GoCardless normally emails supporters when:
A Direct Debit mandate is created.
Each payment is about to be collected.
These notifications comply with BACS rules.
If you prefer full control over branding, content, and frequency, Donorfy can send these notifications instead of GoCardless.
⚠️Important:
Donorfy must approve your notification templates before you switch on custom notifications. This ensures BACS and GoCardless compliance.
When Donorfy Sends Notifications
Donorfy will send a notification email when:
A new RPI is created via GoCardless Web Widget.
A payment is requested for an existing RPI that has not yet been notified by you.
Once a notification has been sent, Donorfy will not send further notifications unless the RPI changes in a way that requires re-notification.
An Activity is added to the Constituent Timeline each time a notification is sent, including a copy of the email.
Changes Requiring a New Notification
If you update the amount, frequency, start date, or end date of an RPI, you must resend a notification.
To do this:
Open the RPI on the Constituent’s Timeline.
Click Manage, then Send Notification.
Click Notify.
Set Up Your Notification Documents
Follow these steps to configure custom GoCardless notifications:
Create Your Notification Documents
Go to Settings, select Acknowledgements & Documents.
You will find two pre-configured templates:
New Recurring Payment Instruction Notification.
Change to Recurring Payment Instruction.
You can use these as provided or customise them.
Your notification documents must include:
Heading confirming setup of the Direct Debit.
Your organisation name and logo.
The Direct Debit logo:
https://bit.ly/2JvzmyZA link to your Direct Debit Guarantee.
Your organisation’s contact details.
Amount, frequency, collection day.
Required placeholders, such as:
Placeholder | Meaning |
| Last two digits of bank account number |
| Bank name |
| Direct Debit reference |
| Shows text only if an end date exists |
Further placeholder options are available in Donorfy’s documentation.
Donorfy will use:
The New Signups document, when no payments have yet been collected.
The Change Notification document,for all other updates.
Configure Your Email Settings
Ensure your outgoing email server settings are correctly configured in Donorfy so emails can be sent.
Get Your Notifications Approved
Before going live:
Copy your notification email content into a Word document.
Submit it to Donorfy Support for approval.
This step is mandatory for BACS compliance.
Switch On Sending Notifications From Donorfy
Once approved:
Navigate to Settings, click Configuration, select GoCardless Connect.
Select your two notification documents.
Set Send Notifications from Donorfy to Yes.
Click Save Changes.
Re-send a Notification
To manually send or resend a notification:
Open the RPI on the Constituent Timeline.
Click Manage.
Select Send Notification.
Confirm by clicking Notify.
How to Check a Notification Has Been Sent
You will see:
A status message on the RPI confirming a notification was issued.
An Activity on the Constituent Timeline showing:
The email address used.
The content sent.
An attached copy of the notification.
A copy will also appear in the Sent Items folder of the email account configured in your Email Server Settings.