GoCardless & Sequence launch Direct Debit integration

GoCardless has partnered with Sequence to launch a native Direct Debit integration, linking payment collection with billing workflows for businesses using Sequence.

The integration lets companies collect Direct Debit payments for one-off invoices and recurring billing schedules without leaving Sequence's platform. Customers can authorise Direct Debit payments through the Sequence portal, after which future payments are collected automatically.

The arrangement is aimed at growing businesses that want to manage billing and payment collection in one system. It combines Sequence's quote-to-cash software with GoCardless's bank payment network.

For finance teams, it is intended to reduce the number of tools involved in invoicing and collections. It also aims to cut manual follow-up on overdue payments and give businesses a clearer view of incoming cash.

GoCardless, which describes itself as a bank payment company, says more than 100,000 businesses use its services to collect and send payments through direct debit, real-time payments and open banking. It processes more than USD $130 billion in payments annually across more than 30 countries.

Sequence focuses on billing and quote-to-cash software for businesses with custom contracts or varied pricing models, including usage-based, seat-based and milestone billing. It operates in more than 15 countries and has raised USD $40 million from investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Salesforce.

Payment collection

Direct Debit remains a common payment method for recurring charges because it supports automatic collection once a customer has granted approval. By placing that process inside the billing workflow, the partnership is intended to remove extra steps between issuing an invoice and receiving payment.

This is particularly relevant for businesses handling a mix of subscription charges and one-off invoices, where finance teams often rely on separate software for billing, payment acceptance and collections. The integration gives Sequence users the option to set up payment collection within the same system used to manage contracts and invoices.

Tom Metcalfe said the partnership is designed to address late payments and failed card transactions.

"Chasing late payments and dealing with failed card transactions is a huge headache for growing businesses. By embedding our bank payment network directly into Sequence, we are integrating Direct Debit straight into the billing process. This ensures merchants can collect payments automatically, improve their cash flow, and offer their customers a secure, hassle-free way to pay," said Tom Metcalfe, Director, Global Partnerships, GoCardless.

The companies are positioning the partnership around operational simplicity for finance teams and more predictable collections. For businesses with repeat billing needs, automatic collection after a one-time authorisation can reduce the administrative work tied to each billing cycle.

Revenue workflow

Sequence said the integration extends its push to cover the full path from signed contract to cash collection. That includes quoting, invoicing, metering and revenue recognition, alongside tools intended to automate manual finance tasks.

Riya Grover said payment collection should not sit apart from the rest of the billing process.

"Billing for complex contracts is a massive issue for fast-growing teams and payment collection shouldn't be another problem on top of it. Embedding GoCardless in Sequence means you can now handle the full revenue workflow from signed contract to cash in one place, with Direct Debit built in so finance teams aren't chasing payments or wiring up separate tools once an invoice goes out," said Riya Grover, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, Sequence.

The partnership also reflects continued interest among software providers in combining billing, collections and bank-based payment methods more tightly within finance systems. For companies selling subscriptions or managing tailored commercial agreements, the appeal is in reducing friction between contract setup, invoicing and settlement.

GoCardless said its customers range from start-ups to large consumer brands, while Sequence said its customer base includes Cognition, incident.io, Bridge, OpenRouter and Moonpay.