Short answer: you can take away a company's permission to take automatic payments from your account, even if you allowed them before. Tell the company, tell your bank or credit union, and follow up both calls in writing (CFPB). To stop a scheduled debit through your bank, give the stop payment order at least three business days before the payment date (12 CFR 1005.10(c)). Cancelling the automatic payment does not cancel what you owe (CFPB).
Revoking vs a stop payment order
| What it does | Who you tell | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revoking the authorization | Ends the permission you gave the company to debit your account | The company and your bank or credit union, by phone and in writing (CFPB) | Ask your bank |
| Stop payment order | Tells your bank not to pay a named company from your account | Your bank or credit union, at least three business days before the debit (12 CFR 1005.10(c)(1)) | Banks and credit unions generally charge a fee (CFPB) |
Once your bank has been told that your authorization is no longer valid, it must block future payments for that debit from that company, and it may not wait for the company to end the debits itself (Reg E comment 10(c)-2). If the company sends a stopped debit again, the bank must keep honoring the stop payment order (Reg E comment 10(c)-1).
Step by step
- Call the company and say you are taking away its permission to take automatic payments from your account. Then send a letter or email (CFPB).
- Call your bank or credit union and say you have revoked the authorization. Then confirm in writing; the CFPB has a sample letter (CFPB).
- Ask about a stop payment order if a debit is coming soon, and ask what it costs (CFPB).
- Send any written confirmation the bank asks for within 14 days. A bank may require it after a phone request, and an oral stop payment order stops being binding after 14 days if you do not send it (12 CFR 1005.10(c)(2)).
- Watch your account. Tell your bank right away about any payment you did not allow or any payment taken after you revoked (CFPB).
- Set up another way to pay. If you revoke or cancel an automatic payment on a loan, you still owe the balance (CFPB).
The deadlines, with dates
Three business days before the scheduled debit, counted back over weekdays (our count; bank holidays are not counted as business days, so start earlier if one falls in the window, and ask your bank how it counts):
| Debit scheduled for | Stop payment order to the bank by |
|---|---|
| Friday, December 4 | Tuesday, December 1 |
| Monday, December 7 | Wednesday, December 2 |
| Wednesday, December 9 | Friday, December 4 |
| Rule | Example | Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Written confirmation, if the bank requires it (12 CFR 1005.10(c)(2)) | You call the bank on Tuesday, December 1 | Within 14 days, by Tuesday, December 15 |
| Report an unauthorized debit shown on a statement (12 CFR 1005.6(b)(3)) | The statement is sent Thursday, December 31, 2026 | Within 60 days, by Monday, March 1, 2027 |
Reporting within 60 days of the statement protects you from liability for later unauthorized transfers (12 CFR 1005.6(b)(3)).
If money comes out after you revoked
- Federal law gives you the right to dispute and get your money back for unauthorized transfers, as long as you tell your bank in time (CFPB).
- The bank must decide whether an error occurred within 10 business days of your notice. It may take up to 45 days if it provisionally credits your account within those 10 business days (12 CFR 1005.11(c)).
- If the bank cannot block a debit itself, for example one made through a debit card network, it may use a third party to block it, as long as your account is not debited (Reg E comment 10(c)-3).
Can a lender require autopay?
No lender or other person may make a loan conditional on repaying by preauthorized electronic transfers, except for credit under an overdraft credit plan or credit to keep a minimum balance in your account (12 CFR 1005.10(e)(1)). If your loan terms tie anything to autopay, check the disclosure for what changes if you stop it (how to read a loan disclosure).
What you still owe
Stopping the debits stops one way of paying, not the loan. Contact the lender before the next due date and agree on another payment method in writing. If you cannot pay, see can't repay a payday loan for asking for a payment plan instead of a rollover, and what happens if you miss a loan payment for late fees and credit reporting. Failed debits can also bring bank fees; see overdraft fees vs a small loan.
If a company keeps taking money after you revoked, or your bank will not stop it, you can file a complaint (how to file a loan complaint).
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Disclosure: Modern Lending Solutions is not a lender, loan broker or agent for any lender or loan broker, and does not make credit decisions. Any compensation we receive is paid by participating lenders, only for advertising services. This guide is general information, not financial or legal advice.
Sources
- CFPB: How do I stop automatic payments from my bank account?
- CFPB: How can I stop a payday lender from electronically taking money out of my bank or credit union account?
- CFPB: Sample letter to your bank or credit union revoking an automatic debit authorization (Word file)
- Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.10: preauthorized transfers (stop payment, compulsory use)
- Regulation E, Supplement I (official interpretations), comments 10(c)-1 to 10(c)-3
- Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.6: liability of consumer for unauthorized transfers
- Regulation E, 12 CFR 1005.11: procedures for resolving errors