Have your say on government e-petitions

Require banks to allow customers to set maximum caps on Direct Debit payments

Submitted by Mr Jonathan Farley on Wednesday 7th January 2026

Published on Wednesday 18th February 2026

Current status: Open

Open until: Tuesday 18th August 2026

Current Signatures: 34
(count is updated approximately hourly)

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

Approved ~ Banks ~ Cancel ~ Direct ~ Energy ~ minimal ~ Payment ~ Protecting ~ Regulations

Petition Action

Require banks to allow customers to set maximum caps on Direct Debit payments

Petition Details

Amend the Payment Services Regulations 2017 to require banks to provide a "Customer-Defined Cap" for Direct Debits. If a withdrawal attempt exceeds this cap, the bank must automatically block payment and notify the customer. Payment should only proceed when authorised and a new cap is set.

Additional Information

Current rules allow organisations to vary Direct Debit amounts with minimal notice, often too late for customers to act. For services like energy and water, estimated increases can often be overcalculated, causing financial hardship.

We believe this proposal ensures:
Protection: Customers are shielded from large or erroneous withdrawals.
Transparency: Organisations must provide clear calculations for any increase.
Control: Customers must approve increases or cancel before funds leave their account.


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at petition.parliament.uk

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216.73.217.179 Tue, 23 Jun 2026 14:12:54 +0100