Finding an unknown charge on your bank statement is one of the most common — and most frustrating — banking problems. The good news is that most unknown bank charges turn out to be legitimate purchases from merchants who use cryptic abbreviated names. This guide walks you through the exact steps to identify any unfamiliar charge quickly, and what to do if you still can't place it.
Banks display a shortened "transaction descriptor" set by the merchant, not the trading name you recognise. A company called "Streaming Services Ltd" might appear on your statement as "STRM*SVC 0800-123456". These descriptors are trimmed to fit the character limit, often including phone numbers, location codes, or abbreviations.
"AMZN MKTP UK*AB1CD2E" is Amazon Marketplace UK — the random code at the end is your order reference.
The fastest way to identify an unknown charge is to paste the exact descriptor text into a tool like Detect My Charge. Our database matches the descriptor against thousands of known merchant patterns and returns the most likely match along with the merchant's website and contact details.
Search your inbox for the date of the charge. Look for order confirmations, subscription renewals, or trial period notices. Most legitimate merchants send a receipt or confirmation email at the time of charge.
Search your email for the charge date ± 2 days — subscription platforms like Netflix and Spotify always send a payment receipt.
Many modern banking apps show enriched merchant data — including the merchant logo, full name, and category — even when the statement line looks cryptic. Open the transaction detail in your app before assuming the charge is fraudulent.
If you've tried all of the above and still can't identify the charge, call the number on the back of your card. Your bank can see the full merchant details behind the descriptor and can open a dispute on your behalf if needed.
A transaction descriptor is the short text a merchant registers with their payment processor. It appears on your bank statement instead of the company's full trading name.
No — most unknown charges are legitimate but hard to recognise. Common causes include forgotten subscriptions, family member purchases, or merchants trading under a different name.
Paste the descriptor text into Detect My Charge. If we don't have a match, check your email around the transaction date or call your bank.
Yes. If you cannot identify a charge and believe it may be fraudulent, contact your bank immediately to dispute the transaction. You generally have 60–120 days to raise a dispute.
Card payment networks have a character limit for descriptor fields (usually 22–25 characters). Merchants abbreviate their name to fit.
Log in to the merchant's website and cancel the subscription to stop future charges. Then decide whether to dispute the past charges with your bank.
Use Detect My Charge to identify any unknown bank charge instantly.