Direct debits for minimum amounts

Gambler

Make sure you remember to cancel your direct debits once you have transferred/paid the balance off your card when 0% comes to an end.

I've been caught out twice now by Sainsburys and Virgin. Why do they continue to take the minimum payment out of your bank when the card balance is zero, thus turning your credit card balance positive?

W1zz

Be very.. very.. careful if doing this.

Cleared my Virgin MBNA remaining balance before my 0% finished and cancelled the direct debit.

Or I thought I had.

My 0% actually finished midway between the statement date and pay/by date. My payment cleared 2 days after this date and I ended up accruing 0.42p interest.

Virgin attempted to take the min payment £5 from my account but was refused as I'd cancelled my d/d. They then charged my account £25 for having the payment rejected.

I phoned them up and luckily they waived the fee, as long as I cleared the 42p balance.

It's a good job they take payment on statement date and not on pay by date else I could have been billed for a late/missed payment.