Bank on File Government

Commercial variable recurring payments for government

Commercial variable recurring payments for council tax and other eligible government payments.

Clearer payments for everyday public services.

Bank on File Government explores commercial variable recurring payments for government, with a focus on council tax and other eligible central and local government payments.

Commercial variable recurring payments (cVRP) for government offer a potential bank payment option for the use cases below.

Explore a bank payment option for public services, with consent that residents can understand and payment references that teams can reconcile.

cVRPs allow repeat bank payments under a customer’s continuing consent, within agreed limits. The customer can review or withdraw that consent.

Payment uses

Bank on File Government: payment use cases.

Council tax instalments

Assess consent-based collections against an agreed council tax payment schedule and resident account.

Other government payments

Review recurring payments to eligible departments, agencies and designated public bodies.

Changing payment arrangements

Explore how revised amounts could fit within existing consent, with a new authorisation where limits need to change.

Illustrative applications. Availability depends on the eligible payment flow, participating banks, payment provider and integration.

An example journey

How commercial VRP could work in government.

A resident chooses a supported bank payment option for council tax. The council could collect eligible instalments within the authorised limits and use the account reference to match each payment.

Example only; this is not a live service or partnership announcement.

Design the collection around consent.

Show the receiving organisation and proposed payment terms.
Ask the customer to authorise through their bank.
Initiate eligible payments within the agreed limits.
Make payment status, support and consent controls easy to find.

For public bodies

Start with the right payment journey.

Confirm the receiving public body is in scope. Plan accessible alternatives, resident support and reconciliation before introducing the payment option.

Assess costs and coverage with your payment provider. Define what happens if a payment fails, consent ends or the customer needs another way to pay.

Commercial variable recurring payments: government FAQs.

Does withdrawing consent cancel council tax or another obligation?

No. Ending the payment permission does not remove an amount owed. The public body should explain how to arrange another payment method and where to get support.

Are these services already available through Bank on File?

This page explains potential payment uses. Contact Bank on File to discuss your requirements and confirm the available service, bank coverage and implementation options.

Sector background: Open Banking Limited’s Wave 1 commercial model, April 2025. Payment overview: Open Banking’s cVRP guide. Confirm current eligibility with your provider.

Talk to Bank on File

Let’s explore central and local government payments.

Discuss your use case and customer journey.

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