With the help of auto payments, it is convenient to pay for services that you use regularly: mobile communications, the Internet, utilities. You can set up automatic payment of taxes and traffic fines, as well as automatic translation of payments on loans. As a rule, automatic debits from a bank account go through without interruption, but there are exceptions. We will tell you what to do in case of an error and how to avoid overlaps with auto-write-offs.
How does auto payment work?
First, let's figure out how auto payment works.
Telecom operators, utility providers, cleaning companies, and the banks themselves often offer to connect auto-payment of bills or auto-replenishment of the balance.
Usually, you can set up auto payment through a mobile application or a personal account on the website of a company whose services you regularly use. It is enough to indicate in your profile the details of the bank card from which the money will be debited.
Banks often offer to set up auto payments to popular service providers. This can be done through a mobile application, a personal account on the bank's website, a payment terminal, or at a bank branch.
Select the required company from the menu of available auto payments of your bank and define the auto payment parameters. Typically, you can set up the transfer of a fixed amount on a specific date (for example, the 10th of each month) or payment of an invoice. For mobile operators, it is more often offered to link auto payment to the balance of the personal account: as soon as the balance of the mobile account drops to a certain level, the bank replenishes it with the amount you choose.
Please note that banks may charge fees for auto payments. Specify the terms of this service in the bank in advance.
How to get a refund if an auto payment was made with an error?
Situation 1. Provider technical failure
Benjamin has connected auto payment for home Internet on the provider's website. A couple of months later, he received an SMS notification that the Internet was disconnected for non-payment.
What happened: due to a technical failure, the auto-replenishment settings were reset, and the next payments for the Internet did not go through.
What to do: you need to contact the provider and ask to understand the situation. If, in addition to the monthly payments, the company has charged you with a late payment penalty, and the problem arose due to a technical problem with the provider, you should dispute the penalty. But you will need to deposit money for the months that you used the Internet.
Situation 2. The company changed its details
Sam connected auto payments for digital TV through her bank. But one day the TV signal went missing. Sam called the operator and learned that the company had not received her payment for the past month.
What happened: a month ago, the company changed its details. The operator warned his customers about this, as it was written in the contract, by e-mail. But Sam missed this letter. As the old details became invalid, the auto payment did not go through. But Sam did not notice this either.
What to do: provide the bank with the new company details in order to change the auto payment settings, and pay the bill for the last month.
If you try to pay using invalid details, the bank temporarily sends money to a special account. They should be back within a week. If more time has passed, contact the bank with a request to cancel the payment and credit the money back to your account.
Situation 3. Auto payment was not disabled
Inna connected auto payment from her salary card in order to repay the loan in another bank on time. However, even after the loan was repaid, the payment was debited again.
What happened: Inna forgot to turn off the service in time. She did not take into account that write-offs do not stop automatically when the loan is repaid.
What to do: turn off auto payment at the payroll bank and contact the creditor bank to get the money back.
Situation 4. Technical failure in the bank
Anna connected auto payment from a debit card to a credit card in one bank. A couple of months later, she received an SMS notification from the bank that more money was written off to pay for the loan than she had expected.
What happened: due to a technical problem, the auto payment was written off two days later than necessary, and Anna had an overdue loan debt. The late penalty was written off along with the next auto payment.
What to do: Write to the bank a statement that you disagree with the fine and ask for an internal investigation. The bank can return the penalty for late payment. After all, the delay was due to his fault.
Check with the bank if it has managed to enter information about the delay in your credit history. If so, you need to make sure that the bank has updated the data. How to check your credit history and correct mistakes in it, you can find out in the material "Credit history".
Situation 5. Auto payment was configured by scammers
In the stream of work calls and messages, Bob did not immediately notice that for several months now, auto payments of $ 1-2 have been regularly debited from his account to replenish the balance of unfamiliar mobile numbers.
What happened: Bob accidentally downloaded a virus to his smartphone. This is how the scammers got access to his mobile bank and connected the auto-replenishment service for their phones from Bob's card. The scammers hoped that Bob would not notice small write-offs, because he had already connected the automatic payment of several phone numbers - his, wife, children and parents.
What to do: you need to turn off the auto-replenishment of unfamiliar numbers as soon as possible and change the passwords from the mobile bank and personal account on the bank's website.
At the same time, it is worth contacting the bank and writing an application for the return of money for the auto payments of fraudsters. The standard term for consideration of such an appeal is 30 days.
If fraudsters gain access to your account because the bank's application or website is not well protected from hacking, the bank will most likely compensate for the loss.
If cybercriminals were able to steal money due to your own carelessness, you can not count on a refund from the bank. You need to contact the police and write a fraud report.
How to avoid problems with auto payments?
To make auto payment easier, not complicate your life, consider the situations of our heroes and follow these simple rules:
How does auto payment work?
First, let's figure out how auto payment works.
Telecom operators, utility providers, cleaning companies, and the banks themselves often offer to connect auto-payment of bills or auto-replenishment of the balance.
