TV Licence Direct Debit FAQ's

Important announcement:

A New SEPA TV Licence Direct Debit application and mandate form was introduced in November 2013. From this date onwards you must use this form when making an application to pay for a TV Licence through the TV Licence Direct Debit scheme.
With the implementation of SEPA you may notice some changes to the information on electronic transactions and the timing of payments being received into or paid out of your bank account.
You should always ensure that you have sufficient funds in your account in advance to meet your Direct Debit commitments as they fall due. If you do not have money in your account to meet a direct debit, it will be returned unpaid and you may be subject to a charge from your bank.



Direct Debit Payment Options
How do I set up a Direct Debit ?
What is SEPA?
What is BIC?
What is IBAN?
Where can I find my BIC and IBAN?
What does 'sufficient funds' mean ?
When will the money be taken from my account ?
Can I change my Direct Debit payment option ?
Changing Bank Accounts
Direct Debit Calendar
Direct Debit Terms & Conditions




Direct Debit Payment Options
There are four payment options.

Annual - One annual instalment of the Full TV Licence fee (€160)
Bi-Annual - Two six monthly instalments of €80
Quarterly - Four equal quarterly instalments of €40
Monthly - Spread the cost of the TV Licence fee over twelve months. Pay €13.33 per month


How do I set up a Direct Debit ?
Download a Direct Debit application and mandate forms or request them from your local TV Licence records office

You must then fill in the Direct Debit application and mandate forms and send in the completed forms to your local TV Licence records office.

Your TV Licence Reference number should be on any letter you have received from An Post Licence Services. If you do not have your TV Licence Reference number please leave this part of the form blank.

There are no additional charges for paying for your TV Licence by Direct Debit.
Please ensure that you have read the Direct Debit Agreement Terms and Conditions

Note 1 :
An Post Licence Services will send you an acknowledgement letter on approximately the 18th of the month in which the Direct Debit Agreement was set up.

This letter will show:
The first instalment amount (see Note 3)
The date of the first debit
Payment schedule for the remaining instalments (see debit calendar )


Note 2 :
Your TV Licence records office must receive the completed Direct Debit application and mandate forms before the 15th of the month in order to commence payment in the following month. If your application forms are received after the 15th of the month, the Direct Debit agreement will not be set up until the month after it was received e.g. application received on the 21st June will be set up in July and payment will commence on the 3rd working day of August.


Note 3 :
All arrears due to date will be debited from your bank account in your first instalment. Where a Direct Debit application is being set-up in respect of a renewal licence, the existing expiry date will remain unchanged and any arrears due to the date of the set-up will be collected in the first instalment.


What is SEPA ?
The Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) comprises the 28 EU member states, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Monaco. It is an area within which you can make and receive payments in euro, under the same basic conditions, rights and obligations, regardless of their location, whether between or within national boundaries.


What is BIC ?
The BIC or Bank Identifier Code (also known as the SWIFT address) is a unique address which in payment messages identifies precisely the bank involved in financial transactions. When used in conjunction with the IBAN it identifies the bank at which the account of the beneficiary is held.


What is IBAN ?
IBAN stands for International Bank Account Number, and the concept was developed by the European Committee for Banking Standards (ECBS) and the International Standards Organisation (ISO) and is an internationally agreed standard (ISO 13616: 2003). It was created as a viable and practical international bank account identifier, used internationally to uniquely identify the account of a customer at a financial institution, to assist error-free cross-border payments and to improve the potential for straight-through payment processing. EU banks are legally required to provide their customers with an IBAN for each bank account. An example of an Irish IBAN is: IE64IRCE92050112345678.


Where can I find my BIC and IBAN ?
Your BIC and IBAN are printed on your bank statement. You can also request them directly from your bank.



What does 'sufficient funds' mean ?
Sufficient funds means having a credit balance in the bank account to cover the payment being sought. 'Sufficient funds' depends on the payment option chosen by the customer and also when their previous licence expired as there will be arrears* due in this case.

* Any arrears due to date will be debited from the bank account in the first instalment. When a direct debit mandate is being set-up in respect of a renewal licence, the existing expiry date of the licence will remain unchanged. Any arrears due to date from the previous expiry date will be collected in the first instalment along with this month's instalment.

Example:
The previous licence expired on 31 January and the Direct Debit Agreement is set up in April. The first instalment will be sought in May on the 3rd working day and will include arrears for the months of: February, March & April and also May's instalment. In this case the arrears would be €39.99 and May's instalment is €13.33, so the total being sought on the first instalment will be €53.32.


When will the money be taken from my account ?
View the list of dates that customers bank current accounts are due to be debited. Please refer to your payment schedule in your confirmation letter for the months that refer to your payment option type.


Can I change my Direct Debit payment option?
Your payment option can only be changed in the month your current Television Licence expires. If you wish to change your payment option please download and complete a Direct Debit form and return immediately to your Local TV Licence records office. Alternatively you can contact your Local TV Licence records office by phone or email and a Direct Debit form will be posted out to you.

All TV Licence renewal Direct Debit customers receive a letter 3-4 weeks prior to their TV Licence expiring.


Changing Bank Accounts ?
If you are an existing Direct Debit customer and wish to change bank accounts, please download and complete the Direct Debit form and return to your Local TV Licence records Office. Alternatively you can contact your Local TV Licence records office by phone or email and a Direct Debit form will be posted out to you.



Note 4 :
You can only change your payment option in the month of expiry.

Direct Debit Terms & Conditions ?
The Direct Debit Agreement will remain in force on a year to year basis. Any changes to the TV Licence fee will apply to all TV Licences purchased, or future TV Licence fees payable, after the date on which the fee comes into force. An Post will notify you, by post, on an annual basis of the amounts due to be debited from your Bank Current Account. Should you wish to change the frequency option for the payment of your next TV Licence, you must complete a new application form and send it to your local TV Licence records 16 days before your TV Licence is due to expire. You may only cancel your direct debit instruction in the month your TV Licence is due to expire after full payment has been made.

The TV Licence fee is payable on a year to year basis under the Broadcasting Act 2009 or under subsequent encompassing legislation. Under this Direct Debit agreement you are legally obliged to pay the full cost of the TV Licence. You are legally required to continue paying for your TV Licence during its validity period regardless of whether you discard the TV Set, are awarded a Lifetime TV Licence from the Department of Social Protection, leave the country or move to another premises already covered by a TV Licence or for any other circumstances. Non-receipt of any instalment due on your television licence fee will result in the revocation of the licence and you will then be obliged to purchase a replacement licence in full or face prosecution for the breach of Broadcasting Legislation.

The amounts to be debited are variable and may be debited on various dates. You should duly notify the Bank in writing if you wish to cancel this instruction. You must also notify An Post of such cancellations.