📝 Overview
Your account supports two payment processors: GoCardless and Stripe. You can use either one, or both together, depending on the types of payments you collect.
This guide compares GoCardless and Stripe so you can decide which processor suits your business. You'll learn what each one is best at, how payout timings work, how to run both in parallel, and what to do if you're already using one of them.
💳 Why GoCardless?
GoCardless is a flexible online direct debit solution that customers find easy to use. Transaction fees are competitive, with no additional fees, making it great value for recurring billing.
GoCardless is best suited to recurring billing, but it also works for one-off payments if needed. For a one-off payment, the customer pays via a mandate (direct debit), the mandate is simply the saved payment information used to charge that one time, and it does not create a recurring payment. Because it's a direct debit, a one-off payment can take several days to leave the customer's account.
Payout timings for GoCardless work like this:
A customer's first payment typically takes 7–10 working days to reach your account, as the mandate needs to be set up first.
Payments from the second onwards generally arrive faster, around 3–5 working days.
Only payments with a "Confirmed" status are included in a payout batch, payments in any other status are still processing or have failed.
💳 Why Stripe?
Stripe lets you collect credit and debit card payments without the usual hassle, and with no additional monthly fees. There are no merchant account numbers needed, Stripe is instantly available and charges competitive transaction fees.
Stripe takes an instant payment from the customer's account, so it's very well suited to one-off payments. It's also perfectly fine to use Stripe for recurring payments.
⚙️ Using GoCardless & Stripe Together
Yes, you can use both processors in parallel. If you're going to use both, we recommend enabling GoCardless just for recurring payments, and Stripe for recurring and all non-recurring payments (for example, non-recurring memberships, classes/appointments, courses, and store purchases).
To enable or disable the different purchase types for each processor, go to Settings ➜ Payment ➜ Edit (next to GoCardless or Stripe) ➜ set each purchase type to Enabled or Disabled as needed ➜ save your changes.
🛠️ Already Using Stripe or GoCardless?
If you were already using Stripe or GoCardless before joining, get in touch, in most cases we can migrate your existing payment details across for you.
If you're unsure which processor to go with, or you'd like more information, please feel free to contact our support team and we'll be happy to help.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Find answers to common questions or additional details that may not be covered in the main instructions.
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Can I use GoCardless for one-off payments?
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Yes. For a one-off payment, the customer pays via a mandate (direct debit). The mandate is simply the saved payment information used to charge that one time, and it does not create a recurring payment. Because it's a direct debit, the payment can take several days to leave the customer's account. If you need an instant one-off payment, Stripe is better suited.
How long do GoCardless payouts take?
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A customer's first payment typically takes 7–10 working days to reach your account, because the mandate needs to be set up first. Payments from the second onwards generally arrive faster, around 3–5 working days. Only payments with a "Confirmed" status are included in a payout batch.
💡 For more detail on payout timings and what can cause delays, see the guide here.
Which processor should I choose if I take both recurring and one-off payments?
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You can use both. A common setup is to enable GoCardless for recurring payments and Stripe for recurring and all non-recurring payments, such as non-recurring memberships, classes/appointments, courses, and store purchases. You can set this per purchase type under Settings ➜ Payment.