What is a CHAPS payment or bank transfer?
In the fast-moving world of business and commerce, your company needs to be able to make fast, efficient, and high-value payments. CHAPS may be the ideal choice, giving businesses and individuals the opportunity to make guaranteed same-day payments via electronic, bank-to-bank technology. Read on to find out everything you need to know. CHAPS  also known as Clearing House Automated Payment System  is a type of high-value, bank-to-bank payment system that provides irrevocable, settlement risk-free, and efficient payments. CHAPS guarantee same-day payment  as long as payment instructions are received by a specific time in the working day (the time is determined by your bank)  and theres no limit to the amount of money that you can transfer via CHAPS. Most traditional high-street banks are direct participants in CHAPS, as are a couple of international and custody banks. For a comprehensive list of CHAPS direct participants, see this list provided by the Bank of England. In most cases CHAPS payments are worth over 10,000, and because they can be settled immediately, they are an excellent choice for anyone who needs to make a large, time-sensitive transfer, such as placing a deposit on a house, making timely payments to suppliers, or settling a foreign exchange transaction. Sometimes, CHAPS, Bacs, and Faster Payments are confused with each other. Theyre all forms of bank-to-bank payments, but there are key differences between them. Bacs payment is a type of payment transfer that enables you to move money from one bank account to another bank account. However, these payments may take up to 3 working days to clear, and theres no charge to use them. ), although unlike CHAPS, they are restricted in size. The main benefit of CHAPS is the fact that there is no limit to the amount of money you can transfer. This makes it the perfect high-value payment system. In addition, the guarantee of same-day payment  assuming that instructions are sent before the cut-off time  makes CHAPS payments excellent for one-off, time-sensitive payments. There are a couple of disadvantages associated with CHAPS payment. Firstly, the strict cut-off times can add an additional level of complexity to your transfer. Its also worth remembering that it is difficult to cancel a CHAPS payment once it has been made, so if you make a mistake, you may not be able to recall the funds. Finally, CHAPS is much more costly for the end-user than other payment systems, with banks typically charging around 25-30. CHAPS is a relatively straightforward process. Here's how to make a CHAPS payment: All you need to do is head to the bank with all your payment details (as well as the details of your payee) and they should be able to set up the entire transfer for you. If you would prefer, you can also make a CHAPS payment online. Remember that CHAPS payments have strict cut-off times  the system opens at around 6am each working day and payment instructions must be sent by a certain time (determined by your bank). Most of the time, CHAPS payments are made instantly, but in all cases, payment will be made on the same working day. A CHAPS payment is received same day, provided it is submitted by the bank's cut-off time. If it is submitted after this time, the CHAPS payment will be received the next working day. There is no CHAPS payment limit. We can help  Like CHAPS payments, GoCardless makes the payments process simpler and more streamlined. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.