How to Identify Unknown Charges on Your Bank Statement
What Makes a Bank Charge Hard to Identify?
Bank statements show payment descriptors â short codes assigned by merchants when they register with their payment processor. These descriptors are often abbreviated, use legal business names instead of brand names, or reflect the payment processor rather than the merchant.
Payment descriptors are limited to 22 characters by most card networks, which is why they are often truncated in ways that make them hard to recognize.
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Even charges you authorized can look completely unfamiliar on your statement. A charge from a popular app might show the parent company name instead of the product you know.
Is 'This Charge' Legitimate or Fraud?
If you've spotted 'this charge' on your bank or credit card statement listed as coming from 'this charge,' you're not alone â many people search for this exact descriptor when reviewing their finances. Because the label appears literally as 'this charge,' it can be confusing to determine whether it's a real transaction or a sign of fraudulent activity.
- The descriptor 'this charge' may appear when a merchant's billing system doesn't transmit a proper business name to your bank
- It can sometimes reflect a placeholder used by payment processors during pending or unresolved transactions
- Fraudulent actors occasionally use generic descriptors to avoid detection on bank statements
- Legitimate software trials, subscriptions, or one-time purchases may post with unclear labels like 'this charge' depending on the payment gateway used
How to Verify the 'This Charge' Charge
- 1
Check the exact transaction date
Log into your online banking and note the exact date 'this charge' posted. Cross-reference that date with any purchases, sign-ups, or free trials you initiated around that time.
- 2
Search your email for receipts
Search your inbox for confirmation emails sent around the same date as 'this charge.' Look for terms like 'receipt,' 'order confirmation,' or 'subscription started' that align with the charge amount.
- 3
Ask household members
Check with family members or anyone who has access to your card. Someone in your household may have made a purchase that posted as 'this charge' on the shared statement.
- 4
Review active subscriptions
Go through any subscription services, app stores, or free trials you've signed up for recently. Some platforms bill under generic names like 'this charge' rather than their brand name.
- 5
Contact your bank directly
Call the number on the back of your card and ask your bank to look up the merchant ID behind 'this charge.' Banks can often retrieve the full merchant name even when it doesn't display on your statement.
How to Dispute a 'This Charge' Charge
- 1
Act within 60 days
Most banks require disputes to be filed within 60 days of the statement date. If you don't recognize 'this charge,' start the dispute process as soon as possible to stay within your protection window.
- 2
Attempt to identify 'this charge' first
Before filing a dispute, exhaust all verification steps. Banks take disputes more seriously when you can confirm you made genuine efforts to identify 'this charge' before escalating.
- 3
File a chargeback with your bank
Contact your bank or card issuer and formally request a chargeback for 'this charge.' Provide the transaction date, amount, and any evidence showing the charge is unauthorized or unrecognized.
- 4
Request a replacement card
If 'this charge' appears to be fraudulent, ask your bank to cancel your current card and issue a new one. This prevents any further unauthorized charges from the same source.
Tips for Managing 'This Charge' Charges
Set up real-time transaction alerts so you're notified the moment 'this charge' or any unrecognized charge posts to your account.
Keep a personal log of every subscription and trial you sign up for, including billing dates and amounts, to quickly match against 'this charge.'
Use a dedicated virtual card number for online sign-ups so that if 'this charge' turns out to be fraud, your main account remains protected.
Review your full bank statement at least once per month on a set date to catch 'this charge' or similar vague descriptors before they repeat.
Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts linked to your payment card to reduce the risk of unauthorized charges appearing like 'this charge.'
Use WhatIsThisCharge.net to identify related charges and get more context on unfamiliar billing descriptors like 'this charge.'
Frequently Asked Questions About 'This Charge'
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