How can I stop my bank account being charged for a canceled service? (2024)

FAQs

How can I stop my bank account being charged for a canceled service? ›

Now I have canceled the service, but my bank won't stop the withdrawals. What can I do? Write directly to the vendor/merchant to request no further debits to your checking account. You should provide the bank with a copy of the letter and inform the bank that these charges are no longer authorized.

To stop payment, you need to notify your bank at least three business days before the transaction is scheduled to be made and your bank may charge a fee. The notice to stop the transaction may be made orally or in writing. A bank can require written confirmation of an oral stop payment request.

Call and write the company

Call the company and tell them you are taking away your permission for the company to take automatic payments out of your bank account. The company's customer service should be able to help you, and there might be an online form you can use. Then, follow up by writing a letter or an e-mail.

Monthly maintenance/service fee

Monthly fees can range from $4 to $25, but they are generally easy to avoid. Account holders can tend to get out of their monthly fees by opening both a checking and a savings account at the same bank or by maintaining a minimum balance in your account.

The best way to stop these payments is to first cancel your subscription with the company directly by requesting a cancellation via email or phone. If this doesn't work, you should contact your bank or card company online or by phone to cancel the payment.

Contact Card Issuer

If the vendor in question continues to take money from your account despite your request that it stop, you'll need to get in touch with your card issuer and ask that they block the company from charging your credit card.

Merchant blocking will prevent a merchant from using your card for any future transactions, including subscriptions or recurring charges. Please note that you can only block merchants that you have a previous transaction with. If you change your mind in the future, follow the same steps above to unblock the merchant.

Most banks allow you to turn off automatic bank payments through online banking. You may also contact your bank's customer service to cancel a recurring bank payment.

You can either get in touch with your bank or building society and tell them which one you want to stop, or you can cancel online or via your banking app. To make things simple, it's also worth telling the organisation you were paying that you've stopped the Direct Debit.

But don't worry – if you're not happy with the idea of paying an extra 15% or 20%, we checked with an expert on all things politeness and, yes, you can ask for it to be removed without sounding like a dreadful person.

Can I ask my bank to decline a charge? ›

The purpose of the law is to protect credit card users from fraud, from both fraudulent merchants and third parties using stolen card numbers. Under the law, consumers can contact their bank to dispute a charge that they believe to be invalid or unauthorized.

You can call the issuer of the debit card and tell them not to allow charges by the specific company. Usually, they'll do this for you.

You can contact your bank and place a stop payment order on the recurring transaction. Generally, a stop payment order is only good for six months. To stop payment, you will need to notify your bank at least three business days before the next payment is scheduled to be made. Notice may be made orally or in writing.

Turning your card off will not stop card transactions presented as recurring transactions or the posting of refunds, reversals, or credit adjustments to your account. Any digital card numbers linked to the card will also be turned off.

Recurring ACH debit payments are able to be cancelled, but you must do so at least three business days before the payment is due. To cancel a recurring ACH payment, you'll need to first contact the company you're paying and inform them that you're revoking their access to your account.

Debit Card Control is a FREE service which allows you to take control of your debit card transactions. Turn your card on or off, block certain types of transactions, block certain merchants, and even set spending limits.

Block Debit or Credit Card Via SMS

Step 1: Type a message with the specified format provided by your bank - usually followed by the last four digits of your card number. Step 2: Send this to the number provided by your bank for SMS services. Step 3: You'll get an SMS confirmation once your card has been blocked.

How do I stop a pending debit transaction? You can stop a pending debit card transaction by contacting the merchant and canceling the purchase. Or you can try contacting your bank if you don't recognize the transaction, you suspect fraud is involved, or the merchant is unresponsive.