Recurring Payments are also known as Continuous Payment Authorities and you can use a debit card to set up a Recurring Payment to allow a business to charge your card regularly. This sort of payment is ideal for regular payments of the same amount, such as for a gym membership or a magazine subscription. The main difference between setting up a Direct Debit on your current account and setting up a Recurring Payment is you give the business your debit card number, rather than your account number and the sort code.
There is no common scheme or set of rules for Recurring Payments and the Direct Debit Guarantee does not apply to them. This means that there is no automatic right to ask your bank to stop the payments as there is with a Direct Debit, so it is important that you check out the business before you give them the authority to charge your card.
If you want to stop a Recurring Payment at any time, you must contact the company taking the payments. It is best to do this in writing and to keep a copy in case they dispute this later. You should also write to your bank to tell them that you have cancelled the Recurring Payment.
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