Why Enterprises Are Moving from Direct Debit to PayTo

Written by Glider | Jun 18, 2025 11:56:02 PM

For decades, Direct Debit via the BECS system has powered recurring payments across industries like utilities, insurance,
education, SaaS, and financial services. But that era is ending: BECS is planned to be decommissioned by 2030, and
with it, the traditional direct debit model.

Enter PayTo — a real-time, account-to-account payment system built for today’s digital economy.
While the transition is inevitable, how your business adopts it will define your competitive position.

Why you need to be thinking about it now

Direct Debit isn’t just outdated — it doesn't align with modern payment operational needs nor with customer expectations:

Slow and batch-based: Settlement and dishonour notifications can take days.
Opaque and error-prone: Failures are detected too late; reconciliation is manual.
Vulnerable: Relies on BSB/account numbers with minimal fraud prevention.
Outdated infrastructure: with limited support for customer control or real-time visibility.

The shift to PayTo shouldn't be viewed as optional, it’s an industry-wide transition already underway.
Moving early gives you a head start in delivering better customer experiences, improving cash flow, and
avoiding last-minute disruption.

What is PayTo?

PayTo is a real-time, bank-authorised pull-payment system. Like direct debit, it allows a business to debit
a customer’s account — but with faster processing, smarter controls, and embedded digital authorisation.

What makes it different from the old direct debit process:

Instant confirmation of payment success or failure (vs. waiting 3+ days).
24/7 availability, even on weekends or holidays.
Built-in fraud and error protection via real-time account validation.
Rich reference data for easy reconciliation and reporting.
Customer-managed authorisations (pause, cancel, approve) via banking apps.

While the infrastructure is shared, how you implement and orchestrate PayTo makes the difference.
That’s where Glider leads.

How Glider Stands Apart in a Crowded PayTo Ecosystem

Every PayTo transaction rides on the same national rails. But that’s only the foundation. What matters to your business
is what gets built on top — and how it integrates into your systems, processes, and customer journey. Most providers
offer a technical gateway to PayTo — APIs and compliance tools that still require in-house buildout. They support the
transaction, but not the journey around it.

Glider is different. We deliver enterprise-grade orchestration that wraps around the payment — automating, integrating,
and optimising every part of the customer payment journey.

Capability	Glider	Typical PayTo Providers
Enterprise-grade orchestration	✅ Built-in workflows for retries, fallbacks, alerts, scheduling, and escalation	⚠️ Basic API for payment initiation; orchestration must be built in-house
Campaign & communication layer	✅ Multi-channel support (email/SMS links), dynamic messaging, automated reminders	❌ Generally outside scope; requires integration with comms platforms
Advanced fallback logic	✅ Smart routing logic automatically detects when PayTo fails or exceeds transaction limits and provides alternative payment flows	❌ Not natively supported; manual intervention or separate system needed
White-labeled UX & brand control	✅ Full customisation of payer-facing screens and flows	⚠️ Limited styling or branding options
Insights & reporting	✅ Real-time dashboards, API access for reporting, status history	⚠️ API logs or raw transaction status only
Float account & payout flexibility	✅ Built-in float accounts and rules-based disbursement scheduling	❌ Typically not offered or offloaded to bank layer
Plug-and-play for enterprises	✅ Minimal dev lift; no need to build orchestration layer	❌ Can require significant internal dev or middleware investment

Glider enables you to not just use PayTo, but to deliver smarter, faster, and more intuitive payment experiences —
with minimal lift from your internal teams and without sacrificing control, security, or compliance.

Why Businesses Are Making the Switch

Enterprise payment operations aren’t purely about “processing” — they’re about cash flow, compliance,
efficiency, and customer experience.

PayTo with Glider delivers:

Faster access to cleared funds.
Fewer payment failures and lower exception handling.
Lower admin overhead: No more chasing ghost debits or mystery transfers.
Better customer compliance: Visibility in banking apps builds trust and reduces disputes.
Proactive issue resolution through instant pause/cancel notifications.
Better control and reporting across billing, finance, and operations.

And with BECS retiring, this is not just an opportunity — it’s a deadline.

Get Ahead Now, Before the Legacy Pipes Shut Down

BECS served its purpose — but its time is up. Businesses that that delay shifting to PayTo risk disrupted payments,
frustrated customers, and high-stakes re-platforming at the last minute.

Don’t just replace the rail. Redesign your payment experience around it. With Glider + PayTo, you deliver a better
way to pay — improving customer experience, reducing friction, and accelerating cash flow.

Australia’s payment infrastructure is evolving. Be a business that sets the pace, not one playing catch-up.

Talk to our team to see how Glider can help you transition to PayTo and reimagine your payment experience.

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