How does the direct debit system work in Spain?

If you want to know how the direct debit system works in Spain, we invite you to continue reading this article:

What is the direct debit system?

The direct debit in Spain, also known as SEPA debit, is the order that a bank receives from its client so that they periodically effect the payment or debit a determined amount.

In other words, the direct debit system in Spain avoids the requirement that the customer of a bank have to authorize or intervene in the payment or the charging of a bill, since the bank has been authorized to proceed to do the payment or the charging.

Some of the bills, such as electricity, water and gas, are periodically charged every month and with the direct debit system in Spain it is possible to avoid having to wait to make the payment constantly.

Advantages of direct debit in Spain

It is very easy to set up a direct debit of your bills into a bank account, which you can do with your insurance policy by requesting it from BMI Spain.

The bank branch can provide you with the necessary forms.  In addition, most of the companies also provide a template when subscribing to their service or can set it up for you upon request.

There are many banks in Spain that offer the possibility of direct debiting bills through the Internet and electronic banking. In this way you can manage your payments and also follow up on payments from your home in Spain or abroad.

With direct debit in Spain you ensure that the supply of public services is not interrupted if the deadline for cash payment is not met.

Direct debit does not involve any type of loan or financing, nor does it imply an advance payment by your bank.  The amount of the bill will be debited from your account on the day of payment.

There are many advantages that make the direct debit system in Spain, the most common being the following: being able to make free SEPA transfers within the Euro zone, eliminating commissions on an account,  being able to use credit or debit cards without any cost, return or discounts of a part of the household bills or a part of the amount of the purchases, discounts in gas stations and big brands or gifts for domiciling the salary, among others.

These advantages depend on the Spanish bank with which you set up the direct debit of your bills, so we recommend that you consult the advantages offered in advance.

Can I set up a direct debit in Spain in any bank account?

In this case, the answer is no, since you can only have your bills paid by direct debit into your current accounts or into your salary accounts.

How can I cancel the direct debit of a bill in Spain?

When you pay your bills by direct debit in Spain, the charges made to your account will remain in force until they are canceled out by the account holder.

Can I return a receipt that has been collected by direct debit?

As we have discussed, the possibility of direct debiting allows us to be up to date with payments and not have to worry about having to order the bank to make the payment every month, and most importantly, not to miss any payments.

Sometimes your bank account may be charged for services that you no longer use, or for amounts that do not correspond.

It is important to note that under Spanish law, the bank account holder has 8 weeks (58 days) to return an authorized receipt. In the case of non-authorized receipts that have been charged by the bank, the time limit increases to 13 months from the time the company made the charge.

This is to protect your rights as a consumer in case of disagreement with the amount that has been charged to the bank account.

You can cancel the payment simply by contacting your local bank branch or through their Internet banking services.

The deadline for the return of the amount that has been charged to the account after the request is 10 working days.

Normally the bank turns the amount paid into the invoice when a receipt is returned, but it may happen that it refuses the return and requires the customer to continue the claim by starting a legal or extrajudicial process.

This is how the direct debit system works in Spain.

One of the bills you can also manage through direct debit is the insurance policy, so you do not have to worry every month about forgetting to pay so you do not lose the insurance.

If you are looking for an insurance policy that suits your requirements, at BMI Spain we can help you with the management so that you do not have to worry about anything.

Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any doubts or questions, we will be happy to help you find the ideal home insurance for you and your family.