ClearDebit
ClearDebit is a UK Bacs-accredited Direct Debit processing specialist offering Bureau services, Mosaic Software, and Bacs-accredited training to over 1,000 charities, education, membership, sports, and utilities clients since 1993, operating as part of the ClearCourse Partnership LLP group.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ClearDebit does
ClearDebit is a UK-based Direct Debit processing specialist that has been operating since 1993, serving more than 1,000 businesses across charities, education providers, membership organisations, sports clubs, and utilities companies. The firm holds a rare combination of three Bacs regulatory designations — Bacs Approved Bureau, Bacs Approved Software (one of 13 providers nationally), and Bacs Accredited Training (one of four providers) — and operates through three UK private limited entities (Cleara Consulting Ltd, Mosaic Software Ltd, Secure Collections Ltd) all trading as ClearDebit. Its product surface spans a fully managed Bureau service for outsourced processing, the Mosaic Software suite (Mosaic Submit for file transmission and Mosaic Managed for end-to-end cycle management) for in-house processing, add-on modules including Paperless Direct Debit, Bank Validation (BankCheck), and Bank File Conversion (FileMaker), plus Direct Credit, Bacs-accredited Training, Consultancy, and Contingency services.
The business is conducted as a sales-led, UK-domestic operation headquartered in London, with no public API, no app presence, and no disclosed external funding. Go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales, consultancy-led acquisition, training-led conversion, and a network of CRM integration partnerships (Apt, Silverbear, Millertech, Trillium, Protech, SeatGeek). ClearDebit is a subsidiary of ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a UK technology group that aggregates software and payments businesses serving SMEs, charities, and notable brands; its inclusion in the group provides distribution and cross-sell leverage but no public revenue or headcount disclosure. Per published customer materials, ClearDebit customers process approximately £14.2 billion in Direct Debits annually.
ClearDebit firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ClearDebit
- Legal name
- Cleara Consulting Ltd, Mosaic Software Ltd and Secure Collections Ltd (all trading as ClearDebit)
- Website
- https://cleardebit.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ClearDebit is a UK Bacs-accredited Direct Debit processing specialist offering Bureau services, Mosaic Software, and Bacs-accredited training to over 1,000 charities, education, membership, sports, and utilities clients since 1993, operating as part of the ClearCourse Partnership LLP group.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ClearDebit industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Direct Debit Processing Services
- NAICS
- Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (52232)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing (FSAMAGAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- ACH Disbursements & Bulk Payout Processing (FSAMAGAF)
Keywords
Where ClearDebit is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ClearDebit business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Bacs Approved Bureau Service: Fully managed Direct Debit processing service where ClearDebit's experts handle all Direct Debit payments on behalf of clients. Clients send files containing transactions to ClearDebit who processes and submits to Bacs. Revenue is generated through service fees per transaction or subscription model.
- Mosaic Software Licensing: In-house Direct Debit software solutions (Mosaic Submit and Mosaic Managed) licensed to businesses who want to manage Direct Debits themselves. Software is Bacs-approved and provides full control over payment timing, reporting, and Bacs integration.
- Bacs-Accredited Training: Bacs-accredited training courses delivered in-person (regional group sessions, on-site) or online. Courses include Direct Debit In-Depth (5-hour complete review), Direct Debit Basics (2-hour overview), Paperless Direct Debit (90 min-2 hours), Bacs Reports (90 min-2 hours), and bespoke training. ClearDebit is one of only four Bacs-accredited training providers.
- Direct Debit Consultancy: Expert consultancy services for SUN applications, AUDDIS migration, paperless conversion, branded sign-up screen creation, telephone script development, and AUDDIS testing. Helps businesses navigate complex Direct Debit processes.
- Contingency Services: Emergency Direct Debit processing backup services via Bacs Approved Bureau for businesses experiencing smartcard issues, software platform problems, key person absence, or password problems. Can be single-file or recurring contingency arrangements.
- Direct Credit: Outgoing payment processing services for wages, employee expenses, pensions, benefits, supplier invoices via Bacs-approved Bureau or software. Enables reliable, secure, accurate and compliant regular payments.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Not specified | Bureau service with fully managed Direct Debit processing |
| Subscription | Not specified | Mosaic software for in-house Direct Debit management |
| Unit Pricing | Per seat | Bacs-accredited training courses |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Bank Validation with pay-per-use pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
ClearDebit product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ClearDebit is a UK-based Bacs-approved Direct Debit processor that has been operating since 1993, offering a fully managed Bacs Bureau service for outsourced Direct Debit processing alongside its proprietary in-house Mosaic processing software. The company provides a comprehensive 360-degree solution including Bacs-accredited training, Direct Credit services, consultancy, contingency/disaster recovery cover, Paperless Direct Debit, Bank Validation, and Bank File Conversion. They have processed over 100 million Direct Debit Instructions (DDIs) and serve more than 1,800 UK organizations across sectors including charities, education, membership, sport, and utilities.
