Direct Debits

A Direct Debit is an easy and convenient way to make payments

Many companies use them to take regular and occasional payments from your bank account for bills and memberships.

You can also have variable Direct Debits to pay for things like energy bills where the amount may change from month to month. The company will let you know in advance when they're due to collect your Direct Debit.

Direct Debits and standing orders are both types of automatic payments but they’re quite different from each other.

A Direct Debit is when you give a company permission to take money from your account on an agreed date.
A standing order is when you set up fixed, regular payments with your bank to pay friends, relatives or even your rent.

Direct Debits are also different to recurring card payments. Where Direct Debits are set up using your sort code and account number, recurring card payments are set up using your card number and are often used for online streaming services and subscriptions.

Cater Allen is part of the Direct Debit Scheme, which protects you and your money by means of the Direct Debit Guarantee. This Guarantee is used by all banks and building societies that take part in the Direct Debit Scheme, and they all monitor and protect the efficiency and security of the Scheme.

Additional Direct Debit information

A Direct Debit is set up by a company once you give them permission to collect payments from your bank account to pay a bill. You must contact these companies to set up Direct Debits yourself as we can't do this for you.

When agreeing to pay a company by Direct Debit, they may ask you to fill out a form to confirm that you're happy with the payments being taken. They'll also ask for your sort code and account number, which can be found on your card, statement, or in Internet Banking.

The company may also ask for our address which is Cater Allen Operations, Sunderland SR43 4FB.

You can view your Direct Debits in Internet Banking.

Log on to Internet Banking.
Go to 'Payment Services' in the top left menu.
Click 'Direct Debits' in the left-hand side menu.
Select 'Account type'.
Select an account from the drop down.
A table showing all direct debits is now displayed.
Click on the required direct debit and press 'View'.

Alternately, you can call us.

Can't log on to your account? Visit our Troubleshooting page for support. If you haven't signed up for Internet Banking yet, visit our Registration and logging on section today to get started.

Can't find your Direct Debits?

If you can't find a Direct Debit it may be that you used your card to set up regular payments with a company (often done for online streaming services). This type of payment is different to a Direct Debit.

For more information, please read about recurring card transactions on our Visa Debit Card page.

You'll need to contact the company so they can amend a Direct Debit for you.

The easiest way to cancel a Direct Debit is in Internet Banking.

Please make sure that you cancel the Direct Debit online by 6pm on the working day before the payment is due to be taken from your account. If you don't, you run the risk of the Direct Debit being taken from your account.

You'll also need to contact the company and cancel the Direct Debit with them.

If you're struggling to pay a Direct Debit, speaking with the company can also help as they may be able to organise a payment plan for you.

Log on to Internet Banking.
Click on 'Payment Services' in the top left menu.
Click on 'Direct Debits' in the left-hand side menu.
Select 'Account type'.
Select an account from the drop-down.
A table showing your Direct Debits is displayed.
Click 'Cancel'.
Scroll to the bottom of the screen and click 'Terminate'.
Check the preconfirmation details then scroll to the bottom of the screen.
Click 'Submit'.

If your account is 2 or more to sign, each additional signer must approve the request on the same day before 23:59pm (6pm for payments due the next working day) by following these steps:

Login to Cater Allen Internet Banking
Click 'Authorisation' on the top right menu
Approve the transaction.

Or you can call us to cancel a Direct Debit on the business day before the company has taken it from your account or let us know in writing.

Can't log on to your account? Visit our Troubleshooting page for support. If you haven't signed up for Internet Banking yet, visit our Registration and logging on section today to get started.

Can't find your Direct Debit?

For more information, please read our recurring card transactions page.

To reinstate a cancelled or expired Direct Debit, you can get in touch with the company to set the payment back up.

If you're having any issues re-instating your Direct Debit, please call us.

If you know the company you set up the Direct Debit with, you can often get a refund directly from them.

When can you ask for a refund?

You may be able to get a refund through us if a Direct Debit was paid in error. This could be the wrong amount, or they've taken a payment on the wrong date. If you get a refund and it wasn't because of an error, you may have to pay back the amount refunded to the company or to us.

You won't be able to claim a refund if:

you paid on your Visa Debit Card
you're in dispute with the company
you forgot to cancel the Direct Debit
you haven't received the goods and/or services
you've returned the goods and/or services.

The easiest way to see if you can claim a refund and raise an indemnity is to call us.

Direct Debits

Setting up a Direct Debit

View a Direct Debit

Can't find your Direct Debits?

Amending a Direct Debit

Cancelling a Direct Debit

Can't find your Direct Debit?

Reinstating a Direct Debit

Refund for a Direct Debit

When can you ask for a refund?