FAQs

Can I upload files using my existing file format?

Yes – You can personalise your file format to match your current PayAway-IP Direct setup or create a new one to suit your needs.

As part of your onboarding journey you’ll be asked to provide a test file for each payment profile that you’ve set up. We’ll ask for a sample payment profile of dummy data (no live sort codes or account numbers). The format of the file must be exactly the same as your live data file including headers and footers. Please password protect your test file before sending it over. Once this is done we’ll configure Autopay Online Plus to accept your file in this format.

The below guide contains the minimum requirements as to what information must be included in your test data file:

Autopay Online Plus File Format Guide

What if the person who set up PayAway-IP Direct is no longer in the business? 

Autopay Online Plus is easy to set up. Your primary admin can replicate your current PayAway-IP Direct setup. If you need any help our team is here to support to make this as seamless as possible.

I have more than one software provider linked to my SUNs, what should I do?

Please let us know if you have other software attached to your SUNs. We will ensure that you can use Autopay Online Plus alongside your other BACS software.

What happens to my Smart Card and Smart Card Reader?

The Smart Card(s) will be cancelled when we receive notification that you are live on Autopay Online Plus.

What should I do with my Gemalto software?

If you don't use your Gemalto software for anything else, you can remove it using the control panel on your system.

How do I fill out Section 5 – I need more information on Payment Profiles

Payment profiles allow you to set up different payment templates and place various controls around them. These different profiles will dictate how your system is setup. For more information on Payment Profiles and to understand what they look like in the system please see the guide below.

Autopay Online Understanding a Payment Profile

I need more than 8 profiles in Autopay Online Plus

You can link up to 8 payment profiles to Autopay Online Plus using the main migration form. You can add as many profiles as you need completely free of charge. Use the form below to tell us the details of any additional profiles and send it back with the main application form.

Autopay Online Plus Migration Form - Additional Profiles

I need to add more than 2 primary security contacts

You can provide the details for 2 primary security contacts using the main migration form. If you would like to add more than 2 PSCs you can do this using the form below and send it back with the main application form.

Autopay Online Plus Migration Form - Additional Primary Security Contacts

Can I automatically pull data from my accounts package?

Yes – we offer a module at an additional cost called ‘Drive’ which automatically uploads your payment files from your accounts package. Our additional module ‘Encryption’ provides an added layer of security so that your files cannot be read between your accounts package and Autopay Online Plus.

The below guides contain the technical specifications to ensure you have everything in place to install Drive and Encryption

Autopay Online Plus Drive Technical Specification

Autopay Online Plus Encryption Technical Specification

Can I send a remittance advice from Autopay Online Plus?

No – It’s not possible to send a remittance advice from Autopay Online Plus. However the payment file that you upload into Autopay Online Plus includes a reference field so that beneficiaries know where the payment has come from.

I’m a Sage Payroll customer, what does this mean for me?

If you’re a Sage Payroll customer and use the PayAway-IP Direct Sage integration feature, then our ‘Drive’ module might be suitable for you. Drive automatically uploads your payment files produced from your accounts package from a specified network location. This means you will no longer need to prompt the system to do this on each occasion. Users will receive an email notification when a file is ready for approval. All you need to do is log on to Autopay Online Plus to authorise your file. Drive can also download and export your BACS reports to your network location.

We appreciate you may have already paid initial set-up fees for your Sage Payroll module, so you won’t be charged a set-up fee for Drive.

I have File Polling (workflow), what does this mean for me?

Drive is configured to automatically transfer payment files to Autopay Online Plus. Drive can also download and export bacs reports to your network location. As a standard feature of Drive, you can configure Autopay Online Plus to notify users once a file has been uploaded and is ready for approval. All you need to do is log into Autopay Online Plus and authorise your file. The additional ‘Encryption’ module ensures that files cannot be read in transit between your accounts package and Autopay Online Plus. We recommend the Drive and Encryption package for file polling customers as this provides the same functionality and security as File Polling.

