Recurring charges made by retailers

Motion Text

That this House notes that in recent years, the use of continuous payment authorities, subscription payments that enable the merchant to take payments from a customer’s account on dates of their choosing and for different amounts without seeking further authorisation from them, has increased; notes that many people are left unaware that they have signed up to a continuous payment authority and have had recurring charges made to their bank accounts without their full knowledge; calls on the Government to introduce protections similar to the Direct Debit Guarantee for continuous payment authorities; and further calls on the Government to introduce more responsibility on the merchant to ensure customers are fully informed of what a continuous payment authority entails and that they are signing up to one.