If you’ve ever set up regular payments on your debit card, like Netflix or a gym membership, you might be wondering how to cancel it if you don’t want it anymore. Well, we’ll teach you how to do it in a few easy steps.

Easy as 1,2,3

The first thing you should do is contact the merchant or service provider and ask them to stop charging your card. You should do this via email so that you have a paper trail of your claim. If, down the track you are continually charged, you can use this evidence to help get your money back. You should also do this at least 15 days before the next scheduled payment is due to come out of your account.

If you have to do this via a phone call, make sure you keep a record of the date and time and the merchants response. Ask them to email or mail you a copy of your request.

Hopefully this is where you’ve stopped reading as the merchant honours your request and cancels the regular payment. Congratulations. If this isn’t the case, keep on reading!

So if you’re still here, the second thing to do is to check your bank statements. If on the due date the payment gets taken out, get back in contact with the merchant. Remind them of your request to cancel and ask for a full refund.

If in the unlikely event the merchant does not  play ball, it’s time to give your bank a call to dispute the charges. You can do this online, over the phone, or by visiting a branch (if there’s one nearby). You’ll need to let your bank know all the details relating to the transaction. Open up your banking app or site and comb through the transaction details. Pass all this information onto your bank, along with the correspondence of your cancellation request.

Then, your bank will take care of the rest!

Know your rights

Australians are protected under Australian Consumer Law. We have the right to cancel a regular payment from your debit card if the goods or services are not delivered as agreed, are defective, or are not fit for purpose. You also have the right to return the goods or services and get a refund if you cancel within a reasonable time.

If you have any problems or complaints with the merchant or service provider, you can contact your state or territory’s Consumer Affairs Agency for help, listed below.

1. Australian Capital Territory – Access Canberra
2. New South Wales – NSW Fair Trading
3. Northern Territory – NT Consumer Affairs
4. Queensland – Office of Fair Trading Queensland
5. South Australia – SA Office of Consumer and Business Services (CBS)
6. Tasmania – Tasmania Consumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)
7. Victoria – Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)
8. Western Australia – Consumer Protection WA