Improving accuracy in Payment Method Levelisation submissions: A guide for suppliers

April 15, 2025

As we approach the end of the first year of the Payment Method Levelisation scheme, we thank suppliers for their continued support. This article highlights key actions you can take to improve your submissions, reduce errors, and ensure the ongoing success of the scheme.

A year of collaboration – thank you

We’d like to express our gratitude to all suppliers for their ongoing support of the Payment Method Levelisation (PML) scheme. Your cooperation has been critical to its success, and your commitment to fulfilling your obligations has played a key role in its smooth running.

Why accurate portfolio data submissions matter

Accurate portfolio data submissions are essential for the PML scheme’s ongoing efficiency. Even small errors in one supplier’s data can impact all other participants and significantly increase the effort required during monthly reconciliations.

To help maintain the integrity of the process and reduce the burden for everyone involved, we want to highlight the most common submission errors and offer practical recommendations to prevent them. Addressing these issues proactively will support a smoother reconciliation process and benefit all suppliers.

Strengthening monthly submission uploads

Most monthly submissions are correctly formatted and pass initial validation, which is greatly appreciated. To further support a smooth and efficient upload process, we recommend two best practices:

Submit early: Aim to upload your submission as soon as possible after midday on the 1st of the month. Early submissions give us more time to support you with any data or technical issues, reducing the risk of missing the deadline—especially when it falls on a weekend or public holiday.
Keep contact details up to date: Ensure both your primary and backup email addresses are current and regularly monitored. This helps ensure you receive timely notifications about failed uploads or upcoming deadlines.

Taking these steps helps maintain the reliability of the scheme and supports timely reconciliation for all suppliers.

Improving data quality and accuracy

Ofgem regularly reviews submitted data to identify potential anomalies by comparing it with previous months. While some significant changes, such as those caused by customer migrations, may have clear explanations, this process often uncovers errors that could have been avoided with proper internal quality checks.

To reduce the risk of errors impacting other suppliers, we encourage all suppliers to implement five key quality assurance measures:

Allocate data to the correct region: A common issue is incorrect region mapping, such as accidentally swapping data between regions. Ensure that data is allocated to the correct region.
Use accurate applicable dates: Since the system accepts historical data, using incorrect dates (e.g., last month’s date) may not be flagged during validation. Double-checking date fields is essential to avoid unnoticed errors.
Use reliable data reporting and extraction systems: Many inaccuracies arise during the data extraction phase. Ensure your systems comply with scheme requirements—and regularly check that extracted data matches expected values. Errors here can carry over across multiple months, compounding the impact.
Minimise human error: Manual entry and intervention are often sources of mistakes. Automating processes where possible and focusing on manual checks can improve accuracy.
Verify invoice processing and payment: Ensure the correct recipient email addresses are used for invoice delivery and that invoices are paid on or before their due dates to avoid delays or disruptions.

By strengthening your quality assurance processes, you help protect the scheme’s integrity and reduce the likelihood of errors affecting others.

Looking ahead

Thank you once again for your continued dedication to the PML scheme. By proactively addressing these areas, you help ensure its continued smooth operation, benefiting all suppliers involved. Together, we can maintain a reliable and efficient process for everyone. We look forward to working with you as we move into another successful year for the PML scheme.