A standing order is an instruction from an account holder to their bank to pay a fixed amount to the same recipient on a regular schedule. The payer sets and controls the amount, date and frequency, and can cancel it at any time.
In one line: A standing order is a fixed, payer-controlled regular payment, useful for rent or saving the same sum each month.
How a standing order works
The account holder tells the bank how much to send, to which account, and how often. The bank then pushes that exact amount automatically until the instruction is changed or cancelled by the payer.
A tenant might set a 950 GBP standing order to a landlord on the first of each month. The figure never varies unless the payer edits it, which makes it predictable for fixed commitments.
Because the payer holds full control, the recipient cannot change the amount or timing, which suits payments that stay the same each period.
Standing order vs direct debit
A standing order is set up and controlled by the payer for a fixed amount. A direct debit lets the organisation being paid collect varying amounts under an authority granted by the payer.
Standing orders carry no Direct Debit Guarantee because the payer initiates them, so they suit fixed transfers rather than variable bills such as energy or council tax.
Primary source: Pay.UK (Bacs and payment schemes)