What is ARUDD Unpaid Direct Debit – Reason Code 0?

ARUDD (Automated Return of Unpaid Direct Debit) reports provide information on why any Direct Debits are returned unpaid.

If you see ARUDD Unpaid Direct Debit Reason Code 0 (or ‘F20’), this means ‘Refer to Payer’.

What does this actually mean?

The payer’s bank cannot pay the Direct Debit.

Can I re-present the unpaid Direct Debit?

Yes, as long as you have not received a cancellation before the re-present, as this will mean the Direct Debit will fail again and you will be charged unnecessary processing or bank fees.

How many times can I re-present?

You can re-present up to one month from the original processing day. But you should notify the payer at least 5 working days before, if the re-presented collection date is different to their normal collection date.

Does re-presenting differ depending on the type of Direct Debit?

We would say yes. If your payer is paying for a service or subscription then you will probably need to re-present as soon as you can, to make sure the contractual agreement is met.

If the Direct Debit is for a charity donation, we recommend you re-present the following month. This allows the donor to cancel or get in touch before their next collection.

Is it worth the admin work of re-presenting?

If you use Rapidata, we take care of this for you – so there’s no need for any extra work or admin.

If you’re processing in-house or using a bureau that doesn’t offer this service, the amount of extra admin work will depend on how many unpaid Direct Debits and the type of transaction.

We would always recommend this is done and in our Charity Direct Debit Tracking Report, we saw at least 50% go on to pay the following month!

Do our payers incur fees?

This will depend on your payer’s bank. It is common for payers to incur overdraft fees if the Direct Debit is ‘Refer to Payer’

If I enable this, there could be an impact on our customers or supporters. How do I get round this?

Any changes to processes – especially payments – means organisations must carefully consider the impact. Re-presenting is commonplace in the industry and depending on the service, this will affect how you set it up to minimise complaints or dissatisfaction.

If you’re worried, we recommend you test and monitor this each month until you are satisfied with the results. From our 20 years' experience, we haven’t found this to be an issue.

I use Rapidata – how can I check if this is in place?

For the majority of our clients this part of the set up, but if you’re unsure, contact your Account Manager or the Data Team who will be able to confirm this for you.

I also get a ‘Refer to Payer’ code from Rapidata as F2C – why is this?

This code is exactly the same as the Bacs Unpaid code 0, but it means that we will not be re-presenting the Direct Debit. This is usually because of the options you selected on setup and will normally be due to Rapidata not having this function turned on, or the Direct Debit re-present failing due to coming back again as ‘Refer to Payer’.

If the Direct Debit has come back F2C on your Rapidata reports and therefore will not be represented the following month, we recommend getting in touch with the donor or payer to discuss a reduction in the collection amount or possibly offering a different collection day.

How do I find out more about Bacs unpaid codes?

Take a look at the Direct Debit Service User Guide and Rules for a full list and definitions.