You can collect monthly client payments through Mollie without installing a webshop. PayRequest supplies the customer, mandate and subscription controls: connect your approved Mollie account, authorize each client, and configure their recurring amount and schedule. Choose automatic mandate-based billing when you want the bank account charged without a new payment action each month.
This walkthrough is for agencies, consultants and service businesses with fixed monthly agreements. It focuses on individually negotiated retainers rather than a public subscription checkout. You can keep selling through proposals and email while handling recurring collections in PayRequest.
What must be ready before you start?
Your live Mollie profile must be approved and SEPA Direct Debit enabled. You also need the customer's authorization and the correct recurring agreement. Approval of your merchant account does not authorize a debit from a particular client's bank account.
Mollie's recurring-payment guidance explains the integration route and the first-payment option for establishing a mandate. PayRequest provides the billing interface above the processor. For a usable mandate already signed, registration is another route; a client can also authorize through PayRequest's direct IBAN link.
Build a client schedule before opening the subscription form
Use this fictional agency example as a worksheet. The amounts are illustrative, not suggested prices. These November dates are planned starts, not a claim that a live collection has been tested.
| Client | Agreed service | Monthly amount | Intended start | Authorization route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Client A | Website maintenance | €150 | 5 November 2026 | Existing signed mandate |
| Client B | SEO retainer | €650 | 10 November 2026 | Direct IBAN authorization link |
| Client C | Advertising management | €900 | 15 November 2026 | New authorization link |
Record the collecting business, billing currency, service period, amount, intended date and cancellation terms beside each customer. Where a tax-inclusive amount is agreed, configure that actual collection amount. Do not substitute a marketing package price for the customer's signed agreement.
Mollie currently documents a default maximum of €1,000 per SEPA Direct Debit transaction. Our examples stay below that limit. Check the limit approved for your account before scheduling a larger retainer; ask Mollie about higher limits when needed. See Mollie SEPA Direct Debit specifications.
1. Connect your own Mollie account
Select Business, complete account setup and activate your paid plan. Connect Mollie and verify authorization and the first billing cycle before collecting automatically.
Keep the merchant identity consistent across the proposal, authorization and billing communication. You do not need to install WooCommerce, build a cart or move your agency website. Your PayRequest billing configuration can manage the service subscription independently.
2. Add the customer and obtain a usable mandate
From the customer record, use the mandate controls to register an existing signed authorization or send the customer an authorization link. For manual registration, the current PayRequest form accepts the account holder, IBAN, signature date, and optional BIC and mandate reference. Keep the original signed evidence.
The authorization link lets the customer enter their IBAN directly or authorize using an available payment method. Communicate the amount, frequency and collecting business before requesting consent. Check the resulting mandate status; an email sent or a form opened is not a valid mandate.
If you are moving authorizations from another creditor or provider, use the existing SEPA mandate decision guide before entering the details. A bank account number alone does not establish consent.
3. Choose automatic collection and set the amount
Create the customer's recurring subscription and choose the mandate-based payment route. Select the correct SEPA Direct Debit mandate, configure the agreed recurring amount and set the interval to monthly. Use the customer-specific amount controls where the service price differs from a standard offering.
PayRequest also supports invoice-based subscriptions. Those ask the customer to pay an invoice and should not be described as automatic bank debits. Check the selected route before saving: a recurring invoice and a recurring collection solve different jobs.
4. Set a future start date and review the next billing date
For the example above, enter 5, 10 or 15 November for the corresponding client. Review the next billing date shown in the subscription summary before activation. Trial settings and an already past start date can change the next scheduled bill.
Use a future date for a new arrangement when you want the first collection scheduled explicitly. Do not assume that saving a subscription today means the first debit is today. The initial authorization, first payment if used, and recurring billing schedule need to be reviewed together so that the same service period is not charged twice.
The scheduled date is not a guarantee of when the client's bank processes the debit or when Mollie pays out to you. Plan against confirmed payment status and your account's processing timetable. For a broader explanation, see the SEPA recurring-billing guide.
What does this setup cost?
PayRequest Business is €20 per month and includes subscription billing. Select Business at signup, complete setup and activate the paid plan through checkout. Mollie processing fees apply separately. PayRequest.
Use this formula for a standard recurring service setup: monthly platform subscription + successful collections × your Mollie SEPA rate + applicable exception charges + any applicable taxes.
For example, if your Mollie agreement charges €0.35 per successful debit, three standard monthly collections would cost €20 + 3 × €0.35 = €21.05 before taxes and exception charges. The €0.35 is an assumed account rate for this calculation, not a promise about every Mollie account. Failed collections, returns or disputes can change the total.
Custom-work commission payments have a separate PayRequest fee of 2%, capped at €25 per payment, on every plan. Confirm the billing category if your workflow involves commissions instead of standard recurring service payments.
Use this launch checklist for each client
- Match the customer, collecting business and agreed service period.
- Confirm the enabled live Mollie profile and valid SEPA mandate.
- Verify automatic mandate-based billing, currency and exact recurring amount.
- Check the future start date, trial settings and next billing date.
- Communicate the amount, schedule and cancellation route, including the applicable advance notice.
- Check the initial payment and first recurring collection are not charging the same period twice.
- Follow pending, paid and failed states; investigate a revoked mandate before another collection.
A saved subscription proves that a schedule exists. A confirmed payment proves that a collection succeeded. Keep those facts separate when reconciling the first month.
Select Business, complete account setup and activate your paid plan. Connect Mollie and verify authorization and the first billing cycle before collecting automatically.
Moving recurring fees out of WooCommerce
Keep WooCommerce for store sales when you only want to move maintenance contracts or monthly client fees. Before switching, record each subscription’s customer reference, mandate reference, amount, interval, last paid period, next collection date and pending attempts. Assign one system to make the next collection; a shared Mollie account alone does not prevent duplicate renewals.
Review delivery, member access and provisioning dependencies separately. Use the WooCommerce Subscriptions comparison to decide what stays in your shop, then complete the Mollie subscription handover check. This preparation is not an automatic import or a guarantee that existing authorizations can be reused.
For recurring client fees, explore Mollie subscription management. Select Business at signup, complete setup and paid checkout, then verify the mandate and first billing cycle. Ask for a setup review when you already collect through WooCommerce.
Editorial note: AI assisted with this article and its illustrative cover. The setup instructions were checked against PayRequest's customer-mandate and subscription code. The agency worksheet and cost calculation are examples; no live debit test or customer result is claimed.
