DebiCheck is the South African system for authenticated debit orders. Before a lender can collect a repayment from your account, you must approve the mandate through your own bank. It exists because unauthorised and disputed debit orders were a widespread problem, and it puts the approval step in your hands rather than the lender’s.
If you are applying to Easyfin or any other lender that collects by debit order, the DebiCheck step is not optional paperwork — without your approval, the loan cannot be disbursed and the agreement does not start.
Eligibility Requirements at a Glance
Two sets of requirements apply: the lender’s criteria, and what you need in place for the DebiCheck mandate itself.
- Be 18 years or older
- Hold a valid South African ID document or smart card
- Have a regular, verifiable income paid into a bank account in your own name
- Hold a bank account at a South African bank that supports DebiCheck — all the major banks do
- Have a cellphone registered with your bank, so the mandate request reaches you
- Not be under debt review, sequestration or administration
Income and Affordability Requirements
The loan itself is assessed on affordability in the ordinary way.
The Act requires an affordability assessment before credit is granted: the provider must verify gross income, subtract statutory deductions such as PAYE and UIF, subtract the minimum living expenses prescribed in the affordability assessment regulations, and subtract existing monthly debt repayments. Lending without that assessment is reckless lending and is prohibited.
DebiCheck also protects you here. Because the mandate specifies the amount, the date and the frequency, a lender cannot lawfully collect more than what you approved. If a collection exceeds the mandate, your bank can reverse it.
Choose a debit order date that falls shortly after your salary lands. A mandate dated before payday is the most common cause of failed collections, and failed collections attract charges and are reported to the credit bureaux.
Credit and Financial Requirements
A credit bureau check forms part of the application, and repayment behaviour under the mandate is reported back to the bureaux.
The agreement is regulated by the National Credit Act 34 of 2005 and the provider must be registered with the National Credit Regulator (NCR). Verify registration free of charge at ncr.org.za before you sign.
How the mandate approval works. After you sign the credit agreement, your bank sends you a request — typically in your banking app, by USSD, or at a branch or ATM depending on the bank. You check that the lender name, amount, date and frequency match what you agreed, and approve or decline. Approve only what matches; decline anything you do not recognise.
Never approve a DebiCheck mandate for a lender you did not apply to, and never approve one through a link sent to you by message. The request must come through your own bank’s channel.
Documents and Verification Required
The lender will ask for the standard pack; your bank handles the mandate separately.
- South African ID document or smart card
- Latest payslip, or the latest three where income varies
- Latest three months’ bank statements
- Proof of residence not older than three months
- Full banking details — account number, branch code and account type — which must be correct or the mandate will fail
- A cellphone able to receive your bank’s mandate request
How to Apply and Improve Approval Readiness
Apply to the lender first, then watch for the mandate request from your bank. Most mandate requests expire if not actioned, which delays disbursement.
- Give exact banking details — a wrong branch code is a common cause of failure
- Respond to the mandate request promptly, and check every field against your agreement
- Set the collection date just after payday
- Keep enough in the account on the collection date; failed collections cost money and damage your record
- If a mandate request appears that you did not initiate, decline it and contact your bank
- Verify the lender’s NCR registration at ncr.org.za before applying
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I do not approve the mandate?
The lender cannot collect, so the loan is not disbursed and the agreement does not take effect. Unapproved mandate requests generally expire after a set period.
Can a lender collect more than the mandate allows?
No. The mandate fixes the amount, date and frequency. A collection outside those terms can be disputed and reversed through your bank.
Can I cancel a DebiCheck mandate?
You can instruct your bank to stop a mandate, but that does not cancel the underlying debt. Stopping collections without settling the loan puts you in default. Speak to the lender first.
Which banks support DebiCheck?
All the major South African banks. The approval channel differs — banking app, USSD, ATM or branch — so check with your own bank how it sends mandate requests.
Mandate approval channels, loan terms and fees differ by bank and lender and change over time. Confirm the process with your own bank and the current loan criteria with the lender before signing.