We appreciate you may have paid initial setup fees for your File Polling (workflow) module, so you won’t be charged a setup fee for Drive and Encryption

Will Autopay Online Plus allow me to send Real Time Information data to the HMRC?

Yes, the HMRC Real Time Information will need to be within your payroll data file that you upload to Autopay Online Plus for submission. Autopay Online Plus will submit this information to BACS.

Do I need a specific browser or operating system to access Autopay Online Plus?

There is no software required to access Autopay Online Plus. You simply just need access to one of the following web browsers:

Internet Explorer 11+

Edge 12+

Chrome 40+

Firefox 50+

Safari 10+

Please note, if you choose to take one or both of our 'Drive' or  'Encryption' modules, you'll need to install this software. To use these features you'll need to use Windows and there are also firewall changes required that you might need to discuss with your IT team. You’ll also need to set up a company email address registered that drive will use (e.g. Drive@yourcompany.com). We can talk you through all this at onboarding.

What happens to my PayAway-IP Direct fees?  

We appreciate you may have already paid initial set-up fees for your PayAway-IP Direct service, so you won’t be charged a set-up fee for moving to Autopay Online Plus. We’ll also refund your annual PayAway-IP Direct fees on a pro-rata basis. To help with your move, you won’t be charged for the Autopay Online Plus software until after your 90-day migration period.

*We’ll still charge transaction fees and file charges during this period

Will the service be as secure without a Smart Card and Smart Card Reader?

Yes – for Autopay Online Plus we’ve increased security at log-in. You’ll now enter two factors of authentication to access the system. These are:

Username and password

Code from your Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Key Fob.

The MFA Key Fob is a handy, portable token which increases security and ensures that Autopay Online Plus remains flexible, allowing you to access the system from anywhere.

Additionally, at the point of committing a payment, you’ll need to enter a code from your MFA Key Fob.

Previously you needed to tell BACS that you were making a payment using your Smart Card and Smart Card Reader. Autopay Online Plus does this for you using a Cloud Security Module. This is an industry standard method of authentication. Autopay Online Plus meets all the latest industry standards for Transport Layer Security to ensure that no one can alter your file as it is passed to BACS.

Can I use Hardware Security Model (HSM) with Autopay Online Plus?  

Currently Autopay Online Plus does not support the use of an onsite Hardware Signing Module. However, all files sent to BACS using Autopay Online Plus are authorized by using your Multi-Factor Authentication Key Fob. Autopay Online Plus then connects to BACS via a Cloud Security Module.

If you require a Hardware Security Module (HSM) the bank can still provide sponsorship for use with alternative systems that utilise a Hardware Security Module.

Can I use Hardware Security Model (HSM) with Autopay Online Plus?  

Currently Autopay Online Plus does not support the use of an onsite Hardware Signing Module. However, all files sent to BACS using Autopay Online Plus are authorized by using your Multi-factor Authentication Key Fob. Autopay Online Plus then connects to BACS via a Cloud Security Module.

If you require a Hardware Security Module (HSM) the bank can still provide sponsorship for use with alternative systems that utilise a Hardware Security Module.

What authorisation settings does Autopay Online Plus have?

Autopay Online Plus can be configured in a number of ways to meet the needs of your business.

You can set up multiple approvals within a payment profile and request for up to three people to approve a file before it is committed to BACS.

The Roles functionality, allows you to give one group of people access, for example, to a payroll payments profile and another group of people access to a supplier payments profile and then tailor the capabilities of each user with access to that profile

You can also choose to put controls around administrative changes by opting to have dual administration within Autopay Online Plus.

What does dual administration mean?

In Autopay Online Plus you can add additional security around the administration of your system through the dual administration functionality. This will require all administrative changes (such as adding/deleting users, setting/amending permissions) to be authorised by more than one person.

Does the Bacs security upgrade to SHA-256 impact me?

The Bacs security upgrade will not impact you providing you have moved before the migration deadline as Autopay Online Plus is fully SHA-256 compliant.