Standing orders

Everything you need to know about standing orders.

A standing order is a regular payment of a fixed amount sent by you to a person or company.

You can set up standing orders to leave your account on a routine basis; for example weekly, monthly, every 4 weeks or on the last day of the month.

However, please be aware that standing orders from first direct won't leave your account on a weekend or bank holiday – instead, they’ll be processed on the next working day.

Managing your standing order(s)

How to set up a standing order

To do this on our App:

click the 3 dots next to the account the standing order is paid from
select 'Payments' then 'Send and transfer money'
choose 'Create a standing order
follow the on-screen instructions.

Please allow 2 calendar days between setting up the standing order and it debiting your account.

You can't set up a standing order from a savings account.

You can also set up a standing order via Online Banking or by giving us a call on 03 456 100 100.

How to cancel a standing order

To do this on our App:

click the 3 dots next to the account the standing order is paid from
select 'Payments' then 'Manage regular payments'
choose the standing order you want to cancel
select 'Cancel standing order' and follow the on-screen instructions.

You can also cancel a standing order using our chat service and typing "I want to cancel a standing order'.

Alternatively, you can cancel a standing order via Online Banking or by giving us a call on 03 456 100 100

How to change a standing order amount

To do this on our App:

click the 3 dots next to the account the standing order is paid from
select 'Payments' followed by 'Manage regular payments'
choose the standing order you want to amend
select 'Change amount'
follow the on-screen instructions.

You can also amend the amount via Online Banking or by calling us on 03 456 100 100

Change date or frequency

If you want to change the date on which the standing order is taken or the number of times it's taken (frequency), you'll need to chat with us in our App. Go to the ‘Help’ section and select ‘Chat now’. Or you can chat with us via Online Banking by selecting ‘Message us’. You can also call us on 03 456 100 100

You can also cancel your standing order and set up a new one. If you choose to do this, the payee’s details won’t be saved, so be sure to make a note of them if you still need them.

Please note, you can't change the date or frequency of a standing order to a first direct Regular Saver.

Change debiting account

You need to do this via Online Banking:

log in and select the account the standing order is on
select 'Manage money' then 'Regular payments'
choose the standing order you want to move
select 'Change 'From' account'
follow the on-screen instructions.

Change reference

To change the reference on your standing order you need to cancel the current one and set up a new one.

Standing orders

you tell us to send a fixed amount of money regularly to a nominated payee (for example, a regular rent payment on the first day of each month)
the amount of money and date of payment stays the same, unless you change or cancel the standing order
you’re in full control, not the payee
there’s no special guarantee — it just does what you set up.

Direct Debits

you give permission to a company, such as your energy provider or gym, to take money out of your account whenever a payment is due. The amount charged can change (for example, your electricity bill could be different from one month to the next)
the company is in control of when the payment is taken and how much is charged
you’re protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee Opens an overlay [Will show a security message first], so if a mistake happens, you get your money back.

Frequently asked questions

How do I view my standing orders?

To view your standing orders on our App:

select the 3 dots next to the account the standing order is paid from
go to 'Payments' followed by 'Manage regular payments'.

Here you'll see all your active standing orders.

You can't view cancelled standing orders on our App, you need to log on to Online Banking and go to 'Manage money’. Then select ‘Regular payments‘ and 'View inactive standing orders and Direct Debits’.

Here you can find standing orders that have been cancelled or ended within six months of the last payment. You won't be able to view any that were cancelled or expired more than six months ago.

Standing orders that have been transferred to another first direct account will only show on the original account for four months following the transfer.

How to I amend my standing order to my first direct Regular Saver?

To amend or change your standing order to your first direct Regular Saver Account, you can use our chat service in our App. Go to the ‘Help’ section and select ‘Chat now’. Or you can chat with us via Online Banking by selecting ‘Message us’. You can also call us on 03 456 100 100.

Some good things to know:

you can only pay into your first direct Regular Saver from your first direct 1st Account
you can't change the date of the standing order
the monthly deposit can be set to between £25 and £300, in £5 increments
you can't change the standing order amount if it's less than 2 days before the payment is due. For example, if the next payment is due on Friday and today is Wednesday
if you've paid in less than £300 in previous months, you can increase your next standing order payment to make up the difference, up to the maximum 12-month deposit of £3,600.

I'm getting an error code AU017B, what is this?

We have certain accounts for which you can't amend the standing order, for example a first direct mortgage and the first direct Regular Saver Account.

If you try to amend a standing order to these types of accounts, you'll get the 'AU017B' error code.

To change this kind of standing order you need to use our chat service or call us on 03 456 100 100.

When is my standing order due to debit my account?

You can find out when a standing order is due to debit your account on our App by:

selecting the 3 dots next to the account the standing order is paid from
choose 'Payments' followed by 'Manage regular payments'.

Here you'll see all your active standing orders.

You can't view cancelled standing orders on our App. You need to log on to Online Banking and go to ‘Manage money’ then 'Regular payments' and 'View inactive standing orders and Direct Debits’.

Here you can find standing orders that have been cancelled or ended within six months of the last payment. You won't be able to view any that were cancelled or expired more than six months ago.

Standing orders that have been transferred to another first direct account will only show on the original account for four months after the transfer.

Standing orders

What's a standing order?

Managing your standing order(s)

How to set up a standing order

How to cancel a standing order

How to change a standing order amount

Other standing order actions

Change date or frequency

Change debiting account

Change reference

What are the differences between standing orders and Direct Debits?

Standing orders

Direct Debits

Frequently asked questions

How do I view my standing orders?

How to I amend my standing order to my first direct Regular Saver?

I'm getting an error code AU017B, what is this?

When is my standing order due to debit my account?