Standard Direct Credit

This document is a technical introduction to the DataCash Standard Direct Credit Service. Further detailed information to assist integration with the Bank Card Service is available in the Developers Guide.

The Standard Direct Credit Service

This Service enables you to quickly and easily return funds by Direct Credit, to any customers with a UK bank account accepting Direct Credits.

There are two parts to the Service: validation and settlement.

Validating a Transaction

The Service incorporates a comprehensive, BACS approved, validity checking service. Every transaction is checked to verify that the customer's sort code and account number are valid and can be used for Direct Credits. This check takes place in real time, ensuring that any data entry errors can be identified and rectified immediately.

Settling the Transaction

To transfer the money between you and your customer, the validated transaction needs to be settled by your Sponsoring Bank.

Direct Credits are batched by the DPG each working day and are submitted to BACS for processing. BACS then pass the details to your Sponsoring Bank. This process takes three working days.

Requirements

Before you can go live with this service, you will need the following:

  • an account with DataCash configured for the Standard Direct Credit Service
  • your OIN to be configured at your Sponsoring Bank for Direct Credit
  • the ability to send XML transactions to our servers

Transaction Processing Models

DataCash provide two transaction types with which to access the Service:

Transaction Type Effect Uses
directcredit Returns funds to the account Returns funds directly to the customer's bank account
cancel Prevents settlement of a transaction Prevents an unsettled directcredit from being submitted for settlement

Performing Transactions

Both transaction types require specific information to be provided. In addition to those listed, each requires a client and password - these are security details which identify your account.

Performing a Direct Credit

To perform a directcredit the following information is required:

  • the value you wish to be refunded
  • the transaction type - directcredit
  • the sort code of the customer
  • the account number of the customer
  • the name of the account holder
  • a unique reference number generated by your system - to allow the transactions to be distinguished from each other

In addition, a bank reference number can be supplied if required.

Cancelling a refund

To cancel a directcredit prior to settlement, the following information is required:

  • the datacash reference for the directcredit
  • the transaction type - cancel

Response Codes

There are two basic Response types for all transactions.

  • Accepted
  • Errors

Accepted

A successful response indicates that the directcredit will be sent to BACS for settlement, unless it is cancelled.

Errors

A complete list of Response Codes for this service is available here. The Support Centre also contains extensive examples for most error codes. Illustrations are given to demonstrate how they would appear in both Reporting and an XML Response. Suggestions are also given to help you prevent them from occurring.

Reporting

The directcredit transactions are detailed in the Direct Credit section of the DataCash Reporting system. There are three main pages:

  • Summary - gives a summary of thetransactions
  • List - shows specific details ofthe transactions
  • Details - shows full details of each transaction

The Support Centre contains full hints and tips to help you get the most out of Reporting.