How the new 2026 debit order dispute rules will impact your business South Africa’s debit order system is changing in 2026, bringing major updates for both consumers and businesses that use debit order collections.

In 2024, PASA members agreed on a new debit order dispute framework, which has now been formally announced by the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) and the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA).

From 13 April 2026, the dispute window for all debit orders will increase from 40 days to 60 days. The new rules apply to EFT, Registered Mandate (RM), and DebiCheck debit order systems.

What is changing?

Previously, consumers could dispute a debit order for up to 365 days after the transaction date.

- Disputes raised within 40 days were automatically reversed.
- Disputes raised after 40 days triggered an investigation where businesses had to provide mandate evidence.

Under the new debit order rules:

- Consumers will have 60 days to dispute a debit order.
- Any dispute raised within 60 days will be automatically reversed.
- Debit order disputes after 60 days will generally not be accepted.
- Valid DebiCheck debit orders remain irreversible. In short, no standard debit order can be disputed more than 60 days after processing.

What this means for consumers

The new rules give consumers more time to dispute unauthorised debit orders, increasing the dispute period from 40 to 60 days. However, consumers will lose the previous 365-day dispute protection. This means issues discovered after 60 days may no longer qualify for reversal.

What this means for businesses

The new debit order system provides businesses with greater certainty, as disputes are limited to a fixed 60-day period.

However, any debit order dispute raised within those 60 days will still be automatically reversed, even if the collection was valid. This increases short-term risk for businesses relying on debit order collections.

Why DebiCheck matters

DebiCheck remains the safest debit order collection solution under the new rules. With DebiCheck, consumers approve debit order details directly with their bank before collections begin. Once properly authorised, DebiCheck debit orders cannot be reversed unless the amount or collection date is incorrect.

This makes DebiCheck more secure and reliable than traditional debit order systems.

Secure your debit order collections

The 2026 dispute rule changes highlight the importance of using a secure debit order system.

Businesses using DebiCheck can better protect their debit order collections, reduce reversal risk, and improve payment security for both the business and the customer.

If your business wants to stay ahead with debit order collections, sign up for DebiCheck today! You can start the application process here.