Subskim

How to stop a recurring payment

A recurring payment can come straight from your bank account, from a debit or credit card, or through Apple, Google Play or PayPal. Cancel with whoever bills you first, then ask your bank or card issuer to stop anything that still comes through. The rules differ between the US and the UK, so each has its own sections below.

Last updated October 14, 2026

Should I cancel with the company or my bank first?

Cancel with the company first. Stopping the payment does not by itself end your contract, so you may still owe what you agreed to pay.

In the US, the CFPB says that to end an ongoing service, like cable or a gym, you should cancel the contract with the company as well as tell it to stop automatic payments. In the UK, the FCA says canceling a recurring card payment does not necessarily end your contract, and the Direct Debit Guarantee does not change the contract you have with the company either.

Use the company's own cancel page or account settings. The cancel guides give the steps for popular services. Then use the bank and card steps below to stop anything that still comes through.

What if the charge comes from Apple, Google Play or PayPal?

Cancel it there, in your Apple, Google Play or PayPal account. The company that bills you is not always the company that made the app. If you can't find an Apple receipt for a subscription, Apple suggests checking your bank or credit card statement to see which company bills you, and canceling with that company. Look for these:

How do I stop automatic payments from my bank account in the US?

Tell both the company and your bank that you are taking back your permission. The CFPB says you have the right to stop a company from taking automatic payments from your account, even if you allowed them before.

  1. Call the company and say you are taking away its permission to take automatic payments. Say whether you are canceling the subscription or only changing how you pay. Follow up with a letter or email.
  2. Call your bank or credit union and say you have revoked the company's authorization. Your bank may have an online form for this. Follow up with a letter or email.
  3. Once both know, the CFPB says any further payments the company starts would be errors, and you can ask your bank for a refund.

Your bank may also suggest a stop payment order, an instruction not to pay a specific company from your account. Banks and credit unions generally charge a fee for it. Under Regulation E, the federal rule on electronic fund transfers, you can stop an automatic payment by telling your bank, orally or in writing, at least three business days before it is scheduled. If you tell your bank orally, it can require you to confirm in writing within 14 days, and it must tell you so when you call. If you don't confirm, the order stops being binding after 14 days.

If you see a payment you did not allow, or one taken after you revoked authorization, tell your bank right away. Federal law gives you the right to dispute it and get your money back, as long as you tell your bank in time.

Can my bank stop a recurring charge on my debit or credit card in the US?

For a debit card, yes. The CFPB says you have a right to stop payment of preauthorized debit card transactions under federal law. Ask your bank to stop the payment, and tell the company you have canceled.

The CFPB notes that banks' own systems generally can't stop these card payments, so the rules let a bank use a third party, such as the debit card network, to block the payment instead, as long as your account is not charged.

For a credit card, the FTC says that if you can't cancel, you can call your credit card company and ask it to stop the payments. If the company won't stop charging you after you told it to cancel, the FTC says to dispute the charge with your credit or debit card company. The CFPB's steps for disputing a credit card charge are:

  • Call the card company and tell it about the problem right away.
  • To protect your rights, also send a written billing error notice within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement.
  • If you already paid the charge, you can still dispute it.

How do I cancel a Direct Debit in the UK?

Contact your bank or building society, or cancel online or in your banking app. Then tell the company you have stopped the Direct Debit, and say so if you are ending the service.

Cancel at least a full day before a payment is due. After that, the payment may already be in progress and can't be stopped, so check how much notice your bank needs. Canceling only stops the payments. If you still owe money or still get the service, you need to pay another way.

Every Direct Debit is covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee:

  • The company will tell you before changing the amount, date or frequency of a payment, normally 10 working days ahead, unless you agreed otherwise.
  • If the company or your bank makes an error in a payment, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund from your bank or building society.
  • If money is taken after you cancel, contact your bank immediately and claim a refund under the Guarantee.
  • If you get a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when the company asks.

How do I stop a recurring card payment in the UK?

Ask the company to stop it, or ask your card issuer to cancel it. The FCA calls these recurring card payments, also known as continuous payment authorities, and says they are often used for subscriptions and memberships.

  • Once you ask, your card issuer must stop the payments, even if you have not contacted the company. It can't insist that you contact the company first, but the FCA says you should let the company know where possible.
  • Ask by the end of the business day before the next payment is due. Otherwise you can still be charged.
  • Any payment the company takes after you cancel counts as unauthorized. Your card issuer must refund it, and any related charges, immediately. If payments continue, contact your card issuer. If you are not refunded, the FCA says you should complain.
  • These payments are not covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, and getting a new card may not stop them.

What should I keep as proof?

Keep a record of every request and the date you made it. The CFPB suggests following up calls with a letter or email and keeping close track of your requests and their dates, so that if a payment still goes through, you can work with your bank to get it refunded. For credit card disputes, it also says to keep copies and write down the dates of follow-up calls. The FTC says to keep a copy of your cancellation request, along with notes about any conversations you had about canceling.

  • The company's cancellation confirmation, as an email or a screenshot.
  • Copies of the letters or emails you sent to the company and your bank.
  • The dates of phone calls and who you spoke to.
  • The statement with the last charge, and the next one, which should show no charge.

Keep the subscription on your list until its next renewal date has passed with no charge. Subskim puts every renewal date on a calendar, so you know which statement to check.

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