Why You're Seeing "PETSMART*" on Your Bank Statement

A charge labeled PETSMART* on your bank statement comes from PetSmart, one of the largest pet supply and services retailers in the United States. This charge appears when you make a purchase at a PetSmart store or through their website at petsmart.com, covering items like pet food, toys, accessories, grooming services, or veterinary care. The asterisk following the descriptor is a standard formatting character used by payment processors to separate the merchant name from additional transaction details. If you or someone with access to your card shops for pet supplies, this charge is almost certainly a legitimate PetSmart transaction.

The PETSMART* descriptor appears on your bank statement because payment processors and card networks use a truncated version of the merchant's name to identify transactions, often adding an asterisk to denote additional details like a store location or order number. PetSmart's payment system transmits this standardized code during authorization, which is what your bank records and displays rather than the full formatted brand name. This is a completely normal practice across retail merchants and does not indicate anything unusual about your transaction.

A PETSMART* charge on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a legitimate transaction from PetSmart, one of the largest pet retail chains in North America. The asterisk in PETSMART* is standard billing shorthand used by PetSmart's payment processor and does not indicate anything suspicious. Common reasons you may see this charge include:

• An in-store purchase at a PetSmart retail location for pet food, supplies, or accessories
• An online order placed at PetSmart.com for pet products or medications
• A recurring PetSmart Treats rewards-linked subscription or auto-ship order
• A grooming, training, or PetsHotel boarding service appointment at PetSmart

ℹ️ Note

In most cases, a PETSMART* charge is simply a routine PetSmart purchase — such as pet food, grooming, or an auto-ship delivery — that you or a household member made recently. A quick check of your PetSmart.com order history or email receipts will usually clear up any confusion within minutes.