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.

Then in July electricity customers paying by direct debit monthly or quarterly will have £30 credited to their accounts, and pay-as-you-go customers will have £30 credited to their keycard card.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 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

Between 1 January and 31 March 2026, the energy price cap is set at £1,758 per year for a typical household which uses electricity and pays by direct debit.

From BBC • Jan. 3, 2026

From 1 October, the charges will typically cost 53.68p a day for electricity and 34.03p a day for gas for those paying by direct debit.

From BBC • Sep. 23, 2025

And you will need to switch to direct debit if you want to take advantage of the fixed deals on offer.

From BBC • Aug. 27, 2025

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