Monthly TV Licence Cost 2026
£15.00/month on a 12-month Direct Debit from April 2026. Same annual total as paying in full (£180), no surcharge. But watch the first-year six-instalment catch-up.
Steady-state monthly
£15.00
year 2 onwards
First-year typical
£25-35
six payments
Annual equivalent
£180.00
no DD surcharge
How monthly Direct Debit works
Monthly Direct Debit is the most popular payment method for the TV licence. Around 70 per cent of all UK licences are paid by Direct Debit, of which the great majority are monthly. The mechanics are simple in steady state: TV Licensing collects £15.00 from your bank account on your chosen payment date each month, twelve times a year, and your licence renews automatically.
The system is governed by the standard UK Direct Debit Guarantee, which gives you the right to a full and immediate refund from your bank for any payment taken in error, and to cancel the Direct Debit at any time by contacting your bank. Note: cancelling the Direct Debit cancels your licence, so do this only if you intend to stop holding a licence (and you have stopped watching live TV and iPlayer).
The first-year catch nobody warns you about
This trips up almost every new licence-holder. When you first set up a monthly Direct Debit, TV Licensing does not start you on £15.00/month from day one. Instead, the first-year payments are spread over six months, not twelve, so that the full annual fee is collected by your first renewal date.
In practice this means six payments of around £25 to £35 each (the exact figure depends on when in the licence year you set up the DD). From year two onwards you switch to twelve payments of £15.00. The total amount paid is the same (£180 in your first year, £180 in subsequent years), but the cash-flow profile is uneven for the first six months.
The logic from TV Licensing's side is straightforward: a monthly Direct Debit licence is treated as paid-in-advance under the same rules as the annual lump sum. If you start mid-licence-year you have to catch up the unpaid months at the start of your subscription. The faster the catch-up, the sooner you transition to steady-state £15.00 payments.
If the first-year cash flow is a problem, two alternatives exist. The first is the Simple Payment Plan, designed for households who find the standard Direct Debit unaffordable. The second is the weekly Savings Card, which spreads payments more granularly at PayPoint outlets.
Setting up monthly Direct Debit
You can set up a monthly DD in one of three ways. Online: log in to your TV Licensing account and follow the payment method change flow. By phone: call TV Licensing on 0300 555 0286 (Mon-Fri 8.30am to 6.30pm, Sat 8.30am to 6pm). By post: request a paper DD mandate form via the TV Licensing website, complete and return.
You will need your bank account details (account number and sort code), your existing licence number (if you have one), and your address. The DD typically takes 10 working days to set up under the standard BACS timetable. During the setup period your existing licence remains valid; the DD takes over at the scheduled date.
You can choose any payment date from 1 to 28 of the month. Many households pick a date shortly after payday to ensure funds are available. Avoid the 29th, 30th and 31st as not all months have these dates.
What happens if a payment fails
Failed Direct Debit payments are a common cause of accidental non-compliance. If your bank rejects a £15.00 collection (insufficient funds, account closed, or cancelled DD instruction), TV Licensing will write to you within a few business days. The letter explains the missed payment and gives you instructions to make it up.
You typically have around 30 days to repair the position. The simplest fix is to log in to your TV Licensing account online and pay the missed instalment by debit or credit card, then ensure the DD is restored at your bank for the next collection date. If you do not resolve the issue, the licence is cancelled, and you fall out of compliance the moment you continue watching live TV or iPlayer.
Cancelled-DD enforcement is one of the most common routes into the TV Licensing enforcement system, alongside expired-licence non-renewal. The remedy is inexpensive (pay the missed amount and restart) but easy to miss if the original letter is overlooked.
Monthly vs annual: which suits you?
| Factor | Monthly DD | Annual lump sum |
|---|---|---|
| Annual cost | £180 | £180 |
| Monthly cost | £15.00 (yr 2+) | n/a |
| First year catch-up | Yes, six instalments | No |
| Cash flow | Even (after yr 1) | Single big hit |
| Auto-renewal | Yes | Manual |
| Risk of missed renewal | Low | Higher (diary) |
| Best for | Steady budgeters | Cash-rich households |
See our full payment options guide for the comparison with quarterly Direct Debit and the weekly Savings Card.
Not legal advice
For your specific situation, check tvlicensing.co.uk or seek free advice from Citizens Advice.