Can I cancel a recurring card payment?

Yes. You have the legal right to cancel a continuous payment authority at any time, up to the end of business on the day before the next payment is due. You can cancel by telling the business, or by telling your card issuer (your bank or building society) — you do not have to contact the company first. Once you have asked your card issuer to stop the payments, they must stop them, even if you have not been able to reach the business.

What if payments keep coming after I cancel?

Any payment taken after you have asked for a CPA to be stopped is treated as an unauthorised transaction. Your card issuer must refund it, and any related charges, immediately. If a payment still comes out, contact your card issuer, tell them you cancelled the authority and ask for a refund. If they refuse or drag their feet, make a formal complaint, and if you are still not refunded you can take it free to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Does cancelling the payment cancel my contract?

No — and this is important. Stopping the card payment stops the money leaving your card, but it does not automatically end the underlying agreement. If you still owe money under a genuine contract (for example a gym membership still in its minimum term), you could build up arrears. So cancel the CPA to stop unwanted or unrecognised payments, but also cancel the contract itself properly where one exists, and get advice if a company says you still owe money.

Cancel a recurring card payment (CPA)

Q: What is a continuous payment authority?

A continuous payment authority (CPA), also called a recurring payment or recurring transaction, is when you give a business permission to take payments from your debit or credit card whenever they say. It is different from a Direct Debit or standing order, which come from your bank account. CPAs are common for gym memberships, subscriptions, some memberships and 'free trials' that convert to paid, and some short-term loans. The business can vary the amount and dates, which is why they can be hard to stop by dealing with the company alone.

Q: Is a CPA the same as a Direct Debit?

No. A Direct Debit and a standing order are set up on your bank account and are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee, and you cancel them through your bank. A continuous payment authority is set up on your debit or credit card using the card number. All three can be stopped by contacting your bank, but the rules and protections differ — for a CPA, your card issuer must stop payments on request and refund any taken after you cancel.

What a recurring card payment actually is

A continuous payment authority (also called a recurring payment or recurring transaction) is when you give a company permission to take money from your debit or credit card whenever they say — often for a varying amount. It’s how most subscriptions, memberships, gyms and “free trials” take their money.

It’s not the same as a Direct Debit or standing order, and that’s exactly why people struggle to stop it:

Type	Set up on	How to stop
Continuous payment authority	Your card (card number)	Tell the company or your card issuer — the bank must stop it.
Direct Debit	Your bank account	Cancel through your bank; covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
Standing order	Your bank account	You set the amount/dates; cancel through your bank.

The key pointBecause a CPA sits on your card, you don’t have to win an argument with the company to stop it. Your bank can — and must — pull the plug when you ask.

Your right to cancel

Under the rules the Financial Conduct Authority sets, you can withdraw your consent and stop a future CPA payment at any time, up to the end of business on the day before the next payment is due. And crucially:

You can cancel by telling the company or your card issuer (your bank or building society).
Your card issuer cannot insist you contact the company first — they must stop the payments if you ask them to.
Any payment taken after you ask for it to be stopped is an unauthorised transaction, which the bank must refund immediately, along with any related charges.

How to stop it

Contact your bank or building society — by app, phone or in branch — and say you want to cancel a continuous payment authority / recurring card payment to [company name].
Ask them to block any future payments from that company on your card, and get confirmation.
Also tell the company you’re withdrawing authority (in writing, keep a copy) — and cancel the underlying contract properly if there is one.
Keep an eye on your statements for the next month or two, and act fast if anything still comes out.

Say it clearlyUse the words “continuous payment authority” or “recurring card payment” — some bank staff still wrongly say they can only stop Direct Debits, or tell you to sort it with the company. That’s not correct: politely repeat that under FCA rules they must stop a CPA on your instruction.

If payments keep coming

If money still leaves your card after you’ve cancelled, those payments are unauthorised. Contact your card issuer, remind them you withdrew the authority, and ask for an immediate refund of the payments and any charges (like an overdraft fee) they caused.

If the bank won’t refundMake a formal complaint to the bank. If they don’t put it right within 8 weeks, or you’re unhappy with their answer, take it free to the Financial Ombudsman Service — their decision is binding on the bank. If the recurring payment came from something you never signed up to, it may be a scam — check it and report it.

Important: stopping the payment isn't the same as ending the contract

Cancelling a CPA stops the money leaving your card — but it does not automatically cancel the agreement behind it. If you’re still in a genuine contract (say a gym membership still in its minimum term), simply blocking the payment could leave you building up arrears the company can chase.

So do both where a real contract exists: stop the payment to protect your money, and cancel the contract properly. For memberships, see cancelling a gym membership; for faulty goods or services and refunds, see your consumer rights; and if the debt itself is unfair or you can’t pay, get free advice.

Do this now

Open your banking app and tell your bank you want to cancel a continuous payment authority to the company taking the money — ask them to block future payments and confirm it. Then tell the company in writing and, if there’s a contract, end that too.

If money’s tight and payments have piled up, get free help from StepChange 0800 138 1111 or Citizens Advice, and see your debt options.

Related guides

Direct Debit Guarantee Cancel a gym membership Consumer rights Check a scam Buy now, pay later

Source verification Primary sources: FCA (recurring card payments; continuous payment authorities — your right to cancel; the reminder to banks of their obligations) and Citizens Advice (stopping a future payment on your debit or credit card). Specific URL: fca.org.uk — recurring card payments. Last verified 2 July 2026 (the right to cancel up to end of business the day before, that the card issuer must stop payments on request without insisting you contact the company first, and that payments taken after cancellation are unauthorised and must be refunded immediately — web-checked against the FCA and Citizens Advice). Confidence: High — the framework comes from the FCA (Consumer Credit sourcebook CONC 7.6) and the Payment Services Regulations: consent can be withdrawn any time, card issuers must stop a CPA on instruction, and post-cancellation payments are unauthorised transactions the issuer must refund with related charges. Cancelling the payment does not end the underlying contract. Scope: UK-wide. Not financial advice — for money worries get free help from Citizens Advice, StepChange or MoneyHelper; escalate an unresolved bank complaint free to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Recurring card payments — common questions

What is a continuous payment authority?

A recurring payment a company takes from your debit or credit card whenever they say — common for subscriptions, gyms and “free trials”. It’s set up on your card, not your bank account, which is different from a Direct Debit or standing order.

Can I really cancel it through my bank?

Yes. You can cancel any time up to end of business the day before the next payment. Your card issuer must stop it when you ask — they can’t insist you contact the company first. Use the words “continuous payment authority” or “recurring card payment”.

What if a payment still comes out?

Payments taken after you cancel are unauthorised — the bank must refund them and any related charges immediately. If they don’t, complain formally, then take it free to the Financial Ombudsman Service.

Does cancelling the payment end my contract?

No. Stopping the card payment protects your money but doesn’t cancel the agreement. If you’re still in a genuine contract you could build up arrears, so cancel the contract properly too and get advice if a company says you still owe.

Is a CPA the same as a Direct Debit?

No. A Direct Debit or standing order is on your bank account (Direct Debits carry the Direct Debit Guarantee); a CPA is on your card. All can be stopped via your bank, but the CPA rules give you the right to have payments stopped on request and refunded if taken after.

Sources: Your right to cancel a continuous payment authority and the bank’s obligation to stop it + refund · FCA. Stopping a future card payment · Citizens Advice and MoneyHelper. SortedUK is not a regulated adviser and this is general information. Last reviewed: 2 July 2026.

Can't stop a recurring card payment? — your bank has to