Recurring charges made by retailers

That this House notes that in recent years, the use of continuous payment authorities, subscription payments that enable the merchant to take payments from a customer’s account on dates of their choosing and for different amounts without seeking further authorisation from them, has increased; notes that many people are left unaware that they have signed up to a continuous payment authority and have had recurring charges made to their bank accounts without their full knowledge; calls on the Government to introduce protections similar to the Direct Debit Guarantee for continuous payment authorities; and further calls on the Government to introduce more responsibility on the merchant to ensure customers are fully informed of what a continuous payment authority entails and that they are signing up to one.