There are two main reasons this could be happening.
IBAN or BIC entered incorrectly
The most common issue when the application won't accept your Direct Debit details is that the BIC or IBAN are entered incorrectly.
- When entering the BIC please ensure not to include the ‘XXXX’ that often appear after the BIC on bank statements, they are not part of the BIC.
- Please also ensure not to leave any spaces in the BIC or before or after it.
- Please also check that the IBAN is entered correctly. The IBAN should be 22 characters long.
Bank not in our system
If you have checked that both the BIC and IBAN are entered based on the above guidelines, and the system still will not accept your bank details it may be because your bank branch is not yet set up in our system.
In this case, you can skip the Direct Debit step by ticking ‘No’ to the third question - ‘Can your bank accept Direct Debit?’ and then click Save & Continue at the bottom of the page to proceed through the application. You can download a PDF Direct Debit Mandate form here and email it to us.
The application cannot be processed without Direct Debit details as it is required on all accounts. If you aren't able to complete the mandate in the application, the mandate must be returned before we can finish processing your licence.