What is the Equinox Enterprises charge on my credit card?
Facts checked
Short answer
Equinox Enterprises is most likely Equinox Enterprises Technology Limited, the Hong Kong company behind StoryReel, a short drama video app. People who pay for StoryReel on its website instead of in the App Store are billed under the company's legal name, often for a weekly pass that renews. It isn't Equinox the gym.
How it shows up on your statement
- EQUINOX ENTERPRISES
Banks trim and reformat these, so yours may be shorter or carry a different city or number. Why charge names look strange.
Who is Equinox Enterprises?
Several businesses share the name, which is half the confusion. The one that fits these charges is Equinox Enterprises Technology Limited, registered at Olympia Plaza, 255 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong. StoryReel's user agreement and privacy policy both name it as the company behind the app.
StoryReel streams short vertical drama series, the kind advertised with social media clips that stop on a cliffhanger. Episodes unlock with a weekly pass or with coins.
The clearest pointer comes from someone with nothing to gain. Equinox Enterprises LLC, an unrelated US consulting firm, posted on its homepage that someone using the same business name was charging people's cards, then added that a reader had found the culprit: StoryReel. Google's related searches pair the name with North Point, the Hong Kong address. We haven't seen a receipt that ties the exact statement line to StoryReel, so take this as the most likely answer rather than a certainty.
Why is Equinox Enterprises on my card statement?
The charge shows up when StoryReel is paid for outside the app stores. App Store reviewers describe being sent to a website to pay, through what one called "a third-party Hong Kong billing service." A payment made that way is billed by the company itself, so it carries the company's name and never appears in your Apple or Google subscription list.
- A weekly pass. StoryReel's App Store listing prices its weekly Pro pass at $7.99 to $29.99, depending on the tier. Weekly billing means four or five charges a month.
- Coin packs to unlock episodes, listed at $3.49 and $19.99.
- A discounted first payment that rolled into a full-price subscription, which several reviewers describe.
- Someone in the household watched dramas from an ad and paid on the site.
The company is in Hong Kong, so some cards may add a foreign transaction fee as a separate line next to the charge.
How to cancel StoryReel and get a refund
Deleting the app cancels nothing. Where you cancel depends on where you paid.
- Paid on the website (the Equinox Enterprises charge): email service@storyreel.life. StoryReel's user agreement says you can close your account at any time by contacting customer service at that address. Include your in-app user ID (UID), the charge date and amount, and a screenshot of the charge. Reviewers say support struggles to find accounts without the UID.
- Check inside the app too. One App Store reviewer found the cancel option under Settings, then Manage Membership, rather than in their Apple ID.
- Paid through the App Store: go to Settings, tap your name, then Subscriptions. Ask Apple for a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com.
- Paid through Google Play: open the Play Store, tap your profile, then Payments and subscriptions.
StoryReel publishes no refund policy, and reviewers describe slow replies. If support hasn't fixed it within a few days, take it to your card issuer.
What if you never used StoryReel?
Check the obvious places first. Short drama apps are often installed by someone else in the house.
- Look for the StoryReel app on every phone and tablet in the house, and check each Apple ID and Google account.
- Search email, spam included, for StoryReel, storyreel.life and Equinox Enterprises.
- Look for a weekly pattern: similar amounts about seven days apart.
- If nobody used it, dispute the charge as unauthorized and ask the issuer to block future charges from this merchant or replace the card. With an overseas merchant that answers slowly, the bank is the more reliable route.
Don't contact Equinox Enterprises LLC, the US consulting firm. Its owner says he's unrelated and can't help. If you're an Equinox gym or Equinox+ member, rule that out by checking your Equinox account, though we found no sign the gym bills under this name.
Still don’t recognize it? Dispute it with your bank
- 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.
- Ask the merchant for a refund first. It is usually faster than a dispute, and your card issuer may ask whether you tried.
- 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.
- 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
- What is Equinox Enterprises on my credit card?
- Most likely StoryReel, a short drama app published by Equinox Enterprises Technology Limited in Hong Kong. Payments made on StoryReel's website appear under the company's name.
- Is the Equinox Enterprises charge from Equinox gym?
- Probably not. We found no evidence that Equinox clubs or Equinox+ bill as Equinox Enterprises. The name matches the Hong Kong company behind StoryReel.
- Why can't I find the subscription in my iPhone settings?
- Because it wasn't bought through Apple. StoryReel payments made on its website go straight to your card, so you cancel by emailing service@storyreel.life, not in Settings.
- How do I stop Equinox Enterprises charges?
- Email service@storyreel.life with your user ID and the charge details and ask them to cancel and delete the account. If the charges keep coming or nobody replies, dispute them with your card issuer and ask for a new card.
- Is Equinox Enterprises a scam?
- The company is real and is named in StoryReel's legal terms. Reviewers complain about web-only billing and hard cancellation, which is not the same as fraud. If you never used the app, though, the charge is unauthorized and you should dispute it.
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Sources
Read on . Policies and phone numbers change, so confirm on the company’s own site before you act.