Setting up a direct debit from your credit card can be a handy way to keep on top of ongoing payments such as phone bills or streaming subscriptions. But if you want more control over how and when your payments are made, you can cancel a direct debit.
The steps to cancel a direct debit from a bank account and a credit card vary slightly, and to cancel an existing direct debit from your credit card, follow these simple steps:
Both the Australian Code of Banking Practice and the Customer Owned Banking Code of Practice state that they will promptly deal with any request you make to cancel a direct debit payment.
If you've set up automatic payments for things like rent or savings deposits, you can cancel them yourself through your banking app or website. Make sure that you do this at least one business day in advance of the scheduled payment so the next payment doesn't get processed during the transition period.
A direct debit that is made without your permission is considered an unauthorised transaction but would only be illegal if it was fraudulent. There are a number of reasons unauthorised direct debits occur, and not all of them are due to fraudulent activity.
Some may be due to human error. For example, if the business that billed you had not correctly cancelled a direct debit after you requested it. Other unauthorised payments can be as a result of system errors. Human and system errors don't break the law but, if the transaction is unauthorised, you can still get your money back using the following steps.
| Response | |
|---|---|
| No | 55.44% |
| Yes | 29.29% |
| I do not have a credit card | 15.27% |
Keep these details in mind before you cancel a direct debit payment so that you can get through the process as quickly as possible.
Most of the time, cancelling a direct debit payment is simple. But if you're still having trouble with a particular business after following the steps above, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) website has details on your rights and how to lodge a formal complaint. You can also lodge complaints against your credit card issuer through AFCA by calling 1800 931 678 if no action has been taken within 45 days.
If you decide to write a letter or email to cancel your direct debit payment, you need to include details of the direct debit and the account it's linked to. You also need to state that you want the direct debit payments to stop.
The letter below is an example of what you might write to a bank when you want them to cancel a direct debit. Remember that you should add your own details to the letter and make changes so that it's relevant to you. For example, if you're writing to the merchant, you would include details of your account with them instead of the bank and credit card details listed in the example.
To:
The Manager
[Name of credit card issuer][Name of branch][Address]Account name: [XXXXXXXXXX ]
Credit Card Account No: [XXXXXXXXXXX]
Dear Manager,
RE: CANCELLATION OF DIRECT DEBIT
I request that you cancel a direct debit authority previously granted by me to [name of the merchant] with immediate effect.
Find enclosed a copy of the letter I sent to [name of the merchant] instructing it of the same.
Regards,
[Signature][Name]Your credit card provider cannot legally refuse to honour your request for a direct debit cancellation and should take action promptly. You should follow up by phone or visit a branch if you haven't heard anything within a few days.
If another payment is taken out via direct debit after you've sent your request, you can also ask your provider to reverse the transaction. You can also ask for written confirmation or a reference to confirm that your provider has taken action.
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I tried to cancel a credit card recurring payment.
However my bank pointed out that clause 19.1 of the 2013 code isn’t to do with credit cards or direct debits. They also pointed out that credit card recurring payments (as opposed to direct debits, which are direct from bank accounts) doesn’t have an unconditional cancelling clause.
Therefore since I had originally agreed to the recurring payment, and even though in the meantime my credit card had expired and a new one was issued, and I hadn’t provided the merchant with the new expiry date, they refused to cancel the credit card recurring payment. They said I had to get the merchant to cancel it.
Therefore how do I cancel this recurring payment?
Hi Jussy,
Thanks for getting in touch with finder. I hope all is well with you. :)
There’s a slight difference between the process of canceling a direct debit from a bank account and a credit card. In your case, the first step you need to take is to get in touch with the concerned merchant. A call, email, or letter should be sufficient to notify your merchant. Ask them formally to cancel your credit card payment arrangement.
After doing so, you can now contact your bank and send them a copy of the agreement you just made with the merchant. After a few days, you may then check with your provider if they indeed cancelled the direct debit.
I hope this helps. Should you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach us out again.
Have a wonderful day!
Cheers,
Joshua
I want to cancel direct debit from my personal which is linked to credit card account…. How do I go doing this? As every time I reach the support team on call they are not able to help me…. Plz provide with the solution
Hello Syed,
Thank you for your comment.
The steps you can see above are for cancelation of debit card linked to a credit card. You must contact your credit card provider and instruct it to cancel the direct debit in question. You can check with your provider’s website contact us page to contact them or call them on the contact numbers displayed.
Regards,
Jhezelyn
i want to know that how can i write a letter for cancel debit card
Hi Dinesh,
Thanks for your question.
As your debit card gives you access to your transaction account, you can just write a basic letter informing the bank of your name, account number, and account information and the date you want your debit card canceled. If you would also like to cancel your transaction account you can refer to – How to close your Australian bank account article.
I hope this has helped.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
How must I write the letter to inform my insurance provider not to debit my account for six months, but not to be cancelled due to my contract ending as a temporary employee?
Hi Kgauhelo. Thanks for your question. You may need to wait until the time you wish to cancel the direct debit, as the insurance provider may not be able to arrange a future cancellation of direct debit. The best thing to do is to give them a call and find out what their policy is. Otherwise, please use the example on this page to draft a letter to your provider. Jacob.