Glossary · Collections & your rights

Stop-payment order

A bank-side instruction to block a lender’s ACH debit — your backstop when a lender ignores a revocation.

What "stop-payment order" means

A stop-payment order tells your own bank to refuse a specific automatic debit. For a recurring ACH payment you must place it at least three business days before the next scheduled withdrawal; banks may accept it by phone but can require written confirmation within 14 days to keep it in force.

It works alongside revoking the lender's authorization: the revocation removes the lender's right to debit, and the stop-payment order is the enforcement lever at the bank if the lender tries anyway. Do both, in writing, and keep copies.