direct debit

British

noun

an order given to a bank or building society by a holder of an account, instructing it to pay to a specified person or organization any sum demanded by that person or organization Compare standing order

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Receiving your bill every quarter, rather paying a monthly direct debit, is typically about £140 a year more expensive, says regulator Ofgem.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

She says at one stage her energy company called to suggest she doubled her direct debit to £845 per month.

From BBC • May 27, 2026

Others have simply cancelled the direct debit with their bank, but this can impact your credit score – and it doesn't cancel your contract with the company.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

Between 1 April and 30 June 2026, the annual bill for dual-fuel direct debit households in Great Britain using a typical amount of energy will be £1,641.

From BBC • Mar. 16, 2026

Ofgem set the price cap from 1 January for a typical dual-fuel household paying by direct debit at £1,758.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023