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17th
When we manage and process your Direct Debits, you probably don’t think about what we do to protect that data. But behind the scenes, we have a team that makes protecting your data our highest priority, ensuring it is both safe and accessible. But we don’t just stop there. We are constantly reviewing our operations to ensure we are robust and that we meet our clients’ expectations.
3rd
A call to all Institute of Fundraising fundraisers
Rapidata is working with the Institute of Fundraising to explore the issues and challenges facing charities in their fundraising and receipt of donations by cheque.
In 2011 the Institute of Fundraising campaigned successfully to stop the abolition of the cheque in 2018. Even so, use of the cheque as a payment mechanism is in natural decline. In the UK, 11 million cheques were used each day in 1990 compared to just 3.5 million a day in 2009; and usage continues to fall, currently by 10% per year. It’s important we acknowledge this natural decline and that consequently cheques are unlikely to remain a viable payment mechanism for ever.
The Institute of Fundraising has today asked for all its members to complete a short survey. Your responses will be kept anonymous.
It is important that fundraisers give an account of their experiences and take a few minutes out to complete this survey. The aim is to report the findings to the Payments Council and relevant Government Departments to ensure that charities and their needs are recognised in the management of the cheque going forward, and in the development of future giving methods.
3rd
Don’t forget that over the Queen’s Jubilee weekend holiday period there are extra Bacs non-processing days.
If you have new Instructions to be setup by Rapidata or Bacs submissions to be sent, please do allow for this Bank holiday. For all Rapidata Direct Debit managed clients, we have already allowed for this so there is no action required however if you do have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us.
For a copy of the Bacs 2012 processing calendar, you can download it by clicking here: http://www.bacs.co.uk/Bacs/Businesses/Resources/Pages/ProcessingCalendar.aspx
1st
As part of the Bacs Big Break campaign 2012, Rapidata was very happy as a Bacs bureau to support and make a donation to Marie Curie Cancer Care.
Rapidata has made a donation of £1,158.05 to Marie Curie Cancer Care which provides end of life care to terminally ill patients in their own homes, or in one of their nine hospices.
‘Rapidata has always been very active in supporting charities and when we were approached by Bacs to be a part of the Big Break campaign we were delighted and more than happy to help.’
Scott Gray, Managing Director
More information on the campaign and Rapidata’s involvement can be read by clicking here
24th
All AUDDIS service users that are generating AUDDIS 0C (cancellation) files after receiving an ADDACS advice containing a reason code of 3 MUST now ensure they are not submitting 0C files to Bacs.
An email was sent to all Service Users from Bacs informing of this prohibited practice as detailed in Section 17.5 of the Service Users’ Guide and Rules of the Direct Debit Scheme.
Why are the rules changing?
All Rapidata managed clients can ignore this email, as Rapidata has made these changes so your obligations as a Service User are met. If you do have any questions or concerns on this, please do not hesitate to contact your Account Manager.
29th
With a number of bank holidays coming up over the next few months its possible that some people will be taking annual leave around those holiday dates.
When planning holiday cover remember it’s not only important to ensure that your Bacs submissions aren’t forgotten but also that your Bacs reports are accessed and actioned too.
13th
Rapidata is delighted to be supporting Bacs with ‘The Big Break’ direct debit campaign to help raise much needed money for Marie Curie Cancer Care.
For the month of March, Rapidata will be making a donation for every new direct debit Instruction setup.
Bacs, the people behind Direct Debit in the UK, is running a nationwide marketing campaign in 2012, called the Big Break. As your bureau, we felt it important to bring this to your attention so that you can take advantage of the materials and central support on offer; all developed by Bacs’ experienced marketing team.
8th
As Easter approaches, it is easy to forget that there are extra Bacs non-processing days, so be sure to submit on the following days during this period:
If you are a Rapidata Direct Debit Managed client, you don’t need to worry about the above, as we will automatically ensure your direct debit payments are submitted on the correct day.
15th
In a joint venture the Institute of Fundraising and Rapidata Services Plc have embarked on a programme that brings together the charity and payments sectors to explore what can be done to preserve and build donation levels in light of: charities’ heavy reliance on cheques in fundraising; the future of the cheque as a payment mechanism; and the need to investigate viable payment alternatives that will meet the needs of charities in future years.
The three-step programme named Cheques: Where Now? will channel expert views, research both sector and consumer audiences on cheque usage and attitudes, and report with recommendations to the charity sector, payment industry and Government.
On the 31st January 2012 the IoF and Rapidata, a Bacs approved bureau and a specialist in processing charity donations, co-hosted the programme’s first panel meeting of experts from across charities, charity sector umbrella bodies and the payments industry. Discussions included the current heavy reliance on cheques in fundraising, barriers to change, trends in cheque usage, existing and potential alternative payment mechanisms, and an apparent lack of awareness and education around the issue within the charity and banking sectors.
The Payments Council, which sits on the programme’s expert panel, is very supportive of this project and is fully committed to continue working closely with the charity sector.
Following the high profile and successful Save Our Cheque campaign, driven by the IoF during 2011, the Payments Council withdrew its scheduled deadline for the abolition of cheques in 2018.
“The announcement was greeted with great relief across the charity sector,” says Louise Richards, Director of Policy and Campaigns at the Institute of Fundraising. “We have been assured cheques will continue as long as there is a need for them but there is also a sense of uncertainty as to what is to come and so we cannot afford to rest on our laurels.
“Our research shows that many charities are heavily reliant on cheques in their fundraising, with some stating 75% – 90% of their total income is received in this way. We aim to ensure that charities and their needs are recognised in the management of the cheque going forward and in the development of future giving methods.”
Scott Gray, Managing Director of Rapidata Services Plc says, “11million cheques were used each day in 1990 compared to just 3.5million per day in 2009. Cheque usage continues to fall, most recently by 10% per year. It’s important we acknowledge this natural decline and that consequently cheques are unlikely to remain a viable payment mechanism for ever. Charities cannot afford to be complacent in their fundraising strategies for the future. As a sector, we need to be prepared for change and have a voice in how this takes shape.”
Cheques: Where Now? key objectives:
23rd
But be sure of your business continuity
It is hard to think when the weather is so mild that snow could be just round the corner but we’ve seen snow as late as April in recent years and as I write there’s heavy snow falling on the continent. In what can be a childhood delight of snowmen, snow balls and days off school, a white blanketed landscape can also be an operational nightmare for many offices. In just the last two years we’ve seen heavy snowfall bring the UK to a standstill, with many organisations being caught out because their staff were unable to get to work.
