eGDCPay 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.
How to pay by instalments
Log into eGDC and select the quarterly Direct Debit option. If you don’t already have an account, you will need to create an eGDC account.
You must make the choice to pay by instalments in advance. DCPs must do this by the end of May. Dentists must do this by the end of October.
Key dates for DCPs:
You must set up your Direct Debit by Midnight, 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, 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.
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.
Can I pay other fees (e.g. specialist list, registration application fee, registration fee) by instalment?
The pay by instalments option is only available for the ARF.
I’ve changed my bank account. What should I do?
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.
Why can’t I pay monthly?
We decided on the quarterly option because it represents a good balance between making a difference to the amount you have to pay in one go and keeping down the costs of running the scheme. A monthly option is much more expensive to run and, as the GDC’s income comes almost entirely from the ARF, we would have had to pass this cost on.
What happens if I miss an instalment payment?
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.
I currently pay my ARF by annual Direct Debit. Do I need to cancel this to opt into the pay by instalments option?
No, you just need to go onto eGDC by the direct debit ‘setup’ deadline and select the 'quarterly' Direct Debit option. This will update your existing Direct Debit.
Can I opt in to pay by instalments at a later date if I don’t want to this year?
Yes. For each ARF cycle there is a deadline for signing up. For DCPs the deadline is the end of May. For dentists it is the end of October.
Can I pay instalments by cheque/post, by card on eGDC, any other methods?
The pay by instalment option is available by Direct Debit only.
Can I opt out of the pay by instalments option in future years?
Yes. Changes to your payment method need to be made by the Direct Debit cancellation deadline each year, which is typically around the end of June for DCPs and the end of November for dentists.
How do I set up my quarterly Direct Debit on eGDC?
To set up a quarterly Direct Debit:
- Log in to eGDC
- From your eGDC home page, click ‘Manage payments’ and then ‘Direct Debit’ on the left navigation
- Complete or check your bank details
- Click ‘Direct Debit payment frequency’ and select ‘quarterly’.