---
title: "Create BACS mandate [beta]"
method: POST
path: "/v1/payments/bacs/directdebit/paper-mandates"
tags: ["BACS direct debit"]
---

# Create BACS mandate \[beta\]

`POST /v1/payments/bacs/directdebit/paper-mandates`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://sandbox.pismolabs.io/bacs`
- URL: `https://sandbox.pismolabs.io/bacs/v1/payments/bacs/directdebit/paper-mandates`
- Auth: none declared. Required headers: `Authorization`, `Idempotency-key`

Create a BACS direct debit mandate.

A BACS direct debit mandate captures a payer's authorisation, taken from a signed paper form, for a business to collect direct debit payments from their UK bank account through the BACS scheme.

**Notes:**

  * The operation is idempotent via the `Idempotency-key` header. Repeating the same key replays the original mandate; reusing the same `reference` with a different key is rejected with a **409 Conflict**.

  * Creation does not generate an event. Subsequent status transitions generate a [BACS mandate status changed](https://developers.pismo.io/events/docs/bacs-mandate-status-change-1) event (for example `SUBMITTED`, `CONFIRMED`, `FAILED`).

## Headers

- `Authorization` string, required
- `Idempotency-key` string, required

## Request body

- MandateCreateRequest: Payload to create a mandate
  - `debtor` MandateDebtor, required: Debtor (payer) bank details captured from the signed mandate form.
    - `name` string, required: Debtor account holder name
    - `account_number` string, required: UK account number (8 digits)
    - `sort_code` string, required: UK sort code (6 digits).
  - `beneficiary` MandateBeneficiary, required: Beneficiary (creditor) details.
    - `name` string, required: Beneficiary name.
    - `account_number` string: UK account number (8 digits)
    - `sort_code` string: UK sort code (6 digits).
  - `clearing_id` string, required: Six-digit clearing ID for the mandate
  - `reference` string, required: Mandate reference. Must be unique per organization and use the standard BACS reference character set. The standard BACS reference character set is the restricted set of characters BACS permits in the text fields of a Standard 18 record — the format used for Direct Debit/Direct Credit instructions. It maps to the reference field on the mandate schemas. BACS Standard 18 (STD18) is a fixed-width, 80-to-106-character line-based file format used to submit Direct Credit and Direct Debit payment instructions in the UK. Files strictly follow a defined sequence starting with volume and header labels, proceeding to transaction records, and ending with trailer and total lines. **Permitted characters**: - Uppercase letters A-Z (lowercase is not allowed — it gets force-uppercased) - Digits 0-9 - Space - These four specials only: - (hyphen), . (full stop), & (ampersand), / (solidus) **Reference-field rules on top of the character set**: - 6-18 characters - Must not begin with a space - Must not be all the same character (e.g. all zeros) - First 4 chars must not be DDIC (reserved for bank/indemnity-claim use) - Should be unique per Direct Debit
  - `processing_date` string, required: Processing date. Format = yyyy-mm-dd

## Response `201`

Mandate created

- MandateCreateResponse
  - `id` string: Form3-assigned mandate ID
  - `status` 'CREATED' | 'SUBMITTED' | 'CONFIRMED' | 'FAILED': Lifecycle status reachable for a created mandate. * `CREATED` - Mandate persisted; pending submission to Form3 via the PSP gateway * `SUBMITTED` - Mandate submitted to the scheme * `CONFIRMED` - Mandate confirmed and active * `FAILED` - Mandate processing failed. Terminal state

## Other responses

- `400`: Bad Request
- `403`: Forbidden
- `409`: Conflict
- `500`: Internal Server Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/pismo/apis/payment-rails-bacs-payments.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/pismo/apis/payment-rails-bacs-payments/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/pismo/apis/payment-rails-bacs-payments/revisions/d0f145ee1aba?raw)