What is a continuous payment authority?
Written by
Emily Tye
Reviewed by
Amy LancashireA continuous payment authority (CPA) is permission you give a company to take regular payments using the long number on your debit or credit card, instead of a direct debit or standing order set up with your sort code and account number. The amounts and dates can vary, as long as they stay within what you agreed to.
You might also see CPAs called recurring card payments, recurring payments or regular card payments. They all mean the same thing. This guide explains how CPAs work, how they compare with direct debits and standing orders, and how to cancel one.
How does a continuous payment authority work?
You set up a CPA whenever you give a company your long card number and agree to it taking future payments. That might happen online, in an app or over the phone. Setting one up can be as simple as entering your card details and agreeing to the terms at an online checkout, so you may have done it without ever hearing the term.
Once the authority is in place, the company can charge your card whenever a payment falls due under your agreement. According to the FCA's guidance on recurring card payments, a company can only take payments if you've given consent that is clear, specific and informed. In plain terms, you should have been told how much would be taken, and how often, before you agreed.
CPAs are commonly used for:
streaming and software subscriptions
gym and club memberships
repayments on some short-term loans
repayments on some credit cards (including the Zable card – our help centre explains how our payments work)
Subscriptions alone show the scale. The government estimated in November 2024 that there were around 155 million active subscriptions in the UK, and that around 9.7 million of them were unwanted, costing consumers about £1.6 billion a year.
How do I know if I've set up a continuous payment authority?
Ask yourself two things: did you agree to the company taking payments in future, and did you use your card details? If the answer to both is yes, for example a subscription or membership paid by card, you've likely set up a CPA. A one-off purchase on your card doesn't create a CPA, even though you hand over the same details.
If you arranged regular payments using your sort code and account number, it's a direct debit or standing order instead.
Because CPA payments are ordinary card transactions, they appear on your statement alongside everything else and can be easy to miss.
If a payment keeps appearing and you don't remember agreeing to it, our guide to identifying a charge on your credit card explains how to track down where it's from.
What's the difference between a CPA, a direct debit and a standing order?
| CPA | Direct debit | Standing order |
|---|---|---|---|
What you share | 16-digit card number | Sort code and account number | Sort code and account number |
Who controls it | The company | The company | You |
Amounts and dates | Can vary within what you agreed | Can vary, with advance notice | Fixed, set by you |
Protection | FCA rules on card payments | Direct Debit Guarantee | You control it directly |
A CPA isn't a type of direct debit. A direct debit comes out of your bank account and is covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee: you're told in advance if the amount, date or frequency changes, and your bank gives you a full and immediate refund if a payment is taken in error.
A CPA comes off your card, and that guarantee doesn't apply. You still have rights, though: the FCA's guidance on recurring card payments says you can cancel a CPA at any time, and that any payment taken after you've cancelled is unauthorised and should be refunded.
Direct debits also need a sort code and account number, which is why you can't fund one from a credit card. Our guide on whether you can set up a direct debit on a credit card explains the options.
How do I cancel a continuous payment authority?
You can cancel a CPA at any time, and it's worth doing both of these:
Tell the company. Ask it to stop taking payments, and keep a record of when you asked and who you spoke to.
Tell your bank or card provider. Say you're withdrawing consent for the payments.
Do this by the end of the business day before the next payment is due. Leave it later and the payment may still go through, although you can claim it back if you'd already cancelled.
Bear in mind that cancelling a CPA only stops the payments. It doesn't end any contract you have with the company, so you may still owe money. There's more on this in the FAQs below.
If it's a single payment you want to stop rather than a recurring one, our guide on cancelling a credit card payment walks through your options.
What if money is taken after I've cancelled?
Any payment taken after you've cancelled counts as an unauthorised transaction. Under the FCA's guidance on recurring card payments, it should be refunded, along with any related charges or interest.
If you spot card payments you never agreed to at all, that's a different problem. Our guide to credit card fraud explains what to do.
FAQs
There are a range of financial products available that may suit your needs. We encourage you to research your options carefully and consider seeking independent financial advice before making any decisions. This blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