Product overview
ClearDebit offers a comprehensive Direct Debit processing platform comprising three core service lines: a Bacs Approved Bureau (fully managed processing), Mosaic Software (in-house Bacs-approved software with Mosaic Submit and Mosaic Managed modules), and Bacs-accredited Training. Additional value-add services include Paperless Direct Debit (digital sign-up forms), Bank Validation (account verification), Bank File Conversion (multi-bank format support), Direct Credit (outgoing payments), Consultancy, and Contingency services. The product portfolio serves businesses across charities, education, membership, sports, and utilities sectors, processing over £14.2bn in Direct Debits annually for over 1,000 businesses since 1993. ClearDebit is part of the ClearCourse technology group.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Mosaic Software: Direct Debit software product line by ClearDebit, including Mosaic Submit (transmission software) and Mosaic Managed (comprehensive Direct Debit cycle management).
Products and services
- Bacs Bureau Fully managed Direct Debit processing service where ClearDebit handles all Bacs submissions on behalf of the client, including audit trail, Service User Number (SUN) protection, indemnity cover, and contingency/DR built in. Targeted at organizations that prefer to outsource their Direct Debit processing rather than run it in-house.
- Mosaic Software Bacs-approved in-house processing software developed and sold by ClearDebit that allows organizations to run their own Direct Debit processing internally, with automation of file submission and lifecycle management. Targeted at organizations that want to process Direct Debits themselves rather than use the Bureau.
- Bacs Training Bacs-accredited training service that delivers instructor-led Bacs-approved courses covering AUDDIS, Bacs submission, Direct Debit processing, and related compliance topics. Targeted at finance and operations staff at organizations that process or want to process Direct Debits.
- Direct Credit Services Bacs Direct Credit processing service enabling organizations to make outbound Bacs payments (e.g., salaries, supplier payments, refunds, expenses) through ClearDebit's Bacs-approved processing infrastructure. Targeted at organizations needing reliable Bacs outbound payments.
- Consultancy Services Direct Debit and Bacs consultancy covering process design, migration, compliance, and optimization for organizations setting up or improving Direct Debit operations. Targeted at organizations needing expert guidance on Bacs processes and best practice.
- Contingency Service Disaster recovery / contingency cover that protects organizations if their own Direct Debit processing capability fails, providing a backup submission route through ClearDebit's Bacs Bureau. Targeted at in-house processors needing DR cover and at Bureau customers wanting additional resilience.
- Paperless Direct Debit Paperless Direct Debit setup service that allows customers to collect Direct Debits via online sign-up rather than paper mandates, enabling digital customer onboarding. Targeted at organizations wanting to digitize their DD collection journey.
- Bank Validation Per-transaction bank account validation service that checks sort code and account number combinations before Direct Debit collection to reduce failed DDIs and chargebacks. Targeted at any organization taking Direct Debits and wanting to reduce invalid mandate submissions.
- Bank File Conversion File conversion utility that converts customer DD data files into Bacs-compliant format for submission. Targeted at organizations that need to convert internal payment files into a Bacs-ready submission.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 businesses process Direct Debits through ClearDebit
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use ClearDebit
Customer profileNamed customers19 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
ClearDebit technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
Feature5 records
ClearDebit partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ClearCourse Partnership LLPcoreClearDebit is proudly part of ClearCourse Partnership LLP, a UK-based technology group providing software and payments for SMEs, start-ups, national retailers, charities, and notable brands. The group integrates best software, payments, services and people with a mission to build great businesses. Being part of the larger group allows ClearDebit to tap into knowledge and experience of fellow ClearCourse businesses, with opportunities for software integration and strategic collaboration.
- Bacs (Bankers Automated Clearing Services)coreBacs is the UK payment scheme operator (owned by Pay.UK) that regulates and manages the Direct Debit scheme. ClearDebit holds Bacs Approved status for Bureau services, Mosaic software, and training - one of only four Bacs-accredited training providers and one of 13 Bacs-approved software providers in the UK.
- Portrilio Solutions (EU Representative)minorPart of Trillium Limited within the ClearCourse Partnership LLP group. Appointed as ClearDebit's EU Representative to facilitate data subject rights within the EEA and cooperate with supervisory authorities under EU GDPR requirements.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ClearDebit competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GoCardless: GoCardless is a UK-founded, global Direct Debit and recurring payments platform that ClearDebit itself benchmarks against in its content. It competes head-to-head in the UK membership, charity, and subscription verticals but leads with an API-first, SaaS model rather than a managed Bureau.
