Why am I seeing an AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge if I never signed up for AWS?

You may have created an AMAZON WEB SERVICES account during a free trial that has since expired, or a team member may have used your payment info. It's also possible your card was used fraudulently to open an AWS account — check aws.amazon.com to see if any account is linked to your email.

Why does the charge say AMAZON WEB SERVICES* instead of just Amazon?

AMAZON WEB SERVICES is a separate business division from Amazon's retail store. The asterisk (*) in 'AMAZON WEB SERVICES*' is a standard billing descriptor format used by AWS, and it may be followed by an account number or region code on your statement.

Can I get a refund for an AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge?

Yes, AMAZON WEB SERVICES does offer refunds in certain situations, especially for accidental resource usage or first-time billing mistakes. Contact AWS billing support at aws.amazon.com/contact-us and explain the situation — they are generally responsive to refund requests.

How do I cancel AMAZON WEB SERVICES to stop being charged?

To stop AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charges, log into your AWS account, terminate all running services (EC2, RDS, S3 buckets, etc.) using the AWS Management Console, and then close your account under 'Account Settings.' Note that you must clear all active resources before closing or charges may continue.

How do I stop future AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charges from appearing?

The most effective way to stop future AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charges is to delete all AWS resources, remove your payment method from your AMAZON WEB SERVICES account, and formally close the account. You can also set a $0 AWS Budget alert to catch any accidental resource creation before it leads to billing.

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AMAZON WEB SERVICES* Charge (What It Is + Is It Legit?)

✓ Legitimate

The "AMAZON WEB SERVICES*" charge is from Amazon Web Services. AWS cloud services charge.

🌍 US🕐 8 min read📅 Updated May 22, 2026

Amazon Web Services

AWS cloud services charge.

AMAZON WEB SERVICES*

What is this charge?

Amazon Web Services uses the truncated descriptor "AMAZON WEB SERVICES*" on bank statements because payment card networks like Visa and Mastercard impose a strict character limit on merchant descriptors, typically capping them at 22-25 characters including spaces. The asterisk in the descriptor is a standard separator used by AWS's billing system to distinguish the base merchant name from any additional reference information, such as an account ID or service region, that may follow it depending on your bank's display settings. If you're seeing this charge, it almost certainly relates to an active AWS account being billed for cloud services like EC2 instances, S3 storage, or other Amazon Web Services products on their standard monthly billing cycle.

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How to handle this charge

Log into your AWS account

Visit aws.amazon.com and sign in to your Amazon Web Services account to review your active services and recent usage that may have triggered the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge on your statement.

Review your AWS billing dashboard

Navigate to console.aws.amazon.com/billing to see a detailed breakdown of your Amazon Web Services charges, including which specific cloud services such as EC2, S3, or Lambda generated the bill.

Check for unexpected usage spikes

Inside the Amazon Web Services billing console, review your usage metrics and cost explorer to confirm the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge aligns with your expected cloud resource consumption for that billing period.

Manage or cancel unused AWS services

If you want to prevent future AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charges, return to console.aws.amazon.com/billing to shut down any unused cloud services, set billing alerts, or adjust your Amazon Web Services subscription plan to better match your actual needs.

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How to cancel Amazon Web Services

Amazon Web Services bills you Monthly. To stop future charges, cancel from your account directly.

Cancel at Amazon Web Services

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Quick fraud check

No, this is a legitimate charge from Amazon Web Services. However, if you did not authorize this charge or cancelled your subscription, you may be eligible for a refund.

ℹ️ Note

In most cases, seeing "AMAZON WEB SERVICES*" on your statement is completely normal. Before assuming fraud, check your recent purchases — most mystery charges have a simple explanation.

Is the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* Charge Legitimate or Fraud?

If you've spotted AMAZON WEB SERVICES* on your bank or credit card statement, it is most likely a legitimate charge from AMAZON WEB SERVICES (AWS), Amazon's cloud computing platform. AWS charges customers for usage of services like cloud storage (S3), computing power (EC2), databases, and more — often on a pay-as-you-go model. However, if you don't recall signing up for AWS, it's worth investigating further.

You or someone in your organization signed up for an AWS free tier that has now expired or exceeded limits
A developer or IT staff member linked your payment method to an AWS account for a business project
You may have a forgotten AWS account with active resources still running and billing
In rare cases, unauthorized use of your card details could result in fraudulent AWS charges — always verify if you have no AWS account

How to Verify the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* Charge

1
Log into your AWS account
Visit aws.amazon.com and sign in. Go to 'Billing & Cost Management' to view your invoices and confirm whether the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge matches your account activity.
2
Search your email for AWS receipts
Search your inbox for emails from 'aws-receivables-support@email.amazon.com' or 'no-reply@billing.amazon.com'. AMAZON WEB SERVICES sends itemized billing receipts monthly.
3
Check with team members or colleagues
If you share finances with a business partner or team, ask whether anyone set up an AMAZON WEB SERVICES account using your company's payment method for a project or experiment.
4
Review your AWS Cost Explorer
Inside your AWS account, use the Cost Explorer tool to break down exactly which services generated the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge — such as EC2 instances, S3 storage, or data transfer fees.
5
Contact your bank for transaction details
Ask your bank for the full merchant descriptor and transaction ID associated with the AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge. This can help confirm whether the charge originated from a legitimate AWS billing event.

How to Dispute a AMAZON WEB SERVICES* Charge

1
Act within 60 days of the charge
Most banks require disputes to be filed within 60 days of the statement date. If you see an unexpected AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charge, don't wait — begin the dispute process as soon as possible.
2
Contact AMAZON WEB SERVICES support first
Reach out to AWS directly at aws.amazon.com/contact-us or call AWS support. AMAZON WEB SERVICES has a billing support team that can review your account and issue refunds for erroneous or unintended charges.
3
File a chargeback with your bank
If AMAZON WEB SERVICES does not resolve the issue, contact your bank or credit card issuer to initiate a formal chargeback. Provide your billing statements and any communication with AWS as evidence.
4
Request a new card number
If you suspect fraud — meaning someone opened an AWS account using your card without permission — ask your bank to cancel your current card and issue a new one to prevent further unauthorized AMAZON WEB SERVICES* charges.