GoCardless, the bank payment company, has announced a partnership with Acre, an all-in-one platform for mortgage and protection brokers, to help them collect service fees from their clients in a more seamless and cost-effective way.

As the only platform brokers need to manage a client’s mortgage journey from start to finish, Acre is changing the way people buy homes. It’s designed to make the mortgage and protection process more streamlined, with easy case management capabilities and smart dashboards all in one place, so brokers can spend less time on admin and more time growing their business.

The GoCardless integration accelerates the payment process. Previously, brokers had to look up how much the client owed in Acre, collect the fees off-platform, and then go back to Acre to reconcile the payment. By integrating Direct Debit for recurring payments and Instant Bank Pay, GoCardless' open banking payment feature for one-off payments, directly into the Acre platform, this three-step process is shortened to one -- enabling brokers to manage, collect and reconcile their payments with ease.

This will also eliminate expensive card payments, while creating a smoother payment experience for the customer.

Justus Brown, CEO at Acre, said: “By partnering with GoCardless, we are making it easier, safer and more reliable than ever for brokers to take payment for their services. More often than not we see brokers relying on outdated, manual processes to collect fees, receiving emails with credit card numbers that get typed into clunky card terminals in a physical office. From today, brokers can instantly send clients an online payment link or set up Direct Debits via our Customer Portal, making the whole process frictionless, more secure and easier for all involved.”

Pat Phelan, MD of UK & Ireland and Chief Customer Officer at GoCardless, said: “Brokers today have enough on their plate; they don't have time to deal with hours of manual admin or late payments. That's why we're excited to offer bank payments with Acre, helping brokers save time and money, stress less and get paid on time.”

The announcement adds another leading name to GoCardless’ roster of more than 350 partners. These partnerships see businesses seamlessly integrating GoCardless into the software they already use, managing payment and other business activities in one place.