Usually, you can set up auto payment through a mobile application or a personal account on the website of a company whose services you regularly use. It is enough to indicate in your profile the details of the bank card from which the money will be debited.
Banks often offer to set up auto payments to popular service providers. This can be done through a mobile application, a personal account on the bank's website, a payment terminal, or at a bank branch.
Select the required company from the menu of available auto payments of your bank and define the auto payment parameters. Typically, you can set up the transfer of a fixed amount on a specific date (for example, the 10th of each month) or payment of an invoice. For mobile operators, it is more often offered to link auto payment to the balance of the personal account: as soon as the balance of the mobile account drops to a certain level, the bank replenishes it with the amount you choose.
Please note that banks may charge fees for auto payments. Specify the terms of this service in the bank in advance.
How to get a refund if an auto payment was made with an error?
Situation 1. Provider technical failure
Benjamin has connected auto payment for home Internet on the provider's website. A couple of months later, he received an SMS notification that the Internet was disconnected for non-payment.
What happened: due to a technical failure, the auto-replenishment settings were reset, and the next payments for the Internet did not go through.
What to do: you need to contact the provider and ask to understand the situation. If, in addition to the monthly payments, the company has charged you with a late payment penalty, and the problem arose due to a technical problem with the provider, you should dispute the penalty. But you will need to deposit money for the months that you used the Internet.
Situation 2. The company changed its details
Sam connected auto payments for digital TV through her bank. But one day the TV signal went missing. Sam called the operator and learned that the company had not received her payment for the past month.
What happened: a month ago, the company changed its details. The operator warned his customers about this, as it was written in the contract, by e-mail. But Sam missed this letter. As the old details became invalid, the auto payment did not go through. But Sam did not notice this either.
What to do: provide the bank with the new company details in order to change the auto payment settings, and pay the bill for the last month.
If you try to pay using invalid details, the bank temporarily sends money to a special account. They should be back within a week. If more time has passed, contact the bank with a request to cancel the payment and credit the money back to your account.
Situation 3. Auto payment was not disabled
Inna connected auto payment from her salary card in order to repay the loan in another bank on time. However, even after the loan was repaid, the payment was debited again.
What happened: Inna forgot to turn off the service in time. She did not take into account that write-offs do not stop automatically when the loan is repaid.
What to do: turn off auto payment at the payroll bank and contact the creditor bank to get the money back.
Situation 4. Technical failure in the bank
Anna connected auto payment from a debit card to a credit card in one bank. A couple of months later, she received an SMS notification from the bank that more money was written off to pay for the loan than she had expected.
What happened: due to a technical problem, the auto payment was written off two days later than necessary, and Anna had an overdue loan debt. The late penalty was written off along with the next auto payment.
What to do: Write to the bank a statement that you disagree with the fine and ask for an internal investigation. The bank can return the penalty for late payment. After all, the delay was due to his fault.
Check with the bank if it has managed to enter information about the delay in your credit history. If so, you need to make sure that the bank has updated the data. How to check your credit history and correct mistakes in it, you can find out in the material "Credit history".
Situation 5. Auto payment was configured by scammers
In the stream of work calls and messages, Bob did not immediately notice that for several months now, auto payments of $ 1-2 have been regularly debited from his account to replenish the balance of unfamiliar mobile numbers.
What happened: Bob accidentally downloaded a virus to his smartphone. This is how the scammers got access to his mobile bank and connected the auto-replenishment service for their phones from Bob's card. The scammers hoped that Bob would not notice small write-offs, because he had already connected the automatic payment of several phone numbers - his, wife, children and parents.
What to do: you need to turn off the auto-replenishment of unfamiliar numbers as soon as possible and change the passwords from the mobile bank and personal account on the bank's website.
At the same time, it is worth contacting the bank and writing an application for the return of money for the auto payments of fraudsters. The standard term for consideration of such an appeal is 30 days.
If fraudsters gain access to your account because the bank's application or website is not well protected from hacking, the bank will most likely compensate for the loss.
If cybercriminals were able to steal money due to your own carelessness, you can not count on a refund from the bank. You need to contact the police and write a fraud report.
How to avoid problems with auto payments?
To make auto payment easier, not complicate your life, consider the situations of our heroes and follow these simple rules:
- Carefully study the conditions of auto payment. Check if there are any commissions. Find out if you will be notified of an auto payment failure and in what way.
- Assign auto payment dates with a margin. Money transfer can take two to three days. And if there is a technical failure, then more.
- Control payments. Check in your personal account on the bank or company website whether the next auto payment has passed. Disconnect the service in time.
- Update recipient details as needed.
- Use a separate debit or prepaid card or account for auto payments. Put on this card or account exactly the amount that goes to the monthly payment of the bills. Even if the bank allows, do not use a credit card or an overdraft card for auto transfers, so that in case of failures or theft, you will not lose a large amount.
- Connect SMS or push notifications for all bank cards that you use. This will help you quickly find out about payments that you have not made, and dispute them in time.
