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

LINE, the popular Japanese messaging app developed by LINE Corporation, often appears on bank statements as "LINE*" rather than just "LINE" because the asterisk format is commonly used by mobile platform billing systems — specifically Apple's App Store and Google Play — to separate the merchant name from additional purchase detail fields when processing in-app transactions. When you buy a LINE premium subscription or character stickers through the app, the payment is routed through these platform payment processors, which truncate and format the merchant identifier with an asterisk to fit standardized billing descriptor fields. The resulting "LINE*" descriptor on your statement is a normal outcome of how these digital storefronts report Japanese app purchases to international card networks.

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

Frequently Asked Questions