Scout SuiteHow-to guide
Moving your Direct Debits to Scout Suite
For the Treasurer or anyone who can manage finances for the Group. The Direct Debits (mandates) belong to your Group's own GoCardless account, not to the system you use today, so they stay put when you change systems. You disconnect the old one in GoCardless, connect Scout Suite, then link each parent's existing Direct Debit.
Before you switch
Moving does not cancel anything. Parents keep the Direct Debit they already set up, and nobody has to sign a new one.
Once the old system is disconnected it can no longer collect for you, and Scout Suite only collects the invoices you issue in Scout Suite. Check that nothing is due to be collected by the old system first, and issue your next subs in Scout Suite.
Don't cancel customers or mandates in GoCardless to "tidy up": a cancelled mandate can't be used again and the parent would have to set up a new one.
Disconnect the old system in GoCardless
You do this yourself, signed in to your Group's GoCardless account. Go to Settings → Connected Apps and revoke access for the system you are leaving. The Direct Debits stay in your GoCardless account.
Connect Scout Suite
In Scout Suite open Settings → Payments and press Connect your GoCardless account on the Direct Debit (GoCardless) card. The steps and what to expect are in Connecting GoCardless.
When you are back, the card shows your account's name and a Direct Debits list: every Direct Debit on the account, with its status, the date it was created and its reference. Each one says Not linked to a parent yet until you link it.
Bring in your existing Direct Debits
On the same card press Bring in your existing Direct Debits. Scout Suite fetches the Direct Debits on your account that are usable, or about to be, and tries to match each one to a parent: first by an id we leave on the GoCardless customer, then by an email address that matches exactly one person, and last by name. A match by name is only ever a suggestion.
Nothing is linked yet. The page shows four lists: Matched automatically, Suggested, Unmatched and Skipped. Each row shows the payer's name and email, their bank and the end of the account number, and the mandate's reference and status.
For Suggested rows check the member and confirm it, or choose someone else. For Unmatched rows search for the member and choose them. Skip a payer who is no longer one of your families, and Restore them if you change your mind. You can also unmatch a row you don't agree with.
When it looks right press Save. Direct Debits are linked in Scout Suite straight away so collection works; Scout Suite updates each GoCardless customer in the background. The import page shows progress and a Retry button if any customer could not be updated (those Direct Debits still work in Scout Suite).
If a parent has no Scout Suite account yet
A Direct Debit can only be linked to someone with a Scout Suite account in your Group, so those rows stay in Unmatched. Invite the parent from Young People → Parent Invites: see Getting parents online. Once they have an account, press Refresh from GoCardless and their row matches by email.
Your choices and skips are kept when you refresh. A refresh only changes rows you haven't decided.
A Direct Debit that is cancelled, failed or expired isn't brought in: it isn't usable any more. That parent sets up a new one from the Membership Portal.
You can still link a single Direct Debit by hand under Link existing mandate to a member on the Payments page, if one is missing from the list.
Check and start collecting
Open the Direct Debits list on the Payments card again: each linked Direct Debit now shows the parent's name instead of Not linked to a parent yet. Any that are still unlinked are in Unmatched or Skipped on the import page.
To collect subs with GoCardless, check Who takes Direct Debit on the same page: if it is the only account connected it is used without asking. Then issue your subs invoices as usual: Collecting subs.
Money
More in this topic
Subs, Gift Aid, and reconciling the bank.