From 13 April 2026, the lock-up on debit order deposits is extending from 40 days to 60 days. This isn't an EasyEquities decision - it's a response to updated rules from PASA (Payments Association of South Africa), which have standardised how debit order disputes work across every bank in the country.

Why debit order deposits are locked at all

When you deposit via debit order, there's a window during which your bank can dispute and reverse that transaction - even after the money has already reflected in your account. The lock-up covers that window. Without it, you could withdraw funds that later get pulled back, leaving your account in a negative balance. It's a protection measure, not a restriction.

Why the window is moving to 60 days

PASA has formally set the dispute window for debit order EFTs at 60 days, uniformly, across all South African banks. Our lock-up period needs to match that.

There's an upside too

The same rule update removes the previous allowance for debit order disputes to be lodged up to 365 days after a transaction in certain cases. So while the standard lock-up is 20 days longer, the overall dispute exposure window is actually tighter than before.

For more information on the lock up periods for other deposit methods, check out this FAQ - What are Locked Funds?