Why was I charged a direct debit fee?

When a direct debit is rejected due to insufficient funds, a fee is charged. The fee amount depends on the Terms & Conditions associated with the IBAN of your account.

For accounts opened in Austria, Germany, Italy, and the rest of Europe

The fee for a rejected direct debit is €3.

For accounts opened in Spain

The fee for a rejected direct debit depends on the IBAN associated with the account. 

IBAN starting with ES

The fee for a rejected direct debit is €9. 

IBAN starting with DE

The fee for a rejected direct debit is €3.

For accounts opened in France

The fee for a rejected direct debit depends on the IBAN associated with the account. 

IBAN starting with FR

  • If the direct debit is less than €15, the fee charged matches the direct debit amount
  • If the direct debit is €15 or more, the fee is capped at €15. 

Additionally, French regulations require that customers be informed of the direct debit rejection fee 15 days before it is charged, after which the fee is debited from their account. 

IBAN starting with DE

The fee for a rejected direct debit is €3.

​​Note For Non-Euro countries only

If you've set up a direct debit in your home currency, it's the receiving bank who dictates the currency exchange and the ultimate amount that is collected from us. You can check the list of countries below:

  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Denmark
  • Hungary
  • Iceland
  • Liechtenstein
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland

Best practice

To avoid these fees, ensure you have sufficient funds in your account to cover any incoming direct debits by 18:00 on the same business day. You can use various instant transfer methods such as SEPA Instant transfers, MoneyBeam (between N26 accounts), CASH26 (available in Germany, Austria, Spain, Greece, or Italy), or the Debit/Credit card option to quickly fund your account.

If you encounter a direct debit that you don’t recognize, you can request a refund directly in the app.

If you have assigned an IBAN to a Space and there are insufficient funds to cover a direct debit, the transaction will bounce, and the rejection fee will be charged on your main account. Please be aware that it is not possible to go into an overdraft within a Space.

By staying informed of the terms and ensuring your account is adequately funded, you can manage your finances more effectively and avoid unnecessary fees.