Paying overdue bills just got easier and safer.

Luciane Macedo _247 - Is your bill overdue? You no longer need to go to a branch of the issuing bank to make a late payment. Account holders can now pay their overdue bills electronically at the bank of their choice through the Overdue Accounts Direct Debit (DDA) service.

DDA, short for Direct Debit Authorization, is an electronic bill payment service. The system was developed by the Brazilian Federation of Banks (Febraban) in partnership with banking sector associations. Any type of bill can be paid through the system: condominium fees, health insurance, school tuition, publication subscriptions, among others.

"The new system should provide customers with more convenience and security, reducing, for example, the risks of the 'exit scam', since it will no longer be necessary to pay in cash," says Walter Tadeu de Faria, deputy director of services at Febraban.

To use DDA, the account holder only needs to register (as an electronic payee) with the banks where they have an account. Once registered, they will start receiving payment slips by email or text message.

But the authorized debit is not automatic. Afterwards, the account holder needs to check with the bank which payment slips were issued in their name, authorize the debit from their account, or schedule the payment for the due date.

In the case of overdue payment slips, it will no longer be necessary to print them and go to a branch of the issuing bank to make the payment, as everything is done electronically. Through DDA (Direct Debit Authorization), the amounts will also be automatically adjusted, with the interest and penalties that apply to each case.

"Another advantage of the service is that it will allow for a reduction in calculation errors, since the interest and payment update values ​​will no longer be done manually and will already come from the issuing bank's system," notes Tadeu de Faria.

All overdue bills included in the system from March 19th onwards can be paid through DDA.