Could someone please tell me what i need to do when i have returned direct debit payments (that i am paying to another company )

Great to have you in the Community space, @Jt72.

I’m here to help and get you back in working order. Bank transfer payments or direct debit can fail because of incorrect bank info or insufficient funds. I got some steps we can perform to get around this issue. Let me show you how.

To start, we’ll need to figure out where the failed payment is in your QuickBooks Online (QBO) account:

1. Go to the + New menu.
2. Select Bank deposit or Record bank deposit.
3. Review the QuickBooks Payments section.
4. Look for the payment on the list. If you see it, it isn't deposited yet. If you don't, it is deposited.

Then create a service item to track the rejected payment: 

1. Go to Gear icon.
2. Select Products and Services.
3. Click New and then Service.
4. Enter the name and needed details.
5. If the bank deposit is already deposited, select the bank account you deposited into for the Income account. 
6. Click Save and close.

Once done, create a new invoice. For the complete details about the process, you can also check this article for reference: Handle a rejected or failed bank transfer payment.

I’d also recommend working with your accountant for additional guidance. This way, we can ensure your accounts is well accounted for after recording this. If you're not affiliated with one, you can visit our ProAdvisor page and look for one from there/

If you’re referring to paying your QBO subscription, I recommend reaching out to our Support team. This way, they can securely check your account and check the reason for the payment to be rejected. 

In case your cheque bounces in your future payments, you can refer to this article on how to handle the situation: What to do if your cheque bounces and your bank account has non-sufficient funds.

Let me know if you have any other concerns or questions managing your payments or with your QBO account. I’ll be around ready to help you. Keep safe!

Is it the same process when it is a payment (Direct Debit) that I am making from my account , to pay for something and it has been returned to my bank due to insufficient funds in my account ?

Go into the banking screen and click on the item to categorise at the bottom select exclude.  Do this for the outgoing payment that was returned and the returned payment.  These will then show in the excluded tab and won't be picked up from the bank feed again.