24 April 2017

Meeting your 2 direct debit quota for bank accounts

If you are signing up for certain bank accounts they require you to be paying at least 2 direct debits every month. Here are some ideas of what you can use:

  1. Bills. Often, services like electric, gas, council tax, internet, mobile and TV licence will all permit direct debit. In some cases like Santander 123, you can get cashback on these as well.
  2. Magazine subscriptions. Some websites will connect via direct debit.
  3. Paypal counts a direct debit as long as the payments come out.
  4. Plum is an auto savings app that works on direct debit.
  5. Charities. Some of them will allow the minimum of £1/month on a dedicated day of your choice. Just don't accept to share information or receive any promotional material / spam. Maybe even try entering their own address as direct debit doesn't require an address.
    1. Minimum of £1/month donation:
      1. Oxfam
      2. Unicef
      3. RSPCA
      4. Stroke Association
      5. Alzheimer's Society
      6. Great Ormond Street Hospital
      7. Roald Dahl Charity
      8. Salvation Army
      9. Royal National Institute of Blind People
      10. Royal National Lifeboat Institute
      11. Dogs Trust
      12. ActionAid
      13. Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group
    2. £2 minimum:
      1. WaterAid
      2. Cancer Research
      3. MS Society
      4. Red Cross
      5. NSPCC
      6. Save The Children
      7. Macmillan Cancer Support
      8. British Heart Foundation
      9. Age UK
      10. Battersea Dogs Home
      11. Asthma UK
      12. Terrence Higgins Trust
      13. Mind
      14. Prostate Cancer
    3. More:
      1. Action for Children - £3
      2. More here and here