[csomar]

I was under the impression that direct debit requires an initial authorization from the account owner? Otherwise anyone with your bank account number can pull your account funds and bank account numbers are hardly a private information (unlike a cc where you need the card number/expiry/cvv code and generally a correct address)

[gpvos]

Not quite (but maybe differs per bank?). You get a notification a few days before the first debit takes place, and you have the right to request the debit be annulled for at least a month after it happens.

I've never seen an address needed for a cc charge, although sometimes a zip code is needed.