Setting up a Direct Debit
Save time, effort, and maybe even money when you pay by Direct Debit. You can spread costs for bigger purchases and be confident that your regular bills will be paid on time, every time.
It’s pretty easy to sort out, too.
If you’re switching to Direct Debit to pay a company where you’re already a customer (for example, if you are paying them a regular one-off payment), first thing to do is get in touch with them and they’ll set up the Direct Debit Instruction for you. That might be online or over the phone, or it could be by post.
If you want to pay a new company by Direct Debit, they’ll probably offer it to you when you first join them or buy something. If they don’t, you can ask them if Direct Debit is an option.
Step 1 – Set up a Direct Debit Instruction
Whether the organisation asks you to do this online, over the phone, or by post, the information you’ll need to provide is the same:
- Your name and address
- The name and address of your bank or building society
- Your bank or building society account number
- The branch sort code of your bank or building society (see your debit card or banking app)
- The name(s) on the account.
The organisation will send the Instruction onto your bank or building society, and start to collect payments on the date you agreed with them. Most organisations offer a choice of dates so, if one doesn’t suit you, ask if there’s another option.
Step 2 - Check advance notices
The organisation must let you know how much it’s going to collect and when – that will usually be a bill or it could be a simple text, letter, or email . Check that’s right and, if it isn’t, contact them straightaway. If you aren’t sure how your biller will communicate with you, it’s worth checking what preference you indicated when you signed up so you don’t miss any important messages.
Step 3 – Get on with your life
Apart from making sure you have enough money in your account when payment is due, that’s it! But please don’t “set up and forget”. Check your bank account regularly to make sure all of your Direct Debits are being made, as you expected.
