# Batch Upload via the Portal

The Portal provides a file upload interface for submitting bulk charge requests without needing to configure an SFTP connection. It uses the same batch file format and processing pipeline as the SFTP integration.

## When to Use This

Use the Portal's batch upload when you want to submit a batch file manually, without setting up or maintaining an SFTP client. For fully automated, scheduled batch submissions, the [SFTP integration](/products/directdebit/content/guides/sftp) is the better fit.

## How to Upload a File

1. Navigate to **Batch Upload** from the main menu.
2. Click **Upload File** and select your CSV charge request file.
3. The platform validates the file and displays an initial pre-validation result.
4. If pre-validation passes, the file is scheduled for processing.


## File Requirements

The uploaded file must be a valid CSV following the [Batch Files Column Specification](/products/directdebit/content/reference/batch-file-spec). The file name must not contain special characters or spaces — only letters, numbers, hyphens (`-`), and underscores (`_`) are allowed.

**Example:** `charges_20251120_batch_1.csv`

The platform supports up to **50,000 charges per file**.

## Tracking Your Upload

After upload, the Portal displays the processing status of your file:

| Status | Description |
|  --- | --- |
| Pending | The platform accepted the batch and is about to schedule processing |
| Processing | Charges are being validated individually |
| Processed | Charges were created and will be submitted to the banking network |
| Errored | Charges validation failed, error report is available |


## Response Files

As with SFTP submissions, the platform generates response files at each stage. These can be downloaded from the reports section. See the [Charge Results report](/products/directdebit/content/guides/portal/reports#charge-status-report).