.
Click the green tick icon. Read the dialog that appears.
Click OK.
⚠️ Warning: Create the Collections Export file immediately after completing this step. If you delay, the selected transactions may reset, leaving invoices marked as paid with no instruction sent to the bank.
Export
After completing Collections, run the export:
Click the Debtors tab, then click Direct Debits > Export.
Leave the Find Option as Collections.
Enter any search criteria, change the bank account if needed, and enter the reference for the receipts.
Click Display. The list of invoices appears.
Double-click each transaction to include it, or click the solid black square to select all.
Send the output to Screen or Printer.
Send the output to File so the system generates the BACS file.
Enter the file name and location. A prompt appears: 'Have the Collections exported OK?'
Click OK. Another prompt appears: 'OK to update the selected Collections as exported?'
Click OK.
Upload the export file to your banking software and transmit it to the bank.
📌 Note: You can delete a transaction from this routine, which removes the DD status and excludes it from the export. This does not unallocate the transaction or reverse the cash — you must post the correction manually in Dimensions. Click the transaction to highlight it, toggle it to Yes, then click Delete.
Reports
Two standard Crystal reports are included:
Direct Debit Customers — lists customers and their DD status. Can be filtered by status.
Direct Debit Preview List — lists payments awaiting export. No filter options are available for this report.