How to Cancel a Standing Order in Your Banking App

How to Cancel a Standing Order in Your Banking App

A standing order (also called an auto-payment) is a payment your bank sends out automatically on a schedule — for example, every month for a utility bill or a subscription. Sometimes you need to stop one: the service is no longer needed, you switched providers, or you simply want more control over your spending. This is easier than it sounds. Below is a step-by-step plan for finding and cancelling a standing order in your mobile banking app (an app is a program on your phone that you download to manage your account).

Don't worry if something looks unfamiliar. You cannot break anything by tapping the wrong button. Cancelling a standing order does not remove money from your account and does not close your account. Just go slowly, one step at a time.

Step by step: how to cancel a standing order

1. Open your banking app on your phone — tap the icon (a small picture) with your bank's logo on your phone's screen.
2. Log in to the app as usual — using your password, a code, or your fingerprint.
3. Look in the bottom or top menu for a section called "Payments," "Standing Orders," or "Recurring Payments" — the exact name depends on your bank.
4. If you don't see this section right away, tap the icon with three lines (☰) or a gear shape (⚙) — this opens a menu with more settings.
5. Open the list of active standing orders — this should show every recurring payment you have ever set up.
6. Find the standing order you want to cancel in the list — look for the name of the recipient (for example, your utility provider or a subscription service).
7. Tap the name of that standing order to open its details.
8. Look for a button that says "Cancel," "Turn off," or "Delete standing order" — it is usually near the bottom of the details screen.
9. Tap that button.
10. The app may ask you to confirm the action — tap "Yes" or "Confirm."
11. If your bank sends a one-time SMS code (a short code of digits sent in a text message to confirm the action), type that code into the app.
12. Check that the standing order's status has changed to "Inactive" or "Cancelled," or that it has disappeared from the list.

Important about the SMS code: this code is only for you and only for the app. Never read it out loud to anyone over the phone — even if the caller says they are from your bank. A real bank will never ask you to say a code out loud. If someone calls and asks you to read out a code to "cancel a payment" or "protect your account," hang up. That is a scam. Call your bank back yourself, using the number printed on the back of your bank card.

What to do if something goes wrong

If you cannot see a list of standing orders in the app, try this:

If the "Cancel" button does not work, or the app shows an error, do not panic. Call your bank's official helpline — the number is always printed on the back of your card or on the bank's official website. Never search for your bank's phone number through an advertisement or a link sent in a text message — use only the number on your card or the official website.

After cancelling a standing order for an important bill, such as electricity or heating, always check whether you now need to pay that bill manually each month — otherwise you could accidentally miss a payment.

Quick recap: how to cancel a standing order

1. Open your bank's app.
2. Log in to the app.
3. Find the "Standing Orders" section.
4. Open the list of active standing orders.
5. Select the one you want to cancel.
6. Tap "Cancel."
7. Confirm with a code if the app asks for one.
8. Check that the standing order is actually cancelled.