topic Re: Payment Confusion in Account & Billing

Payment Confusion

neuchy — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 04:28:14 GMT

I recently contacted Sky via phone a couple days ago due to direct debit still attempting to come out even tho I paid manually a few days prior. The agent stated it was because they couldn't let the bank know it was already paid in time for the direct debit to stop as I paid my bill manually 1 day before direct debit should've been taken. Fortunately no funds was actually taken as I hold everything in savings. But here's where it gets confusing. I told the agent it says on my bill that 2 payments were made. 1 on the 24th which was a manual payment that I made, and another on the 25th via direct debit on a credit/debit card. So the system says i've made a double payment. Me being very confused I asked why it states I had credit on my account, she says because of a double payment it'll go onto my next bill or I can get it refunded. I was clearly very confused and just agreed to get this refunded, I had no idea what was going on or why it was there at the time but i've just now realised the reason may be because it hasn't yet bounced back from the bank and back to sky to show as failed/declined. I am now being refunded the money back I originally paid manually, as no double payment was actually made. Any help on what I should do? As I don't wanna scam sky out of money or them demand anything off me etc as this was clearly not an intentional thing.

Thanks

Re: Payment Confusion

caesarome — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:34:22 GMT

@neuchy

What you need to do is to stop making manual payments when they are not needed because everything the agent told you was correct as paying it the day before your billing date will not stop the direct debit from being taken so the payment you make are not actually paying the bill but just being added to your account as a credit which if they have refunded it for you should be back in your bank account within 5 working days.

Re: Payment Confusion

Mark39 — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:53:32 GMT

@neuchy it will take a few days for Sky's systems to update to reflect the fact that the direct debit wasn't paid.

Their system automatically assumes direct debit payments are made successfully until Sky are notified that payment was refused.

Re: Payment Confusion

neuchy — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 09:55:15 GMT

So after the refund is granted, will my bill technically not be paid? As I have only paid once and that has been refunded

Re: Payment Confusion

Mark39 — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:17:10 GMT

@neuchy that's a possibility, if Sky's systems don't pick up on the unpaid direct debit and stop the refund being processed.

Either way, I'd recommend doing nothing unless Sky specifically ask you to. Normally direct debits are presented for payment for a second time around 10 days after the first payment was refused, so just make sure you have funds in your account at that time to meet it.

Re: Payment Confusion

DaveDrizen — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:25:56 GMT

Out of curiosity if you make manual payment which goes on your account as a credit and then sky try to take the direct debit and it fails because of insufficient funds in the bank (because you tried to pay by making the manual payment ) after trying again 10 later will Sky restrict your service and demand payment or will they just take the credit that in you account and then carry on with direct debit next month

Re: Payment Confusion

Mark39 — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:31:21 GMT

@DaveDrizen wrote:

Out of curiosity if you make manual payment which goes on your account as a credit and then sky try to take the direct debit and it fails because of insufficient funds in the bank (because you tried to pay by making the manual payment ) after trying again 10 later will Sky restrict your service and demand payment or will they just take the credit that in you account and then carry on with direct debit next month

Likelihood is that the credit will have gone to next month's bill, not the current bill.

Re: Payment Confusion

SKY1992bf — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:34:12 GMT

@Mark39 wrote:
@DaveDrizen wrote:
Out of curiosity if you make manual payment which goes on your account as a credit and then sky try to take the direct debit and it fails because of insufficient funds in the bank (because you tried to pay by making the manual payment ) after trying again 10 later will Sky restrict your service and demand payment or will they just take the credit that in you account and then carry on with direct debit next month
Likelihood is that the credit will have gone to next month's bill, not the current bill.

That's correct, service will be restricted and payment demanded with the direct debit also having to be reset

Re: Payment Confusion

DaveDrizen — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 14:55:47 GMT

A interesting point the way Sky works there billing system My payment is set to be paid on 2nd of the month. But looking at these months bill yesterday I was surprised to see it said " 1 payment received " bill paid. Test looking at my bank account on my bank app no payment had yet been taken at looking on notification of what is going in and out my account on Monday is the Sky payment as usual.

