What exactly is the COURSERA* charge on my statement?

The COURSERA* charge is a payment billed by Coursera, the online education platform. It typically represents a course purchase, Coursera Plus subscription, or a professional certificate program enrollment.

Why does the charge say COURSERA* instead of just Coursera?

The asterisk in COURSERA* is added by payment processors as part of standard merchant descriptor formatting. It still originates directly from Coursera and is not a sign of fraud.

Can I get a refund for a COURSERA* charge?

Yes — Coursera offers a 14-day full refund policy for most course and subscription purchases. Visit the Coursera Help Center and submit a refund request within that window.

How do I cancel my Coursera subscription to stop future charges?

Log into coursera.org, go to Settings > Payments > Subscriptions, and click 'Cancel Subscription.' Your access continues until the end of the billing period and no further COURSERA* charges will occur.

How do I permanently stop COURSERA* charges from appearing?

Cancel all active Coursera subscriptions in your account settings and remove your saved payment method under Settings > Payments. This ensures no future COURSERA* charges can be initiated.

Home›Browse Charges›Education›COURSERA*

COURSERA* Charge (What It Is + Is It Legit?)

✓ Legitimate

The "COURSERA*" charge is from Coursera. Coursera online learning subscription.

🌍 US🕐 7 min read📅 Updated May 22, 2026

Coursera

Coursera online learning subscription.

COURSERA*

Why this shows on your statement

When Coursera processes subscription payments for its online learning platform, it routes billing through Stripe, a widely used payment processor that appends an asterisk followed by a shortened merchant identifier to help categorize transactions. The result is the truncated descriptor "COURSERA*" rather than the full company name, a format Stripe commonly applies to education and subscription-based merchants to stay within standard character limits on bank statements. If you recently signed up for a Coursera course subscription or renewed your $49 monthly plan, this charge is almost certainly legitimate and tied directly to your Coursera account.

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What should you do?

Verify Your Coursera Enrollment

Log in to your account at coursera.org and check your active enrollments and subscriptions. The COURSERA* charge is tied to a Coursera online learning subscription, so confirm whether you recently signed up for a course, specialization, or Coursera Plus membership.

Review Your Coursera Billing History

Navigate to your Coursera account settings at coursera.org/account and review your billing and payment history. This will show you the exact date, amount, and subscription plan associated with the COURSERA* charge on your bank statement.

Check Your Coursera Free Trial Status

If you recently started a free trial on Coursera, the COURSERA* charge may indicate that your trial period has ended and you have been automatically billed. Visit coursera.org/account to see your current plan and when your next billing date is scheduled.

Cancel or Manage Your Coursera Subscription

If you no longer wish to continue your Coursera subscription and want to avoid future COURSERA* charges, go to coursera.org/account to manage or cancel your plan. Canceling before your next billing cycle will prevent additional charges from appearing on your bank statement.

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How to cancel Coursera

Coursera bills you Monthly. To stop future charges, cancel from your account directly.

Cancel at Coursera

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Should you be worried?

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

Is the COURSERA* Charge Legitimate or Fraud?

A COURSERA* charge on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a legitimate transaction from Coursera, the popular online learning platform offering courses, specializations, and degrees from top universities and companies. The asterisk in COURSERA* is standard merchant descriptor formatting used by payment processors. Common reasons you may see this charge include:

A Coursera Plus monthly or annual subscription renewal
A one-time course or specialization purchase on Coursera
A Coursera-hosted degree or certificate program payment installment
A free trial on Coursera that automatically converted to a paid plan

How to Verify the COURSERA* Charge

1
Log into your Coursera account
Visit coursera.org and sign in. Navigate to 'My Purchases' under your profile menu to see a full history of charges Coursera has billed to your card.
2
Search your email for Coursera receipts
Search your inbox for emails from 'receipts@coursera.org' or with the subject 'Your Coursera receipt.' These will match the exact COURSERA* amount on your statement.
3
Check if a household member enrolled
Ask family members or colleagues whether they used your card to sign up for a Coursera course, specialization, or Coursera Plus subscription.
4
Review your active Coursera subscriptions
In your Coursera account, go to Settings > Payments to view all active subscriptions and their next billing dates so you can confirm the COURSERA* charge timing.
5
Contact your bank for details
If you still can't identify the COURSERA* charge, ask your bank for the full merchant name, transaction date, and amount to help pinpoint exactly which Coursera product was billed.

How to Dispute a COURSERA* Charge

1
Act within 60 days
Most banks require you to dispute an unrecognized COURSERA* charge within 60 days of the statement date. Act quickly to preserve your right to a chargeback.
2
Contact Coursera support first
Visit the Coursera Help Center at coursera.org/about/contact and submit a refund or billing dispute request. Coursera offers refunds within 14 days of most purchases, making this the fastest resolution path.
3
File a chargeback with your bank
If Coursera does not resolve the issue, contact your bank or credit card issuer and formally dispute the COURSERA* charge as unauthorized or unresolved, providing any email correspondence with Coursera.
4
Request a new card number
If the COURSERA* charge appears to be fraudulent and you never had a Coursera account, ask your bank to issue a new card number to prevent any further unauthorized charges.

Tips for Managing Coursera Charges

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Enable Coursera email notifications so you're alerted before any COURSERA* subscription renewal hits your card.

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Save your Coursera purchase confirmation emails — they make it easy to match any COURSERA* charge on your statement.

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Use a unique password for your Coursera account to prevent unauthorized logins that could trigger unexpected COURSERA* charges.

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Note your Coursera Plus renewal date in your calendar so the annual COURSERA* charge never catches you off guard.

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Use a virtual card number for Coursera subscriptions to easily block future COURSERA* charges if needed.

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Use WhatIsThisCharge.net to identify any other unfamiliar charges that appear alongside COURSERA* on your statement.

ℹ️ Note

In most cases, a COURSERA* charge is simply Coursera billing you for a course, specialization, or Coursera Plus subscription you signed up for — often an auto-renewal you may have forgotten about. A quick check of your Coursera account's purchase history will usually clear up the mystery in seconds.