Guides › Banking Scams and Fraud › Stop a Card Payment That Keeps Taking Money
Stop a Card Payment That Keeps Taking Money
If a business keeps taking money from your card, ask your card issuer to cancel the recurring payment. The FCA says it must stop the payments once you ask, even if you have not contacted the business, and must refund any further payments taken, with related charges, straight away.
At a Glance
Your Rights
What the rules say, with a link to the official source for each.
Stopping the Payments
Your Right to Stop Them
A recurring card payment (sometimes called a continuous payment authority) lets a business charge your card without asking each time. Ask your card issuer to cancel it: once you have asked, it must stop the payments, even if you have not contacted the business. It cannot make you contact the business first, though where possible you should let the business know. source
Money Taken After
Any further payments are unauthorised transactions. Your card issuer must refund them and any related charges immediately. source
Unauthorised Payments
Unauthorised Payments
If a payment was made without your permission (an unauthorised payment), contact your bank within 13 months. The money should reach your account by the end of the next business day, together with any charges and interest you paid or lost because of the payment. source
Complaining to the Ombudsman
If your bank refuses or you are unhappy with how it handled a scam, you can complain to the bank and then to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which is free. Its compensation limit is 430,000 pounds, and it can look at cases where losses are over 85,000 pounds. source
Time Limits to Know
Miss a deadline and you can lose a right. Check the dates on your own paperwork.
- 13 monthsReport an APP scam or unauthorised paymentWithin 13 months of the payment, but as soon as possible
- Next business dayUnauthorised payment refundBy the end of the next business day
Steps to Take
Step 1 of 5
Tell the business you are cancelling, in writing if you can, and keep a copy.
Step 2 of 5
Ask your card issuer (in the app or by phone) to stop recurring payments to that business.
Step 3 of 5
Note the date and time you asked, and any reference.
Step 4 of 5
If money is taken afterwards, ask your card issuer for an immediate refund as an unauthorised payment.
Step 5 of 5
If the bank refuses, complain, then go to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
(Tap the numbers to reveal steps)
Where to Go If It Is Not Put Right
Your options, in order, and when each one applies.
Your Bank's Complaints Team
Always start here, in writing, once your bank has refused or not replied.
Financial Ombudsman Service
You are unhappy with your bank's final response. It is free, and its limit is 430,000 pounds.
Good to Know
Small things that make your complaint stronger.
Cancelling a recurring payment does not cancel your contract: you may still owe money under it, so cancel with the business too.
Want Help?
If you would like one of our team to look at your problem, our initial case review is free. We cannot guarantee any outcome and we do not give legal advice.
Lead reviewer
Luke Marley
Founder and Lead Reviewer
Luke founded CPUK in 2026 after seeing how hard it is for ordinary people to get problems with companies put right. He oversees our guides and checks them against official sources.
Research by Katie Burt, Co-founder and Operations Lead (17 years in the care sector, including managing services for vulnerable adults), and the CPUK Research Team. Researched with AI-assisted research tools, then checked and corrected by our team.
Last checked: 13 October 2026. We are not paid by the companies we write about. Adverts never affect our guidance. Read our editorial policy.
Sources and official links
- fca.org.uk/news/continuous-payment-authorities-your-right-to-cancel Checked 13 October 2026
- fca.org.uk/consumers/fraudulent-payments Checked 12 October 2026
- psr.org.uk/information-for-consumers/app-fraud-reimbursement-protections Checked 13 October 2026