Direct debit bouncing

[MrsGideon]

So, my DP and I are both with Lloyds for our personal accounts and Monzo for our joint account. We each have a direct debit set up after payday every month to the joint account, out of which comes all our utility direct debits.

Yesterday, because it was Sunday, our direct debits didn't go into our joint account, so all our utility DDs bounced.

My questions:

1. Do companies give you any leniency on DDs if they try and take the money on a Sunday? Or do they automatically charge a fee?
2. Will it affect our credit rating?
3. Do the companies automatically try and take the DD the next day or do I have to manually go and transfer the money across?

Thanks!

Change the dates by a few days on the direct debits so it allows some leeway.
Banks shouldn't take direct debits on weekends I didn't think and mine never has.
On the odd occasion pay has been a day late and direct debits have come out slightly early I've called the bank and it's been fine

Thanks for the reply. The direct debits that bounced (i.e. couldn't be taken out) were for the utilities companies (so eon, virgin media etc). They bounced because our own personal direct debits that go into our joint account weren't put through because it was a Sunday. Obv I will now change that so that the money will go into the joint account earlier to avoid this happening again, but I don't know what to do about the situation I'm in right now

There won't be any leeway from the companies; because they won't have tried to take the money on Sunday - it will have been attempted Friday or in the early hours of this morning.

Is the payment from Lloyd's to Monzo definitely a direct debit? It sounds like it's more likely to be a standing order, which is different.

If the companies really did try to take a Direct Debit on the weekend there's something wrong with their systems or your bank. Find out which and complain. You are not responsible for their errors.

However, as Anchor posted, it's far more likely that they presented very early hours of this morning or on Friday. If it's early hours of this morning then it sounds like unfortunate timing and the money going into your account went in later than the Direct Debit being presented. With a more reasonable bank (like Lloyds cannot believe I just said that but they do this) they'll give you a few hours of grace each day to correct any instances like this so the Direct Debit wouldn't bounce until after 2pm for example.

If this is your error albeit because of money moving at the wrong time then call the companies and ask if they'll automatically re-present the Direct Debit or if you need to make a payment to balance your account. At least that way you won't fall into the default category which is when it starts dragging down your credit score.

Check the dates on all your payments.

Your payment from your own account (as others have said, if you've set this up to leave your account then it's a standing order, so which is different) is resumably set up for the last day of the month in order to have the money available for the next day in your joint account? If so, was the transfer made a day too late for some reason?

I went into unauthorised overdraft as my DD's came out before the money went in this morning.

Thanks all for the responses :) I will call them up today.

It will be a standing order that you have set up going to the joint account. I would either change the standing order date or change the direct debit dates (some companies may not did this or may charge for it)

I have quite a bit of experience here. Direct debits will never be taken on a weekend day, for instance anyone who had a direct debit due on the 1/12/18 which was a Saturday it would automatically go the next working day. Same with standing orders (which is what u have set up going from one account to another). I have it set up so that my standing order leaves my account a few days before direct debits are due so that the money is there in plenty of time.

You need more gap between your standing order (that's what it is, only companies can set up direct debits) from your Lloyds account to your Monzo account because they never go anywhere on weekends or bank holidays (fuck knows why, because it's all computer controlled, it's not like they need someone there to press a button).

Or can you set up an authorised overdraft on your Monzo account, solely to overcome this issue (ie pretend that the overdraft doesn't exist, it isn't money you can spend, but it allows direct debits to occasionally go out before the standing order money to pay for them goes in).

Direct debits do seem to do weird things on weekends and can go anywhere between the end of Friday end start of Monday.