How to set a Family up on Direct Debit (Worldpay eDDR form)

This article provides instructions on how centre staff can set a family up on a Direct Debit Agreement (eDDR form). 

You can alternatively allow customers the ability to do this through the SimplyPortal app (Customer Portal) (recommended). Refer to this article for instructions on this option:

Family Direct Debit Agreements (self-setup through portal)

The instructions here assume your direct debit account with Worldpay for Platforms (formerly Payrix) has been approved and the direct debit configuration in your site has been completed.  If it has not, please contact Support.

You will not be able to send out your eDDR forms to families until the direct debit configuration setup is complete.

Sending eDDR forms out to Families

The Electronic Direct Debit Request (eDDR) forms need to be sent out individually so that each family has their own unique linked form. The eDDR form is needed for families to be included in a direct debit. It is a secure agreement between you and the family. 

Handy tip:

If you are setting families up on direct debit centre-wide, we would suggest to go to your Families screen and click on "List Active Families" so that you have an interactive list to work through. You will need to go down the list one by one.

NOTE:

The Message Template that goes with the form is your "Direct Debit - eDDR Notification" either SMS or E-Mail. You can update these if you wish to (Configuration > E-Mail / SMS Templates) but do not change the %%eDDRLink%% or they will not receive their individual form link.

Family Account Set up and eDDR Form (new agreement)

To send out a new eDDR form to a family for the first time, from the individual Family's screen / file:

1. Click on "Manage Direct Debit Agreements". 

(This can be found in "Active Direct Debit Agreements" below the "Finance" section).

2. Click on "Add Direct Debit Agreement".

3. Fill out the details and click "Next".

If you only have one Direct Debit Type and do not need a pre-set amount, you can just click next. Otherwise, fill out the details.

Direct Debit Type: Select the direct debit type from the drop down menu (set in your Direct Debit Configuration). 

Agreement Start Date & Agreement End Date: The start date will default to the date you are creating the agreement. We recommend to leave the Agreement Start Date and Agreement End Date as is. 

Pre-set Amount: Tick this box and fill out the amount field (no currency symbol) only if you need to set an amount other than the system calculation. Generally you would leave the pre-set amount unticked and the amount field empty. 

4. The next window will show a summary of the agreement. Both SMS and E-Mail are ticked by default, if you want to untick either you can. Then click "Send Worldpay eDDR to Family".

You will see the direct debit status is "Suspended - Incomplete Setup (SUSPENDED)". When the family completes the form, this will change to ACTIVE. If you need to re-send the form to the family, click on either SMS or Email on the "Re-send eDDR Notifications to Family" line, do not click on "eDDR Link" as this will send a separate form to the family and create a separate agreement.

An account can be active in SimplySwim without being active in Payrix. An agreement will remain inactive with Worldpay until the family completes their eDDR form. To check the status of eDDRs with Worldpay for Platforms, follow these instructions:

Provider Specific Functions - how to check direct debit agreements

When the agreement is sent, this will show on the family page under "Active Direct Debit Agreements". You can also see the status of the last three direct debits the family has been included in. To view the agreement, click on "Manage Direct Debits".

You will see the agreement/s listed on the next screen. The "Active" status means the account is either active (green tick) or inactive (red cross) in SimplySwim. An account can be active in SimplySwim without being active in Worldpay. An agreement will remain inactive with Worldpay until the family completes their eDDR form.

From here, you have three "Actions" to view.

When you click on the magnifying glass symbol on the left, you will see:

1. the Direct Debit Account Details and status of the family's agreement. You can resend this particular family's unique eDDR form again if needed from here (if you send a new eDDR, it will create a new agreement and cause payment issues including possible double charging, something to be mindful of). The Provider Status needs to be "ACTIVE" for the direct debit to process.

2. Any Agreement Holds that have been / are on the family's direct debit agreement. Refer to: Direct Debit Agreement Holds.

3. Electronic Direct Debit Request Documents - a copy of the family's agreement is stored here only if the agreement was created through the SimplyPortal app (customer portal).

When you click on the dollar sign, it will give you a log of past transactions for that family.

Clicking on the "Edit" function allows you to edit and update the direct debit agreement - for example you can set an amount or change the agreement date etc. If you need to make any changes, click "Update Direct Debit Agreement". If no changes are needed, click "Back to Direct Debit Agreements" in the top blue bar.

NOTE: You cannot change credit card or bank account details here. We recommend that you allow families to update their details through the SimplyPortal app (Customer Portal) or you can resend their agreement to them to update their details.

NOTE: The family needs to complete the setup of the form, otherwise the agreement will not be active. Having families set them up through the portal, rather than staff sending out the forms, will mean the agreement is Active from the beginning. You can check the status of all agreements from your Direct Debit screen. Refer to: Provider Specific Functions - how to check direct debit agreements

Last updated 9 April 2025