DebiCheck help / What is DebiCheck?
What is DebiCheck?
DebiCheck is a debit order that you approve with your own bank before any money goes off. You approve it once, at the start of the agreement. After that, your bank checks every debit against what you approved and rejects any that do not match.
How DebiCheck works
It takes four steps:
- A business, such as a lender, insurer or gym, asks to collect money from your account by debit order.
- Your bank sends you a request: in your banking app, by SMS, or on a phone menu (USSD). It shows the business name, the amount and the collection date.
- If the details are correct, you approve it. Your bank saves the details.
- Every time the business collects, your bank checks the debit against what you approved. If it does not match, the bank rejects it.
What is a DebiCheck mandate?
A mandate is your permission for a business to take money from your bank account by debit order.
A DebiCheck mandate is a mandate that you have approved with your own bank. Your bank keeps a copy and checks every debit against it.
Your contract is something different. It is the agreement you signed with the business. The mandate is only how you pay.
DebiCheck or a normal debit order: what is the difference?
A stop order is different again. It is an instruction you give your own bank to make payments. A debit order is an instruction you give a business to collect from you.
- DebiCheck: you approve it with your bank first. Normal debit order: you do not.
- DebiCheck: your bank checks every debit against what you approved. Normal debit order: the bank assumes the business has a valid mandate.
- DebiCheck: you cannot reverse a debit that matches what you approved. Normal debit order: you can dispute it with your bank within 60 days.
Does a DebiCheck request mean my loan is approved?
No, not by itself. A DebiCheck request only asks you to approve the debit order for your repayments.
Some lenders ask you to approve the DebiCheck before they pay out the loan. Some will not go ahead if you decline it. Nedbank, for example, says you cannot continue a Nedbank personal loan application if you decline its DebiCheck.
Only the lender can tell you if your loan is approved and when the money will be paid. Ask the lender directly.
Do I have to approve it every month?
No. You approve a DebiCheck once, when you start the agreement. Capitec, FNB, Nedbank and PASA all say this.
You approve again only if important details change, such as the amount or the payment date.
Some debit orders can change without a new approval. FNB says a life policy can go up by an agreed percentage each year, and a usage-based debit order, like a cellphone contract, can change with what you use.
How long do I have to approve it?
It depends on the request. PASA (the Payments Association of South Africa, which managed DebiCheck until September 2026) says it can be:
The business should tell you which one. Your bank's message may also show the deadline.
- Straight away: answer within 120 seconds (2 minutes).
- By the end of the same day.
- By the end of the next business day.
What happens if I do not approve it?
Do not ignore the request. PASA says to approve or decline it.
If you do not answer, the request expires. The business may still collect in another way, for example as a normal debit order or a Registered Mandate (a registered debit order that does not need your approval). Absa and GoTyme both say this.
If you do not want the debit order, talk to the business. Declining does not cancel your agreement or what you owe.
If there is not enough money
If your agreement allows it, DebiCheck can keep trying to collect for up to 10 days. This is called tracking. If money comes in during that time, the debit goes off.
If the agreed date falls on a weekend or public holiday, PASA says the business may collect on the business day before or after.
Who runs DebiCheck now?
DebiCheck started on Thursday 31 October 2019. Since Wednesday 2 September 2026, PayInc runs the clearing for DebiCheck and other debit orders. The South African Reserve Bank sets the rules.
Planar and your DebiCheck
Planar is not a bank and is not the business asking you to approve. We explain how DebiCheck works. Planar will never ask for your PIN, password, OTP or card number.
Steps for your bank
Questions people ask
What does DebiCheck mean?
It is a debit order you approve electronically with your own bank. Your bank saves what you approved and checks every debit against it.
What's the difference between a debit order and DebiCheck?
With DebiCheck, you approve the debit order with your bank before the first debit, and the bank checks every debit. With a normal debit order, you do not approve it with your bank, and you can dispute it within 60 days.
Does DebiCheck mean my loan is approved?
No, not by itself. It only asks you to approve the repayment debit order. Ask the lender whether your loan is approved and when it will pay out.
Do I have to confirm my DebiCheck every month?
No. You confirm it once. You confirm again only if important details change, such as the amount or the date.
Does a DebiCheck expire?
A request you have not answered expires after its time limit. Once you have approved it, it stays in place for your agreement. When the agreement ends, the business should cancel it.
How long does a DebiCheck take?
Approving it takes a few minutes. Some requests must be answered within 2 minutes, others by the end of the day or the end of the next business day.
What happens if you don't accept a DebiCheck?
The request expires. The business may still collect in another way, because your agreement still stands. If you do not want the debit order, talk to the business.
What is the difference between a debit order and a stop order?
PASA says a stop order is an instruction you give your own bank to make payments. A debit order is an instruction you give a business to collect from your account.
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Where this comes from
- DebiCheck (PASA): Common questions, checked 2026-10-29
- PASA: Debit order FAQ (updated June 2024), checked 2026-10-29
- PASA: Debit order dispute enhancements FAQ (60-day rule from 13 April 2026), checked 2026-10-29
- Capitec: Safer debit orders with DebiCheck, checked 2026-10-29
- Capitec: FAQs, DebiCheck and Mobile banking sections, checked 2026-10-29
- Capitec: Stay in control of your debit orders (3 July 2019), checked 2026-10-29
- FNB: DebiCheck FAQs (issue date 1 June 2025), checked 2026-10-29
- Nedbank: DebiCheck frequently asked questions, checked 2026-10-29
- Nedbank: Dispute a debit order (60-day rule from 13 April 2026), checked 2026-10-29
- Absa: DebiCheck FAQ (PDF), checked 2026-10-29
- GoTyme Bank: Terms and conditions, DebiCheck section, checked 2026-10-29
- SARB media release: Transition of national payment system management functions (11 August 2026), checked 2026-10-29
- SARB: PASA payment system management body transition, checked 2026-10-29