- Eazy Collect: Eazy Collect is a UK-based Direct Debit Bureau and software provider serving SMEs, membership bodies, and not-for-profits. It offers comparable Bureau and in-house processing solutions and competes for many of the same Bacs-approved customer segments as ClearDebit.
- FastPay (FastPay Solutions): FastPay Solutions is a UK Bacs-approved Direct Debit Bureau and software provider focused on SMEs and membership organisations. Its product mix of managed Bureau services and in-house software overlaps closely with ClearDebit's Bacs Bureau and Mosaic offerings.
- SmartDebit (Bottomline): SmartDebit is a long-standing Bacs-approved Direct Debit Bureau and software provider in the UK, now part of Bottomline Technologies. It offers a similar managed Bureau + in-house software stack serving charities, utilities, and membership organisations, making it a close comparable to ClearDebit.
Emerging players
- Modulr: Modulr is a UK Payments-as-a-Service platform offering account-to-account payments, Direct Debit, and Bacs processing via APIs. It competes with ClearDebit at the software and embedded-payments layer, particularly for businesses seeking developer-first integration over a traditional Bureau model.
- AccessPay: AccessPay is a UK payments automation platform focused on bank reconciliation, Bacs/Direct Debit processing, and corporate payment workflows. While it overlaps with ClearDebit's Bacs Bureau and software business, it leans toward direct corporate treasury automation rather than charity/membership collection.
Broad incumbents
- Stripe: Stripe is a global payments platform that, while not a Direct Debit specialist, increasingly supports recurring billing, ACH debit (in the US), and SEPA Direct Debit in Europe. It represents a long-term competitive threat to UK Direct Debit specialists as recurring revenue businesses consolidate on multi-rail payment platforms.
- PayPoint: PayPoint is a UK-listed payments network that processes bill payments, Direct Debits, and prepaid services for retailers, utilities, and local authorities. While it spans a much wider payment network, its Direct Debit and Bacs processing capabilities overlap with parts of ClearDebit's utility and membership customer base.
- Bottomline Technologies: Bottomline is a large US-headquartered financial technology provider that owns SmartDebit. It offers a broad payments and Bacs/ACH product suite, including Direct Debit Bureau and software services that overlap with ClearDebit's niche UK offering, but as part of a much wider fintech portfolio.
Regional players
- Accourt (formerly FastPay-related): Accourt is a UK specialist in Direct Debit collection and Bacs Bureau services focused on debt recovery and recurring billing for commercial clients. It overlaps with ClearDebit's Bureau and consultancy offerings but operates in a narrower, collections-leaning niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ClearDebit social profiles
Digital presenceClearDebit compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance5 records
ClearDebit financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ClearDebit leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ClearDebit funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ClearDebit M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ClearDebit
What does ClearDebit do?
ClearDebit is a UK-based Bacs-approved Direct Debit processor that has been operating since 1993, offering a fully managed Bacs Bureau service for outsourced Direct Debit processing alongside its proprietary in-house Mosaic processing software. The company provides a comprehensive 360-degree solution including Bacs-accredited training, Direct Credit services, consultancy, contingency/disaster recovery cover, Paperless Direct Debit, Bank Validation, and Bank File Conversion. They have processed over 100 million Direct Debit Instructions (DDIs) and serve more than 1,800 UK organizations across sectors including charities, education, membership, sport, and utilities.
Is ClearDebit a public or private company?
ClearDebit is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ClearDebit founded?
ClearDebit was founded in 1993. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ClearDebit based?
ClearDebit is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ClearDebit make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Bacs Approved Bureau Service is the primary driver. The others are mosaic Software Licensing, bacs-Accredited Training, direct Debit Consultancy, contingency Services and direct Credit.
Who are ClearDebit's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GoCardless, Eazy Collect, FastPay (FastPay Solutions) and SmartDebit (Bottomline). Emerging players are Modulr and AccessPay. Broad incumbents are Stripe, PayPoint and Bottomline Technologies. Accourt (formerly FastPay-related) is listed as a regional player.
Does ClearDebit have an API?
No public API is recorded for ClearDebit.
What industry is ClearDebit in?
ClearDebit's product category is Direct Debit Processing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMAGAE, Direct Debit / ACH Collections & Recurring Billing, with a secondary code of FSAMAGAF, ACH Disbursements & Bulk Payout Processing. Its NAICS code is 52232.