To revoke ACH authorization, send the company written notice that you are withdrawing its permission to debit your account, then tell your bank to block any further transfers at least three business days before the next scheduled payment. Federal law gives you this right for recurring preauthorized debits regardless of what the original agreement says about cancellation.1Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. I Was Asked to Sign an ACH Authorization to Allow Electronic Access to My Account to Repay a Payday Loan. What Is That? Both steps matter. A gap in either one can let charges through that you thought you had stopped.
The stop-payment right applies to preauthorized transfers, which federal regulations define as electronic debits “authorized in advance to recur at substantially regular intervals.”2eCFR. 12 CFR Part 205 – Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E) Subscriptions, gym memberships, insurance premiums, and loan payments all qualify. One-time debits work differently: your bank may still block one that hasn’t posted, but the specific three-business-day right under federal law doesn’t apply.
Step 1: Send the Company Written Notice
Write to the company and tell it plainly that you are revoking its authorization to debit your account. Include your name, the account number on file, and whether you’re canceling all future debits or just the next scheduled one. The CFPB publishes a sample revocation letter that covers these elements.3Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Stopping Automatic Debit Payments – Sample Letter to Company
Send it by certified mail with a return receipt. The delivery date on that receipt is the single strongest piece of evidence you can have if the company later claims it never got your notice. If the company also offers a cancellation portal or email address, use it as well, and save the confirmations. There is no statutory deadline for notifying the company, but the sooner it’s on the record, the cleaner any later dispute.
Step 2: Tell Your Bank and Block Future Debits
Call your bank, tell them you’ve revoked the company’s authorization, and ask them to stop any further debits from that company. The CFPB recommends contacting both the company and your bank.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Stop Automatic Payments from My Bank Account? Your bank will typically place a formal stop payment order, which instructs it to reject the debits when they arrive.
To block the next scheduled payment, the bank needs your stop payment order at least three business days before the payment date.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693e – Preauthorized Transfers You can give the order by phone, but the bank may require written confirmation within 14 days. If you don’t confirm in writing within that window, the oral order expires and the bank can start honoring the company’s debits again.6Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation E Section 1005.10 – Preauthorized Transfers When you call, ask where to send the written follow-up.
Stop Payment Orders Expire
A written stop payment order typically lasts six months and can be renewed for another six.7HelpWithMyBank.gov. Can the Bank Pay a Check After I Place a Stop Payment on It? An oral order that isn’t confirmed in writing expires after 14 calendar days. This is where people get caught. Set a calendar reminder before the six-month mark, because the next debit after expiration can go through with no warning.
Fees
Most banks charge a fee for a stop payment order, commonly around $15 to $36. Some waive it for premium accounts or online requests. Ask before you place the order. When you frame the request as a full revocation of authorization rather than a one-off stop, the bank should treat any later debit as unauthorized, which triggers stronger protections than a simple stop payment on a single item.
If Debits Keep Coming After You Revoke
Any debit after a valid revocation is an unauthorized transfer. Tell your bank right away.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Stop Automatic Payments from My Bank Account? That opens the federal error resolution process. Your bank has 10 business days to investigate and resolve the error. It can extend the investigation up to 45 days, but only if it provisionally credits your account for the disputed amount within the initial 10 business days.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693f – Error Resolution If the bank asks for written confirmation of an oral error notice and you don’t provide it within 10 business days, you can lose the right to provisional credit. Put it in writing quickly.
You Have 60 Days to Report
Report an unauthorized debit within 60 days of the bank sending the statement that first shows the charge. Miss that window and you lose federal protection against liability for later unauthorized transfers from the same source.9eCFR. 12 CFR Part 1005 – Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E) – Section 1005.6 Check every statement for several months after you revoke, even if the company confirmed the cancellation.
Filing a CFPB Complaint
If the debits continue and your bank isn’t resolving the issue, file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The CFPB forwards your complaint to the company, which generally responds within 15 days. Include your key dates, the amount of each unauthorized debit, and copies of your revocation notice and certified mail receipt. File online at consumerfinance.gov/complaint or call (855) 411-2372.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Submit a Complaint You generally can’t submit a second complaint about the same problem, so include everything the first time.
Revoking Payment Does Not Cancel the Debt
Cutting off ACH access doesn’t erase what you owe. If there’s a loan, contract, or outstanding balance behind the payment, revocation only changes how the company can collect.11Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Can I Stop a Payday Lender from Electronically Taking Money out of My Bank or Credit Union Account? The company can still bill you, charge late fees, report delinquency to the credit bureaus, send the account to collections, or sue for the balance. If you’re revoking because you can’t afford the payments, contact the company and try to negotiate a payment plan around the same time you revoke.
Business Accounts Are Different
Everything above applies to consumer accounts. Business ACH transactions generally fall outside the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and under UCC Article 4A instead.12Legal Information Institute. UCC Article 4A – Funds Transfer Cancellation of a payment order under Article 4A is only effective if the bank receives it before accepting the order; after acceptance, cancellation requires the bank’s agreement.13Legal Information Institute. UCC 4A-211 – Cancellation and Amendment of Payment Order There’s no automatic provisional credit, no federally mandated error resolution timeline, and no 60-day safety net. Work directly with your bank and the company, and expect less regulatory backup.
Keep Your Records
Your documentation is what turns a dispute into a winnable claim. Keep the written revocation notice, the certified mail receipt showing the delivery date, any portal screenshots or confirmation emails, the written stop payment order to your bank, and notes from every phone call with the date, time, and the name of the person you spoke with. Hold these for at least a year after the last debit, longer if the underlying account is still open. If a charge later slips through, the delivery date on the certified mail receipt is what proves the company knew you had revoked and debited you anyway.