London & Zurich

What London & Zurich does

London & Zurich Limited is a UK-based, FCA-authorized (number 712747) and Bacs-approved Direct Debit payment processor, operating as a subsidiary within the Jonas Family of Companies. The company provides two core service models: a Bureau Service for businesses holding their own Service User Number (SUN) and a Managed Service under which London & Zurich obtains a SUN through its sponsor bank and handles full collection on the client's behalf. It serves both SMEs and corporate/enterprise clients across verticals including accountancy, charities, health & leisure, property, utilities, public sector, IT and software, and care, and reports processing over 10.6 million Direct Debit payments annually with a client transaction value of approximately £621.9 million per year.

The platform is built on AWS infrastructure and comprises a 24/7 web-based portal, a RESTful API with sandbox and developer documentation, and a set of add-on modules: Online Sign-Up (branded customer onboarding from £4.99/month), Validate Plus (real-time KYC and Confirmation of Payee validation), SMS Notifications (pre-collection reminders), and Direct Debit Refunds (£1 per refund, launched November 2025). Native bi-directional integrations with Xero and QuickBooks anchor the SME channel, while a marketplace of 15+ software partners (iSalon, ClubRight, EZ Facility, TaxAssist, Gatherwell and others) supports vertical distribution.

Revenue is generated through a mix of transaction fees on bureau and managed processing, subscription pricing for OSU and Validate Plus, usage-based SMS pricing, and per-refund charges, complemented by enterprise quote-based contracts for large accounts such as Templeton. Go-to-market is deliberately multi-modal: direct enterprise sales with named account managers, self-serve online portal, channel/referral partners, and API-first OEM integrations. London & Zurich is privately held, exclusively UK-domestic in its operating footprint, and positioned as a long-tenured (30+ years) compliance-led specialist rather than a high-growth fintech.

Name

London & Zurich

Legal name

London & Zurich Limited

Website

https://londonandzurich.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

London & Zurich is a UK-based, FCA-authorized and Bacs-approved Direct Debit bureau offering Bureau and Managed processing services, a web portal, API, and add-ons (Online Sign-Up, Validate Plus, SMS, Refunds) to SMEs and enterprises across sectors like accountancy, charities, leisure, and public sector.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Direct Debit Processing Services

NAICS

Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Business Services (7380)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing (FSAMAGAE)

Keywords

• Direct Debit processing
• Bacs bureau services
• Recurring payment collection
• Payment collection management
• Direct Debit bureau

Headquarters

HQ city

Solihull

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Direct Debit Bureau Service: Processing Direct Debit collections for businesses that have their own Service User Number (SUN). Funds go directly to customer's bank account. Fees based on transaction volume and service tier.
2. Managed Direct Debit Service: Fully managed service where London & Zurich obtains SUN through sponsor bank on behalf of client. Payments credited to L&Z account first, then transferred to client. Branded SUN service available.
3. Online Sign-Up (OSU): Branded online Direct Debit signup form available from £4.99 per month. Automated customer profile creation and KYC validation included.
4. Validate Plus: Real-time bank account and customer data validation add-on for KYC compliance and fraud prevention. Offered as modular verification options.
5. SMS Notifications: Automated pre-collection SMS notifications. First month free, then pay-per-message pricing with no monthly minimums.
6. Direct Debit Refunds: Refund processing capability built into portal. Charged at £1 per refund processed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

London & Zurich provides Direct Debit collection and processing services to UK businesses through two core service models: a Bureau Service for businesses holding their own Service User Number (SUN), and a Managed Service where London & Zurich obtains a SUN on the client's behalf through a sponsor bank. The offering is delivered via a cloud-based online portal, a RESTful API, and supplementary tools including Online Sign-Up (branded digital onboarding), SMS Notifications, Validate Plus (KYC and bank account validation), and Direct Debit Refunds, with integrations into Xero and QuickBooks.

Product overview

London & Zurich provides Direct Debit payment processing solutions as a Bacs-approved bureau and FCA-authorized payment service provider. The core offering consists of two service models: Bureau Service for businesses with their own Service User Number (SUN), and Managed Service for those without. The unified platform includes a web-based portal for managing collections, a RESTful API for developer integration, and supplementary services including Online Sign-Up (OSU) for branded digital customer onboarding, SMS Notifications for pre-collection reminders, Validate Plus for KYC and fraud prevention, and Direct Debit Refunds for portal-based refund processing. The service processes over 10.6 million Direct Debit payments annually valued at approximately £621.9 million, serving sectors including accountancy, charities, healthcare, public sector, and e-commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Validate Plus: A real-time data validation add-on for Direct Debit sign-up process, supporting KYC, catching errors and preventing fraud through modulus checking, postcode validation, email verification, phone verification, and Confirmation of Payee (CoP) checks.

