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Pay by instalments Direct Debit

You can pay your Annual Retention Fee (ARF) by quarterly instalments to spread the cost over the year. Set up a Direct Debit with us and never forget to pay again.

It costs the same to pay by instalments as it does to pay annually - there are no additional costs. Dental care professionals (DCPs) make four payments of £24. Dentists make four payments of £155.25. Where a dentist holds specialist titles, the annual fee of £72 per title will be collected in full in the first Direct Debit.

Please note that the pay by instalments option is available only for the ARF.

How to pay by instalments

Log into eGDC and select the quarterly Direct Debit option. If you currently pay by annual Direct Debit, you can change to quarterly payments by selecting this option.

The deadline for setting up a quarterly Direct Debit is end of May for DCPs and end of October for dentists (see below).  

Key dates for DCPs

You must set up your Direct Debit by midnight on 31 May.

  • Q1 payment: £24 taken on or around 1 July 2025.
  • Q2 payment: £24 taken on or around 1 October 2025.
  • Q3 payment: £24 taken on or around 7 January 2026.
  • Q4 payment: £24 taken on or around 1 April 2026.

We will tell you the exact instalment dates at least 10 working days before we take the first payment.

Key dates for dentists

You must set up your Direct Debit by midnight on 31 October.

  • Q1 payment: £155.25 taken on or around 2 December 2024.
  • Q2 payment: £155.25 taken on or around 3 March 2025.
  • Q3 payment: £155.25 taken on or around 2 June 2025.
  • Q4 payment: £155.25 taken on or around 1 September 2025.

We will tell you the exact instalment dates at least 10 working days before we take the first payment.

What to do if you change your bank account

Do not cancel your Direct Debit. If you change bank accounts mid-cycle, you will need to use the bank switching service offered by your new bank account provider, which will update your Direct Debit automatically. If you cancel your Direct Debit, there is no way to manually set up a new one mid-cycle, and the remainder of your ARF balance will be payable by the end of the month in which the instalment was due.

If you miss an instalment

If you miss an instalment, you must pay the remaining balance for that year by the end of the month in which the instalment was due. If you miss that deadline, you may be removed from the register and you will need to apply for restoration.

If that happens, you will not be able to pay by instalments for two years.

When opting to pay the ARF by instalments, you are entering into an agreement to pay the full ARF. We remove access to the instalments scheme for two years as a way to prevent repeated breaches and the associated costs.

Direct Debit protections

You are protected by three important safeguards:

  • An immediate money back guarantee from your bank in the event of an error.
  • Advance notice if the date or amount changes at any time.
  • The right to cancel at any time although, in the event of a cancelled Direct Debit, dental professionals will need to pay the remainder of the ARF. Please refer to the Terms and Conditions for further information.

Cancelling your Direct Debit

You can cancel your Direct Debit arrangement via your eGDC account. The deadline for DCPs is around the end of June, and for dentists around the end of November.