Payment Collection Service

We are the only Bank able to provide our customers with access to all three of the main cash collection networks in the UK; Post Office, Payzone and PayPoint. Additionally, in partnership with market leading suppliers, we can provide your organisation with the ability to offer an on-line paperless and AUDDIS compliant Direct Debit solution as well as a platform to accept both Debit and Credit cards via the internet and telephone.

The Bank is also able to handle all your card design, printing and fulfilment requirements as well as additional services such as Council Tax Billing, Rent Statements and Annual Rent Increase Letters etc.

The service is applicable to any organisation who wishes to collect cash in a cost effective manner and those who wish to increase the payment options available to their customer i.e. Direct Debit, on-line and telephone payments. Service users range from Local Authorities, Charities, Housing Associations, Insurance Companies, Credit Unions – in essence, any organisation that requires a multiple channel solution for collecting payments.

We currently provide this service to more than 300 customers including over 130 Local Authorities. We are also the only Service Provider granted access to the OJEU Compliant Framework Agreement awarded by Procurement For Housing (PfH) providing both Housing Associations and Local Authorities with the opportunity to contract with The Bank without the need to complete a costly and time consuming tender process.

The only Bank able to provide access to the three major UK payment networks - Post Office, PayPoint and Payzone.

- High transaction limits.

- Competitive transaction fees.

- Cleared funds in your Co-operative Bank account a maximum of four banking days after the day of transaction.

- One consolidated daily payment file for all networks.

- Transparency in the payment process, with funds always held in the name of your organisation.

- Acceptance of Debit and Credit card payments over the internet using your own Merchant ID meaning it is your organisation’s name rather than the service provider's name that will appear on your customer’s bank or card statement. Additionally, the secure web payment page will be customised to retain your own unique branding.

- An on-line Direct Debit solution that is fully AUDDIS and paperless compliant, using your own Service User Number - your name appears on the customer’s statement rather than that of an unknown third party.

- A comprehensive card design, production and fulfilment service.

- Additional printing services such as Council Tax Billing, Rent Statements / Annual Rent Increase Letters.

- Payment is handed to the agent who provides your customer with a receipt.

- The payment process is then fully automated and payment to your organisation is guaranteed.

- Transaction data is provided to you via the Bank’s web based electronic banking solution.

- Cleared funds are credited to your Co-operative Bank account within a maximum four banking days after the day of the transaction.

NB: A Co-operative Bank account is required to credit transactional settlement, we do not require a customer’s full banking.

In line with our approach to total transparency, all customers receive the same transaction limits. These limits are the same as those provided to The Bank by the service networks:

Post Office - £999.99

Payzone - £999.99

PayPoint - £200.00

By offering the highest possible MTV available to us, The Bank seeks to minimise the number of “Split” transactions charged to our customers.

Again as with the Maximum Transaction Values, The Bank offers total transparency to all our customers and therefore our transaction timescales replicate those provided to The Bank.

Post Office - three banking days*

Payzone - four banking days

PayPoint - four banking days

Internet / Telephone - three banking days

Direct Debit - same day Debit/Credit

* Refer to SLA

In October 2007 The Co-operative Bank were the only supplier awarded access to the EU compliant Framework Agreement to provide payment collection services to PfH members. In January 2011, PfH again tested the market via a new EU compliant ITT. Once again, The Co-operative Bank were the only supplier awarded access to the Agreement to provide Bill Payment Services to PfH Members. The contract runs for three years from the 1st February 2011 with an optional 1 year extension. However, the new Agreement has been extended to include Local Authorities, providing them with the opportunity to sign up to the EU compliant Framework.

In addition to the key features of our service offering, we provide PfH members with a fixed pricing structure. Access to the EU compliant bill payment framework removes the need to undertake a costly and time consuming formal tender process.

These benefits are available to ALL PfH Members, including Local Authorities, as The Co-operative Bank seeks to bring transparency and integrity to the market place.

For further details on this arrangement, please contact Samantha Grimes on 0845 864 5263 Find out about call charges or sgrimes@cel.co.uk. Alternatively you can find out more by visiting the PfH website.

Post Office
There are c12,000 Post Office locations throughout the UK. Payments are accepted in cash, debit card or cheque.
Find your nearest Post Office.

PayPoint
There are c22,500 PayPoint locations throughout the UK. Cash payments only.
Find your nearest PayPoint.

Payzone
There are c18,000 Payzone locations throughout the UK. Cash payments only.
Find your nearest Payzone.

The Co-operative Bank have a partnership with PayPoint.net to provide our customers with a wholly transparent market leading payment collection solution for debit and / or credit card payments over the internet and / or telephone. The solution provides:

- A securely hosted payment screen that retains your organisation’s own branding.

- Compliant solution with all major card schemes.

- Payments collected via own merchant a/c meaning it is your organisation’s name rather than the supplier’s name that appears on customer’s bank / card statement.

- Access to virtual terminal (allows you to accept payments over the phone).

- Comprehensive on-line reporting and MIS.

- Detailed fraud checks on each transaction.

- Ability to personalise transaction processing parameters for each organisation.

- Cleared funds received three banking days after day of transaction.

The Co-operative Bank partners with Direct Debit a Bottomline Technologies company to provide our customers with an on-line AUDDIS and paperless direct debit solution. With over 20 years experience, Direct Debit are widely regarded as the UK’s leading specialists in Direct Debit solutions.

Pay Direct is a wholly transparent bureau service that provides the following features:

- Fully hosted solution with ability to upgrade to self managed.

- Originate payments via own Service User Number meaning it is your organisation’s name rather than the suppliers name that appears on customer’s bank statement.

- AUDDIS and Paperless compliant.

- Same day debit / credit.

- Internet based allowing on-line access to daily reports and MIS, and access to suite of 17 standard letters required for paperless and AUDDIS compliance.

- Migrate existing Direct Debit payments without the need to obtain new instruction.

- Flexibility to accept payment instructions on any given date.

- In-depth audit trail enables a full, automated audit trail across the entire process.

The Co-operative Bank through our exclusive card partner PSC Systems can provide customers with:

- Guidance on card, carrier and wallet design.

- Secure on-line card ordering.

- A suite of different solutions including plastic cards, temporary peel-out cards and various options on barcoding including the ability for you to print barcodes locally on a standard laserjet printer using a web based barcode tool.

- Maximum 48 hour processing timescale for ad hoc card orders.

- Rent Statements.

- Rent Increase Notifications.

- Tenants Newsletters / Customer Surveys / Canvassing / Election Documents.

- Arrears Letters.

- Waiting Lists.

- Housing Repairs Notifications.