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Debit Card Payments Guide
Pending payments
What is a pending point of sale transaction?
When you make a point of sale payment using your debit card, the payment does not fully debit your account right away. The funds become ear marked to that retailer so that they cannot be used.
It will show as pending and only debit fully when the retailer processes the payment. In some situations the payment amount will re-credit your funds to your available balance. It will look like the payment has not come off and the funds are ready to use, so you have to be careful not to spend these funds as the payment is still due to debit the account.
For UK payments this is usually up to 4 working days and for international payments up to 10 working days.
When you make the payment the amount of the payment is immediately taken off the available funds of your account, so that you know you don’t have this money to spend.
Important to know: On some occasions, the retailer may take longer than the usual 4 days (or 10 days for international payments) to process the payment.
The retailer is within their rights to do this as the product or service will have been provided and they have a set time to take the payment.
Can pending transactions be cancelled?
No. Whilst a transaction is in a pending state it cannot be cancelled.
Recurring debit card payments
What is a recurring payment/ subscription?
A recurring payment or subscription are the same thing and they are a type of payment that allows you to pay for recurrent bills. Common examples of these are Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+.
A recurring payment is set up using your debit card unlike a Direct Debit that is set up using your Sort Code and Account Number. Both are primarily contolled by the company but you do have the option to cancel if needed.
How do I cancel a recurring debit card transaction or subscription?
If you’re looking to cancel a subscription, you can do this by contacting the retailer or service you wish to cancel directly. This is to make sure they are aware that you are cancelling. If you cannot do this you can cancel by contacting us.
Important to know: Even if you cancel the debit card the subscription is set up on, this type of payment can be re-directed to the new replacement card if the retailer is set up for Automatic Billing Updater, this means the payment can continue even if you think it has been cancelled. Alternativey if the retailer is not set up for Automatic Billing Updator then the payment may not carry over when you expect it to.
The subscriptions feature in the mobile app is designed to help you keep on top of your subscriptions and may be able to help you cancel with the merchant. Here’s how it works.
How do I dispute a transaction?
If a transaction has come off and it doesn't feel right follow these steps:
- Log into the app
- Click on the transaction
- Select ‘Report a dispute, fraud or scam’
- Then follow the remaining steps that suit the situation
If you do not have the app then follow the instructions on the Retail Disputes page.
Declined payments
If a debit card payment you are making is declined, the first step is to check the following:
• Check the expiry date of your card. Is it still valid?
• Check the available balance of your account. Do you have enough available funds?
• Check your mobile app or Online Banking for any declined transactions and review the information provided.
• If you received a decline notification, tap the notification to view more details and any recommended next steps.
• Check what methods of payment are accepted by the retailer. Do they accept your card scheme (Visa or Mastercard)?
View declined transactions
Many declined debit card transactions are now visible in the mobile app and Online Banking, helping you understand what happened and what to do next.
Eligible declined transactions can be viewed in the mobile app and Online Banking for up to 15 days after the declined payment.
Select the declined transaction to view:
• The merchant name and transaction amount
• The reason your payment was declined
• Guidance on how to resolve the issue where applicable
• Links to relevant support and self-service journeys
Common reasons for a declined payment include:
• Not enough available funds
• Enter your PIN
• Card details entered incorrectly
• Invalid or cancelled card
• Too many incorrect PIN attempts
• Fraud and security checks
Not every declined transaction will appear in the mobile app or Online Banking. For example, if a retailer or payment network does not send us the transaction request, we may not have the information needed to display it.
Need more help?
If you've reviewed the declined transaction details and still need support, chat to Cora for more information.
In some cases, we may decline a transaction to protect you from fraud or financial crime. Cora can help explain what happened and guide you through the next steps.
Digital Banking
Log in to Digital Banking and select "Chat to Cora". Type "debit card declined" to get help with a declined payment.
You can also view eligible declined transactions in Online Banking for up to 15 days after the declined payment.
Mobile App
Open the mobile app and select the declined transaction where available. You can also tap Help, then Chat to Cora, and type "debit card declined".
Unable to log in?
You can still chat to Cora using the button below.
Have you met Cora, your digital assistant?
Cora can help you understand why a payment was declined, explain common decline reasons, answer questions about card controls and fraud checks, and guide you towards the right solution.
Decline notifications
We'll send a notification when certain debit card transactions are declined.
Notifications help you understand why a payment was unsuccessful and, where available, provide a quick link to view the declined transaction in the mobile app or Online Banking.
Examples of decline reasons include:
• Fraud or security checks
• Insufficient funds
• Enter your PIN
• Re-enter your card details
• Invalid card
• PIN tries exceeded
Some declined payments will not generate a notification, including instances where the retailer, card terminal, or payment network did not successfully submit the transaction request to us.
Tip: If you receive a decline notification, opening the notification is often the quickest way to view the transaction details and understand what action, if any, is needed.
Refunds
When will a refund credit my account?
Unfortunately we cannot give exact timescales for when a refund will credit your account, as we don’t have visibility of refunds before they reach your account.
The retailer should be able to confirm the usual timescale they expect it to reach you.
For a specific type of refund, where the retailer processes it as an authorisation (most retailers currently don’t process in this way at present), we will send you a notification that will advise that a refund has been processed.
For all refund types you should receive a notification to advise that the funds have credited your account.
What should I do if my refund doesn’t credit my account?
While there are no set timescales for how long a refund will take, if you are waiting for a refund we must allow 15 days for it to show on your account.
If it hasn't been 15 days yet and you have concerns, we recommend that you discuss your concerns with the retailer.
If you haven't received a refund after 30 days from the date on your refund receipt, we may be able to help.
We will require a few things from you to enable us to review your dispute:
- A written summary of your dispute including confirmation of how you have attempted to resolve with the company and details of any response given.
- A copy of the refund receipt showing at least the last 4 digits of the card being refunded, the date and the amount of the refund. If you do not have a refund receipt, we would be unable to help and you would need to raise your concern with the company.
Cancelled or returned the goods or services but haven't received a refund?
If you’ve cancelled or returned something (within the allowed time frame), or the retailer agreed to give you a refund, and you haven’t received it. There’s no need to call as we’ve created a simple online form to make resolving this as smooth as possible.
Open the form and select “You’ve cancelled or returned the goods or services, but you haven’t received a refund” and then follow the on-screen prompts. The form will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and you will receive automatic updates throughout your claim.