Two things you need to know about direct debit: why it matters, and the email your customers get before each charge.
Why direct debit is at the heart of everything
When a customer subscribes, the first payment sets up a mandate. Every renewal after that is collected using it, and for European bank payments that collection happens by SEPA Direct Debit.
This is true even when the first payment was made with iDEAL, Bancontact or any other European bank method. They create the mandate; direct debit does the collecting.
So SEPA Direct Debit must be switched on in your Mollie dashboard, under Settings, then Payment methods.
You do not have to show it at your checkout. Your customer never picks it. It simply has to exist on your account, or nothing can be collected.
The pre-notification email
European direct debit rules require that a customer is told in advance before money is taken from their account. Not asked again, but told.
The plugin does this for you. About five days before each recurring charge, your customer receives an email telling them what will be collected, when, and for which package.
It reads roughly: this is a pre-notification that we will charge this amount, on this date, for your subscription.
Why this is good for you, not just legally required
It looks like an administrative burden. It is actually one of the most useful emails you send.
It prevents chargebacks. A customer who sees an unexpected debit from a name they half recognise may well call their bank. A customer who was told five days ago will not.
It prevents failed payments. Someone who knows a charge is coming can make sure the money is there. This is not theoretical: it genuinely reduces failures.
It looks professional. A business that tells you before it takes your money is a business that has its house in order.
You do not have to do anything
The pre-notification is automatic. There is no setting to switch on, and there is nothing to configure.
You can change how the email looks, and what it says, under Mollie Payments, then Email management.