If it isn't a direct debit or a standing order

[Shiningdew]

But money regularly comes out of your account, what is it - can anyone tell me?

Recurring card transaction? So you give your credit or debit card details to a company who take a payment from the card, but you also authorise them to take any future payments from the same card.

Thank you - how do I stop it? :)

Instruct your bank not to pay it.

if you use online banking, there is usually the option to stop it there.

There isn't - have been trying which is why it confused me when it keeps coming out.

I just ring them and say I've lost the card which is then cancelled and a new one issued. Anything hooked up to the card is automatically cancelled.

Saves a lot of hassle imo.

That's a credit card though. I don't know if it works with a debit.

It's called a continuous authority payment. you sign up for something (like a magazine subscription for example) and, in doing so, give consent for a recurring payment to be taken from your bank account or credit card. You usually need to contact the company that is taking the money to cancel the service.

Thanks for that :)

They are a pain to stop as the organisation that takes the payment has to cease taking it, your bank can't stop it and you can't do it via online banking. So you first have to contact the company and hope they stop it.
As gamerchick says, if you request a new card the payments will stop being taken as the card details the company hold then become invalid.

Sorry gamerchick this isn't the case. Cancelling the card will not halt any recurring payments. You need to get in touch with the bank to get the payments stopped. They may tell you that they can't do this, but they can (although they sometimes need a little persuasion).

Cancelling the card would stop it as you would have a new card with a different long card number, expiry date and security number on the back.

The company take the payments with these details, not with account number or sort code, so it should stop the payments.

It's what I've always done, and been instructed to do by my bank.

No, cancelling a card will not stop recurring payments. Banks are obliged to transfer payments to a new card.

Otherwise charges from post hotel checkouts for damages, or parking fines from hire cars ect could just be blocked by cancelling the card.

Financial Conduct Authority advice here. Apparently it should now be easier to cancel than it was in the past.

Just saying what works for me. Like yanno what is tried and tested type of thing. Telling me it isn't the case is a bit like telling me I can't be cold

Like I said I've just done it with credit cards.

gamer it may have worked for you in the past, but this certainly isn't a steadfast way of making sure a payment is cancelled.

If someone comes on here looking for advice on how to cancel a recurring payment I just don't want them to think this is the case as it could lead to loads of hassle. As explained the bank is obliged to transfer the payment to the new card, otherwise this would defeat the purpose of the continuous payment scheme.

To be 100% certain you must confirm with your bank that the payment has been cancelled. Simply cancelling your card does not guarantee this.

this sounds like the monthly gym fee that i authorised to come out of a particular account. I had to move the $$ to another account in order to stop it-that was after i was ordered out of the gym by a testosterone fueled trainer because i was not wearing what he called suitable clothes-i.e. tight and revealing. The bank account change worked.