Registers success with direct debit

Direct debit has been offered to all Registers of Scotland customers as a payment method for prepayment registrations since November 2005. It has proved a success, providing efficiency savings for customers using it.

The key advantages of direct debit over cheques are:

1.    No deeds are returned for underpayment. If a fee is underpaid when paying by cheque, the deed and cheque are returned for a further cheque to be drawn. Under direct debit, the correct fee is taken and so the recording process is not delayed.

2.    No deeds are returned because the accompanying cheque was invalid, e.g. unsigned, or out of date.

3.    There are no overpayment refund cheques to deal with. If a fee is overpaid when paying by cheque, a refund is issued once the original cheque has cleared. Under direct debit, the correct fee is taken and the agent is notified of this fee two days after receipt of the deed.

If you are interested in direct debit and would like to receive an information pack, or have any questions, please contact Stephen Welham in the finance section (tel 0131 479 3632; email stephen.welham@ros.gov.uk).