What is a CPA ?
If a business requested the long number across your debit or credit card for a regular payment, instead of your bank account number and sort code, then this is most likely a CPA arrangement.
Another way to find out if you have arranged a CPA is to check your statements to see what’s coming out regularly. Any regular payments that aren’t listed as standing orders or Direct Debits are CPAs.
The most common instances of CPAs arrangements are for payday loan companies, online DVD rental subscriptions, magazine subscriptions, gym memberships and mobile phone or cable TV subscriptions.
Sometimes it’s impossible to pay for a service without a CPA, but if you can arrange a different payment method with them – standing order, Direct Debit or manual payments – we recommend this as it will give you more control and security over how and when money is taken from your account.
How do I stop a CPA ?
To cancel a CPA, you should contact the business and cancel your payment arrangement with them. To ensure that money doesn’t continue to be taken from your account, you should also contact your bank and have them cancel the payment pursuant to the Payment Services Regulations 2009, which state:
“The payer may withdraw its consent to a payment transaction at any time before the point at which the payment order can no longer be revoked under regulation 67.”
Your bank should issue a notice to the business to stop them taking the payments. It is usually easiest, and quickest, to contact your bank customer services by telephone, and the vast majority of banks will cancel CPA’s on request via online banking.
You can cancel Continuous Payment Authority (CPA) arrangements at any time. To stop a specific payment, you have to request cancellation at least one working day before it’s due. If you don’t, the payment will be honoured and your cancellation will apply to the next regular payment.
Any related payments taken after you ask for a continuous payment authority to be stopped are considered to be unauthorised transactions. Card issuers must refund these payments and any related charges immediately.
If payments continue, contact your card issuer to arrange a refund. If it fails to do so, you should make a complaint to the card issuer and, then, if you are not satisfied with its response, take the complaint to the Financial Ombudsman Service.
Contact the Company
To send to the Company who are taking the payments;
Creditor name and address:
Date:
Your name and address:
Dear Sir/Madam
Account/Reference: xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cancellation of Continuous Payment AuthorityMy loan/subscription* with is being paid using a continuous payment authority.
I’m withdrawing my authorisation for any more payments to be taken from my account for this account/debt*.
The last 4 digits of the card these payments are being taken from are <1234>.
In line with the Payment Services Regulations 2009 any more payments taken from the card will be treated as an unauthorised transaction.
Please send me confirmation you have done this.
Yours faithfully
Signature
Your Name
If you are looking for formal advice you should get in touch with Citizens Advice or National Debtline.
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