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updatedAt: 2026-06-04T09:15:40.000Z
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Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.truelayer.com/llms.txt. Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. Append .md to any documentation page URL to get its markdown version.
# Create a mandate
Create a mandate using Bank on file.
# Overview
Use the following steps to learn how to create a new payment mandate for your user. You'll need this mandate to set up recurring payments.
Payment mandates belong to one of three types:
* **Sweeping VRPs** - For moving money between your user's own accounts (’me-to-me’)
* **Wave 1 VRPs** - For recurring payments from your user to an organisation, within specific use cases (utilities, government payments, financial services, charity)
* **Direct Debits** - For Direct Debits.
## Wave 1 bank on file
To create a wave 1 mandate, you need to pass additional parameters when dealing with wave 1 use cases, but you do not need to include any additional scopes besides `payments`.
Wave 1 bank on file payments are approved for four specific use cases:
| Use case type as seen in API call | What this covers |
| --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `utilities` | Utility bill payments, such as energy and water bills. |
| `government_payments` | Payments to UK government departments, agencies, public bodies and local authorities. |
| `financial_services` | Payments with financial products and other accounts, mortgage payments, pension payments. |
| `charity` | Recurring donations to registered charities in England and Wales. |
Contact us if you are unsure whether your intended use case falls within one of these categories.
> 📘 A VRP mandate needs an `access_token` that you've created with a `payments` scope, alongside `recurring_payments:sweeping` if you are authenticating a sweeping VRP mandate. Wave 1 VRP mandates only need `payments`.
## Wave 1 bank on file parameters
These parameters are required when creating a **wave 1 bank on file mandate only.**
You must specify a `use_case` inside the `mandate` object.
When you create a payment on a wave 1 VRP mandate, you must also state whether the user is present for the payment using the `user_interaction` field inside the `payment_method`. Do this using the `present` or `not_present` values.
# 2. Create a mandate
To create a mandate, make a POST request to the `/v3/mandates` endpoint. All mandate requests must include the following parameters:
* `mandate.type` - must be either `sweeping`, `commercial`, or `direct_debit` . For wave 1 bank on file payments, choose `commercial`.
* `mandate.provider_selection.type` - either `user_selected` or `preselected`
* `mandate.beneficiary.type` - the type of account that the money will be moving to. Can be either `merchant_account` or `external_account`
* `currency` - either `GBP` or `EUR`
* `constraints` - Sets limits for payments (max individual amount, periodic limits, valid dates)
* `mandate.use_case` - Required for commercial VRP. Must be one of:
* `utilities`
* `government_payments`
* `financial_services`
* `charity`
This example shows a Wave 1 commercial VRP mandate that would be used for utility bill payments:
```json
curl --request POST \
--url https://api.truelayer-sandbox.com/v3/mandates \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Idempotency-Key: ' \
--header 'Tl-Signature: ' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer ' \
--data '{
"mandate": {
"type": "commercial",
"use_case": "utilities",
"provider_selection": {
"type": "user_selected",
"filter": {
"countries": ["GB"],
"release_channel": "general_availability"
}
},
"beneficiary": {
"type": "merchant_account",
"merchant_account_id": "",
"account_holder_name": "Energy Company Ltd"
}
},
"currency": "GBP",
"user": {
"id": "",
"name": "John Smith",
"email": "john.smith@example.com",
"phone": "+441234567890"
},
"constraints": {
"valid_from": "2026-03-31T00:00:00.000Z",
"valid_to": "2027-03-31T00:00:00.000Z",
"maximum_individual_amount": 50000,
"periodic_limits": {
"month": {
"maximum_amount": 150000,
"period_alignment": "calendar"
}
}
}
}'
```
Examples of payments where the user is `not_present` include utility bill payments which get taken automatically out of a user’s account.
Examples of payments where the user is `present` include ‘topping up’ a utility bill account, where the user chooses to pay a specific amount within the constraints of a mandate which has already been set up.
# Next steps
After creating your mandate, you'll need to:
1. **Authorize the mandate** - Guide your user through the bank authorization flow for recurring payments
2. **Create payments on the mandate** - Make recurring payments using the authorized mandate
3. **Monitor mandate status** - Track active, expired, and revoked mandates