Bacs payment services continue to grow in demand for both businesses and consumers. The most recent Bacs data supports this trend, with Bacs payments demonstrating a £1,540 billion value and a 3.6% annual growth rate in Q4 of 2025.
For enterprises who want to offer their customers a secure, convenient and simple way to pay for goods and services, Bacs payment methods fit the bill. This is because once a Direct Debit is agreed to and approved, customers don’t have to take additional actions to pay for products, services or subscriptions.
Not only is the setup of a Direct Debit a relatively simple and quick process, but it also provides clarity for customers with the Direct Debit mandate form and Direct Debit Guarantee. In order to enable customers to benefit from these payment services, a business needs to have a Bacs Service User Number or SUN.
A Bacs Service User Number is a unique six-digit number given to a business by Bank once they have met the required standards and demonstrate that they can maintain a range of rules within the scheme, to protect both customers and organisations.
In this article, we look into how you obtain a Bacs Service User Number and share a step-by-step guide to help you through this process easily and efficiently.
Contents
- Why is a Bacs Service User Number important for my business?
- How do I get a Bacs Service User Number?
- A step-by-step guide to getting a Bacs Service User Number.
- Helpful Bacs payment services from Interbacs.
Why is a Bacs Service User Number important for my business?
When your organisation is supplying Bacs payment methods for customers, a Bacs Service User Number is necessary in order to operate in this space. If you're new to the concept, read our guide “What Is a Bacs Service User Number? Everything You Need to Know” to understand how it works and why it’s required.
Here are three reasons why a Bacs Service User Number might be important for your business:
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Compliance and security
If your business is approved to manage Bacs payments, such as Direct Debits, for customers then you have been able to prove your enterprise can uphold rigorous standards and maintain strong security controls and has a low or manageable indemnity risk profile.
As a business, this is especially important for brand reputation and recognition, as consumers are able to see you’re trustworthy and can process their payments without compromising their confidential data, whilst spreading their costs for your product/service.
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Direct Bacs transactions
Offering Direct Debit payments to customers means acquiring a Bacs Service User Number to submit payments directly to Bacs, typically via Bacs approved software or a Bacs approved Bureau. This cuts out a great deal of time and administration and makes the whole process more efficient and convenient for all stakeholders.
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Customer statement identification
Whether you use your own Service User Number, your business name will appear on your customer’s bank statements. This means that they can keep track of payments to you for goods and services and have transparency around their payments, increasing consumer confidence, audit trail, and financial planning.
How do I get a Bacs Service User Number?
There are only two ways to obtain a Bacs Service User Number (SUN) for your business so that you can offer Bacs payment services for your clients, customers or employees.
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Apply for a SUN through your bank
This bank would be your sponsor and would normally be able to advise whether an application would be suitable or whether you should wait. Your relationship manager at the bank would be able to give you advice on the process, including what information and criteria is required for the application. Typically, your business will need to have traded for at least three years and have a £1 million plus turnover, although this varies from bank-to-bank, and each customer is appraised individually.
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Partner with a Direct Debit Facilities Management service
You don’t need your own SUN with a Direct Debit Facilities Management provider as you can operate under the umbrella of their SUN(s). This company can also manage your Direct Debit payments, reports, sign up pages, and telephone support for you, providing a full spectrum service so you can focus on business priorities whilst you grow and develop into SUN-eligibility.
If you’re unfamiliar with this model, our guide “What Is Direct Debit Facilities Management? A Guide for UK Businesses” explains how these services work and why many companies choose this route.
Step-by-step guide to getting a Bacs Service User Number
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Check business eligibility
Don’t waste time applying for a SUN before you ensure you’re eligible to gain one. Your business needs a UK bank account and you have to demonstrate you can uphold the rigorous Bacs scheme rules while minimising payment submission errors.
In addition, your business needs to have been trading for more than three years, have a healthy balance sheet and have a minimum turnover, normally exceeding £1 million.
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Contact Bank relationship manager
Your sponsoring bank should have connected you with your bank relationship manager. This is the person who will be able to guide you through the application process and ensure you meet the requirements to obtain a Bacs Service User Number. Some member banks also have Bacs liaison officers and helplines you can contact.
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Be familiar with the Bacs SUN application process
It is likely that a Bacs Service User Number application process will take anywhere between two and ten weeks to complete. This timeframe will vary depending on the specific sponsoring bank through which you make the application.
If you’re not sure about time limits once your application has been submitted, ask your bank relationship manager to confirm their guidelines.
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Work with a Direct Debit Facilities Management Service
If your business doesn’t meet the criteria to obtain your own Bacs SUN, then working with a Direct Debit Facilities Management service provider is a natural alternative, such as Interbacs.
This type of provider can oversee and manage the whole Direct Debit payment cycle, reducing your workload and increasing efficiency, security and cost savings across your business.
You can offer your customers Direct Debit payment services and still have your business name appear on their bank statements without the intense financial workflow involved in completing Direct Debit transactions safely from start to finish.
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Receive live SUN date
Whichever way you decide to operate Bacs payments, either with your own SUN or under a third party’s SUN, your business will receive notification that the SUN is live and Direct Debit transactions can commence.
Helpful Bacs payment services with Interbacs
Interbacs is an experienced and respected provider of bespoke Direct Debit end-to-end solutions. All of our solutions are BACS-approved and are tailor-made to meet your business requirements
We are also one of the first Bacs approved Direct Debit Facility Management companies.
What does this mean for your business? We create a truly user-friendly service that is client-oriented, putting you and your business priorities at the centre of our advice and support when it comes to payment processing systems.
Browse our complete collection of Direct Debit solutions and find the perfect product to better support your business and your customers.