Re: Payment Confusion

SKY1992bf — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:54:51 GMT

@DaveDrizen wrote:
A interesting point the way Sky works there billing system My payment is set to be paid on 2nd of the month. But looking at these months bill yesterday I was surprised to see it said " 1 payment received " bill paid. Test looking at my bank account on my bank app no payment had yet been taken at looking on notification of what is going in and out my account on Monday is the Sky payment as usual.

@DaveDrizen Many companies use the same practice basically your sky account is updated as bill paid the second the payment request is sent to the banks which is four days before the payment is due

so for example if the payment is due 13th of every month then the request is created on the 10th and your account is at that point updated to show the bill paid , bank receives request on the 11th , they process the request on the 12th and debit your account on 13th which is when sky receive the money

should the payment due date fall on a weekend or bank holiday then the payment will leave your bank account on the next available working day as no processing of payments takes place over a weekend or bank holiday

if sky doesn't do it like this and the due date fell on a weekend or bank holiday their systems will think you haven't paid and automatically start the process to restrict services

Re: Payment Confusion

DaveDrizen — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 15:26:29 GMT

@SKY1992bf wrote:
@DaveDrizen wrote:
A interesting point the way Sky works there billing system My payment is set to be paid on 2nd of the month. But looking at these months bill yesterday I was surprised to see it said " 1 payment received " bill paid. Test looking at my bank account on my bank app no payment had yet been taken at looking on notification of what is going in and out my account on Monday is the Sky payment as usual.
@DaveDrizen Many companies use the same practice basically your sky account is updated as bill paid the second the payment request is sent to the banks which is four days before the payment is due

so for example if the payment is due 13th of every month then the request is created on the 10th and your account is at that point updated to show the bill paid , bank receives request on the 11th , they process the request on the 12th and debit your account on 13th which is when sky receive the money

should the payment due date fall on a weekend or bank holiday then the payment will leave your bank account will he next available working day as no processing of payments takes place over a weekend or bank holiday

if sky doesn't do it like this and the due date fell on a weekend or bank holiday their systems will think you haven't paid and automatically restrict service

Yes I understand yet if I paying by credit or debit card continuous payment the payment would always be done on the 2nd of the month even if day was a weeken. I have various other subscriptions ,ie Netflix ect paid that way and if the payment date is a weekend it still take on that day.

Re: Payment Confusion

SKY1992bf — Sat, 28 Feb 2026 16:25:05 GMT

@DaveDrizen wrote:
@SKY1992bf wrote:
@DaveDrizen wrote:
A interesting point the way Sky works there billing system My payment is set to be paid on 2nd of the month. But looking at these months bill yesterday I was surprised to see it said " 1 payment received " bill paid. Test looking at my bank account on my bank app no payment had yet been taken at looking on notification of what is going in and out my account on Monday is the Sky payment as usual.
@DaveDrizen Many companies use the same practice basically your sky account is updated as bill paid the second the payment request is sent to the banks which is four days before the payment is due

so for example if the payment is due 13th of every month then the request is created on the 10th and your account is at that point updated to show the bill paid , bank receives request on the 11th , they process the request on the 12th and debit your account on 13th which is when sky receive the money

should the payment due date fall on a weekend or bank holiday then the payment will leave your bank account will he next available working day as no processing of payments takes place over a weekend or bank holiday

if sky doesn't do it like this and the due date fell on a weekend or bank holiday their systems will think you haven't paid and automatically restrict service
Yes I understand yet if I paying by credit or debit card continuous payment the payment would always be done on the 2nd of the month even if day was a weeken. I have various other subscriptions ,ie Netflix ect paid that way and if the payment date is a weekend it still take on that day.

@DaveDrizen There is a key difference between direct debits and continuous card payments and that's the method used

direct debits use the bacs three day processing system

whereas Mastercard/visa have their own system for card payments which are done near instantly