# Direct Debit celebrates 50 year milestone

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/12/17/direct-debit-celebrates-50-year-milestone/
- Published: 2020-12-17T09:06:52+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**This year marks 50 years since Direct Debit was first introduced. In that time,
the popular payment method has been responsible for more than 78.5 billion transactions.**

 

Since its first transaction in 1970, Direct Debit has continued to grow in popularity
and is now responsible for moving £1.3 trillion each year. The amount of payments
processed by Direct Debit has increased from 2 billion in 2000 to 4.49 billion in
2019.

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Pay.UK, the UK retail payments authority that owns Direct Direct, suggests that 
this growth is in part due to “the many more bills we pay today.” A spokesperson
from Pay.UK commented:

 

> “In the 1970s, regular payments were limited to mortgage or rent, and electricity
> or gas. Nowadays, we have mobile phone bills, broadband bundles, gaming subscriptions,
> in-app payments, and half a dozen different types of insurance; we spread the 
> cost of major purchases from holidays to cars, and more mundane ones such as our
> TV licence or Vehicle Excise Duty, and settle dual fuel, water, and council bills
> without ever having to leave the house.”

 

Pay.UK says it is committed to ensuring the continued success of the payment method.
Maha El Dimachki, Pay.UK’s Chief Payments Officer, said:

 

> “We need payments to work without fuss so we can get on with the important things
> in our lives. During this unusual, difficult year, Direct Debit has continued 
> to run quietly, securely, and reliably in the background, as it has in the past
> 50 years, collecting payments for billers and giving customers peace of mind that
> the services they need and want are being paid for with the minimum of effort 
> on their part.
> “And we are determined that will remain the case for as long as end users need
> and value it. Our team continues to work hard to ensure the service operates smoothly
> and efficiently, this year and in the years to come.”

 

**MORE:**

 

 * **[Pandemic triggers lowest ever cancellations rates for Direct Debit donations (11 November 2020)](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/11/11/pandemic-triggers-lowest-ever-cancellations-rates-for-direct-debit-donations/)**
 * **[New donor sign ups down by half in April but Direct Debit cancellations return to norm (7 May 2020)](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/05/07/new-donor-sign-ups-down-by-half-but-direct-debit-cancellations-return-to-norm/)**
 * **[Direct debit cancellations jump under Covid-19 (8 April 2020)](https://fundraising.co.uk/2020/04/08/direct-debit-cancellations-jump-under-covid-19/)**