A direct debit still points to the bank account your business replaced

The cash is in a different account

A hypothetical business changes its operating bank account but overlooks a supplier's debit instruction. The supplier attempts to collect from the old account and the payment fails. The owner sees sufficient money in the new account and assumes the notification is wrong. Check which account the collector actually used before deciding how to resolve the failed transaction.

Verify the instruction through a trusted channel

Contact the provider using independently verified details. Ask which instruction is active and what process is required to change it. Do not send banking information in response to an unexpected message merely because it mentions a real failed payment. Keep the account-update process separate from any instruction to send money to an unfamiliar recipient.

Confirm payment timing as well as the account

Business.gov.au's cash-flow guidance recommends recording money coming in and going out and labelling estimates. Establish how the outstanding amount will be collected and when the new instruction becomes effective. Enter those expected movements in the cash view. A submitted change request is not evidence that the provider has already activated the replacement details.

Source: business.gov.au: Set up a cash flow statement

Coordinate the outstanding transaction

Ask the provider how to deal with the missed payment while the instruction is updated. In the hypothetical example, the supplier may require a separate arrangement for the overdue amount. Record the agreed process and check whether any further collection is scheduled. Avoid making a manual transfer without understanding how it interacts with the provider's existing collection instruction.

Check other mandates affected by the migration

Review the old account's transaction history for recurring collectors and compare it with the migration list. Ask the responsible staff to verify each required change rather than assuming one notification reached every provider. Keep any account closure decision subject to the bank's process and the business's remaining obligations. Do not leave an account open or funded indefinitely without oversight.

Verify the first corrected collection

Check the actual transaction, provider statement and ledger after the expected collection date. Record any difference and resolve it promptly. CRP can help assess wider cash pressure if account administration is only part of the problem. Closing this issue means confirming the payment and the continuing instruction, rather than treating a completed online form as the end of the task.