TV licence - How do I switch from DD to credit card?

pb3

Hi Everyone,

I currently pay my TV licence by Direct Debit. I would like to switch from Direct Debit to paying annually by credit card.

I cannot see any obvious way to do this via the TVL website.

Internet searches are not really conclusive. Some suggest making a one off payment by credit card and then cancelling the Direct Debit. Others suggest that the current licence needs to be cancelled and then you need to immediately apply for a new one.

Has anyone on the board able to advise on the correct procedure? I want to end up with a TV licence that I pay for annually via credit card.

flaneurs_lobster

Don't believe there is any way to cancel a direct debit using the TVL website.

The only way to do this would be to cancel the DD at your bank.

Then just renew your TVL and pay by CC. You need to be within the month that the licence expires.

zagfles

I went through this a few years ago, they don't make it easy. What I did was cancel the DD 6 months after the licence was renewed (when you pay by DD you pay 6 months in advance and 6 in arrears of the start date of the licence). So the current licence was then fully paid for.

I got a stroppy message from them threatening debt collectors etc but I sent an equally stroppy message back pointing out the current licence is fully paid for. Then 6 months later when it expired I bought the new one using CC. And I always get them to send me the licence in the post just because they annoy me and I like costing them a bit extra 😉

flaneurs_lobster

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82064602#Comment_82064602

To be clear, did the old licence expire and you obtained a new one or did you renew?

Shouldn't matter if you cancel the DD the day after it pays out. You've paid for a year's worth of viewing.

Still can't renew by CC until the month of expiry.

p00hsticks

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82064602#Comment_82064602

The 'six months in advance and six months in arrears' only applies if you are paying by monthly direct debit.

If you pay by annual DD then you are paying for 12 months in advance.

Cornucopia

I would suggest calling them. Your DD account will be in credit, and by swapping to an annual payment you'll be able to either get that refunded or as part-payment of your new Licence.

It's worth saying that TV Licensing (the BBC) isn't a normal customer-focused organisation and doesn't provide the full range of customer-friendly facilities online that people might expect.

pb3

Thank you for all responses so far. I will probably take the "ring them" route 😁

zagfles

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82064659#Comment_82064659

From OPs post I suspect they were paying monthly DD (otherwise making a one off CC payment wouldn't make sense)

pb3

Hi Everyone,

I contacted TV Licensing by phone. This was an extreme exercise in frustration as they provide no obvious way to get through to a human! My scenario was not in the menu options and when I chose "other matter" the menu system insisted that I contact them through WhatsApp and then ended the call.🤬

I eventually chose the option to cancel the licence while remaining at the premises and I was put through to a human right way 🤣. I was then transferred to the correct department.

The process was painless and took only a few seconds. I was on monthly direct debit and a payment had just been taken - meaning apparently I'm paid up for the next 6 months. TVL cancelled the DD and I will be emailed a month or so before expiry with the opportunity to pay for the renewal by CC.

Thanks to everyone who followed up to this thread.

4justice2

As has been said it can be difficult to speak to a real person at TVL. I recently wanted to make a complaint about TVL conduct, and found the only way to get through to a human was by selecting the "I want to buy a licence" option.....