How long is the Direct Debit collection cycle?

Unlike card transactions, Direct Debit is not an instant payment method. The process usually takes 3 working days for a payment to be collected from your bank account. In addition, it can take between 1-3 days for your bank to advise us if a Direct Debit payment has been rejected.

Example 1: To collect a payment on Wednesday 5th of the month, the collection cycle must start on Monday 3rd of the month. We may not get confirmation until working day 6 if a payment has been rejected. In this example it would be Monday 10th.

Example 2: To collect a payment on a Tuesday following a Bank holiday Monday.

The collection cycle must start on the previous Thursday to allow for the non-working days of Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. We may not get confirmation until working day 6 if a payment has been rejected. In this example it would be on the Friday.

Please note, once the payment is in the collection cycle, there is nothing 1ST CENTRAL can do to stop it from being presented to your bank.