Mandatory Direct Debit Agreements: Overview

SimplySwim Plan

✖ Legacy Sales Complete Elite

Overview

This feature has been added to assist centres that require families to have an active direct debit agreement as part of their terms and conditions of enrolment. The Mandatory Direct Debit Agreements settings ensure that families maintain an active direct debit agreement payment option.

The automated system gently encourages families to set up a direct debit agreement through friendly reminders and gradually escalating notifications, reducing manual follow-up and improving cash flow predicability. 

How it works

1. Progressive Notification System

When enabled, families without an active direct debit agreement see reminders at the top of their screen when logging into the Family Portal / SimplyPortal app. the system uses a three-stage approach:

Stage	Timing	What happens
Information	Day 1	A friendly blue notice appears at the top of the screen when logging into the portal / app. Family retains full access and functionality of the portal.
Warning	After 7 days	A yellow alert appears at the top of the screen to create urgency if the family has still not created an agreement by this stage. Full portal access remains.
Enforcement	After 14 days	A red alert notice appears at the top of the screen to encourage an immediate action if a family has still not created an agreement by this stage. Certain actions are restricted at this stage to enforce compliance. When the agreement is in place, these restrictions are immediately lifted.

2. Enforcement Items

Most families set up their direct debit agreement during the early stages of their enrolment and never experience any restrictions.

However, for those families who delay setup, when the Enforcement Stage is reached they are not able to:

• book a makeup lesson
• notify / update an attendance.

When these actions are attempted, the "Direct Debit Requirements" error will display, directing the family to set up their agreement.

3. Smart Targeting

The system automatically excludes families who:

• have an active direct debit agreement
• have been manually exempted from requiring a direct debit agreement by administrators
• do not have students enrolled in classes that require a direct debit agreement
• have students enrolled in classes that do not require a mandatory direct debit agreement.

This gives you peace of mind knowing that only those families who require an agreement will receive these reminders.

Key Benefits

Mandatory Direct Debit Agreement enforcement has clear benefits for your business and your customers.

A guide to configuring your Mandatory Direct Debit Agreement settings can be found here: Mandatory Direct Debit Agreements: Setup Guide

Last updated 28th January 2026