Payment Processor Guide.

What is this charge on my credit card?

Found a name on your credit or debit card statement you don't recognize? Most of the time it is a real purchase billed under a parent company, a legal name, an abbreviation or a street address. Find the name below to see who it is, why they charged you, and how to cancel, get a refund or dispute it.

Shopping and online stores

Apps, software and subscriptions

Travel, rentals and tolls

Cars and auto services

Home, laundry and vending

Insurance

News and media

Games and consoles

Why the name on your statement looks strange

The text on that line is called a statement descriptor. The business, or the company that processes its card payments, sets it, and it has to fit in very little space: Stripe caps it at 22 characters. Long names get cut off, legal names stand in for brand names, and some charges show nothing but an address. These are the patterns behind most mystery charges:

  • A legal or parent company name instead of the brand you bought from. Deutsche Bahn train tickets bill as DB Vertrieb GmbH, the railway's German sales company.
  • A street address where the name should be. Some large companies bill from their headquarters, which is how 702 SW 8th St, 1955 Broadway Oakland and Bridgepointe Pkwy end up on statements.
  • An abbreviation. VIOC is Valvoline Instant Oil Change and ERAC is Enterprise Rent-A-Car.
  • A prefix from the payment company. A Square seller shows up as SQ* plus the business name; Square's own example is "SQ* SWEET DOZEN BAKERY". Vending machines and laundry rooms that take cards often carry their payment provider's prefix too, like CTLP.
  • A pending hold rather than a charge. Gas pumps, hotels, rental counters and vending machines often hold an amount first and settle a different one later. A hold that disappears after a few days was never actually charged. That step is called an authorization.

Still don’t recognize it? Dispute it with your bank

  1. Open the transaction in your banking app. The detail view often shows a longer merchant name, a phone number or a city that the statement line cuts off.
  2. Ask the merchant for a refund first. It is usually faster than a dispute, and your card issuer may ask whether you tried.
  3. If the merchant says no, or you think your card number was stolen, call the number on the back of your card. Ask them to dispute the charge and, if it is fraud, to cancel the card and send a new one.
  4. For a credit card, follow up in writing. The FTC says your letter should reach the issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the error was sent to you, at the billing inquiries address rather than the payments address.

Federal law caps what you owe for unauthorized credit card charges at $50. Debit cards work differently: if only your card number was used, you owe nothing as long as you report it within 60 days after the statement is sent, but the money is gone from your account while the bank looks into it. See the FTC's guide to lost or stolen cards. A successful dispute becomes a chargeback against the merchant.

Questions people ask

Why is there a charge on my card from a company I don't know?
Usually because the business billed under a name you wouldn't connect to it: a parent company, a legal entity, an abbreviation or an address. Compare the date and amount with your recent purchases, your subscriptions and anyone else who uses the card before you assume it's fraud.
How do I find out which company charged my card?
Open the transaction in your banking app first, since the detail view often shows a fuller name, a phone number or a website. Then search the exact text from the statement, including any numbers. If you still can't place it, call your card issuer and ask what the transaction record shows.
Should I cancel my card if I see a charge I don't recognize?
Not until you know what it is. Cancelling the card also stops every legitimate bill and subscription on it. If the charge turns out to be fraud, then yes: ask the issuer to close the number and send a new card, and look back through the last few statements for smaller charges from the same name.
What is a $1 charge on my card that I didn't make?
Some merchants run a small authorization, often $1 or less, to check that a card works, and it drops off within a few days. People with stolen card numbers do the same thing to test them. If you don't recognize the merchant either, treat it as fraud and call your card issuer.
How long do I have to dispute a credit card charge?
The FTC says your written dispute should reach the card issuer within 60 days after the first bill with the charge was sent to you. Debit cards have their own 60-day window for unauthorized charges, and less protection if you wait. Call as soon as you spot it.