Products and services

• Direct Debit Bureau Service Bacs-approved bureau service for processing Direct Debit and Direct Credit transactions on behalf of businesses that hold their own Service User Number (SUN). Handles Bacs submissions, report downloads, and transaction outcomes for clients using their own SUN or operating under London & Zurich's SUN with branded bank statement display.
• Managed Direct Debit Service Fully managed Direct Debit service for businesses without their own Service User Number (SUN). London & Zurich obtains a SUN on the client's behalf through their sponsor bank, handles all Direct Debit collection activities, and transfers funds from its own account to the client. Branded SUN service is available so collections appear under the client's business name on bank statements.
• Direct Debit Portal Paperless web-based platform for managing Direct Debit collections. Allows users to enter customer details, set payment amounts and dates, submit requests to Bacs, and track transaction outcomes including failures and cancellations. Provides 24/7 access, comprehensive reporting, bulk upload capabilities, and is built on enterprise-grade AWS security with multi-firewall protection.
• Online Sign-Up (OSU) Branded, responsive online Direct Debit sign-up form enabling customers to set up Direct Debit on any device. Performs real-time data validation against Bacs KYC requirements, automatically generates Direct Debit Instructions and customer profiles in the portal, and supports fraud protection when paired with Validate Plus. Priced from £4.99 per month.
• Direct Debit SMS Notifications Automated SMS messaging service for Direct Debit collections. Sends pre-collection notifications 3 days before payment is due to remind customers and reduce failed collections. Includes custom branding under the customer's name, over 90% average open rates, simple customer number management via the portal, first month free, and pay-per-message pricing.
• Validate Plus Real-time data validation add-on for Direct Debit sign-up and KYC. Provides modulus checking for sort code and account number, postcode validation, email verification, phone verification, and Confirmation of Payee (CoP) checks at point of customer onboarding. Supports fraud prevention and Bacs compliance.
• Direct Debit Refunds Portal-based refund processing feature for returning Direct Debit payments to customers. Supports partial refunds up to the original collection value, with refund requests available from Day 3 after collection through Day 180, automatic customer email confirmation, full audit trail, and a 5-day refund process. Priced at £1 per refund processed.
• L&Z API RESTful API enabling developers and software providers to build Direct Debit functionality into their own systems. Supports automated collections, mandate management, customer creation, and payment tracking. Includes a full-featured sandbox/test environment, developer documentation, and integration support, with pre-built connectivity to Xero and QuickBooks.
• Partner Marketplace Online marketplace connecting London & Zurich clients with complementary software and service partners including accounting platforms, membership management systems, CRM tools, and specialist services (e.g., Xero, QuickBooks, ClubRight, EZFacility, TaxAssist Accountants, Gatherwell, Gladstone Software).

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 25% reduction in failed Direct Debit collections when using SMS notifications
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments13 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial Xero integration partner providing bi-directional Direct Debit functionality within Xero accounting software. Enables automatic invoice-to-collection workflow, customer mapping, and real-time payment status synchronisation.
• QuickBookscoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration partner providing Direct Debit connectivity for QuickBooks users, enabling seamless payment processing within the accounting workflow.
• BacscoreTechnology or IntegrationBacs-approved bureau partner, authorised to process Direct Debit transactions through the Bacs payment clearing system.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Vapour Cloud: UK-focused payment and cloud services provider offering Direct Debit solutions as part of broader payment portfolio. Operates in similar UK market but with a different go-to-market approach.

Emerging players

• AccessPay: UK-based payment operations platform with Bacs Direct Debit and Direct Credit capabilities, targeting corporates with API-driven bank integration. Comparable Bacs bureau functionality with stronger enterprise automation focus.
• ClearAccept: UK payment service provider offering Direct Debit and recurring payment processing. Smaller emerging player with overlapping SME and enterprise bureau-style services.

Broad incumbents

• Worldpay: Major global payment processor offering recurring payment and Direct Debit solutions as part of broader merchant acquiring services. Significant incumbent in UK payment processing space.
• Stripe: Global payments platform with recurring billing and Direct Debit support (Stripe Billing) competing for the same SaaS-integrated recurring payment use cases, though via card-first rails rather than Bacs-native processing.
• OneInc (SmartDebit parent): US-based payments technology company that acquired SmartDebit, providing broader insurance and recurring payment processing platforms. Comparable Bacs/Direct Debit bureau capability through SmartDebit subsidiary, with added US payment processing breadth.
• Bottomline Technologies: Larger payments technology provider offering Bacs, Direct Debit, and broader payment processing solutions. Wider portfolio including corporate banking and fraud management, but overlapping core bureau capabilities for UK enterprise clients.

Direct peers

• Eazy Collect: UK-based Direct Debit bureau providing similar Bacs-approved collection services for SMEs. Operates in the same niche with comparable Bureau and Managed service offerings.
• GoCardless: UK-based Direct Debit and recurring payment platform processing billions in payments annually. Closest direct competitor with overlapping Bacs bureau capabilities and SaaS-integrated recurring billing, but operates at significantly greater scale and has international reach.
• SmartDebit: UK Bacs-approved Direct Debit bureau offering bureau and managed services for SMEs and enterprises. Directly comparable service model, customer segments, and Bacs bureau status to London & Zurich.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/londonandzurich
• Facebookfacebook.com/londonandzurich
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/london-&-zurich

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about London & Zurich