What Is This Charge on My Credit Card?
7 Min Read | Published: May 23, 2025
This article contains general information and is not intended to provide information that is specific to American Express products and services. Similar products and services offered by different companies will have different features and you should always read about product details before acquiring any financial product.
Find out what the charges on your credit card are. Learn to read your credit card statement and get fraud prevention tips today.
At-A-Glance
- Unrecognized charges aren’t always fraudulent, but learning how to verify your transactions and read your card statement is crucial for making sure.
- If a charge really is unauthorized, you can contact the merchant first to file a dispute for a refund.
- To help prevent fraud, set up account alerts and two-step verification, monitor your credit report for free with the American Express® MyCredit Guide, and never share personal financial information outside your bank.
Seeing an unfamiliar transaction on your credit card statement can be unsettling, but unrecognized charges aren’t always fraud. Pending transactions, mislabeled and coded merchant names, or a forgotten recurring subscription may all look suspicious at first glance. Keep reading to learn simple steps to understand every transaction and what to do if you still suspect credit card fraud.
Review Your Statement to See Who Charged Your Credit Card
Your credit card statement sums up your monthly spending. It also includes interest charges, fees, statement credits, and cash advances.1 Statements also outline the important details of your transactions, including the date, name of the merchant, and the charged amount.2 These details might also include a description of the purchase.
Here’s an example of what the transaction section of a credit card statement could look like:
Transactions
| Transaction Date | Description | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| March 13 | ORGANIC FOODS MARKET | -$287.00 |
| March 15 | ROYAL FLORIST | -$48.00 |
| March 16 | PAYPAL | -$14.00 |
Sometimes, the description may feature coded abbreviations or even the city in which the transaction was conducted, which can sometimes make it tricky to spot who the merchant could have been.
Reading your credit card statement carefully can help you identify unfamiliar charges while spotting potential fraud.
Go line by line to make sure each charge is accurate. You’ll see where you spent money, the date of each purchase, and how much it cost. Some issuers group purchases by date, while others group by purchase category. If you don’t recognize a charge or the merchant, you can always run an internet search on the merchant’s name to see if it brings anything up. Often unfamiliar charges are legitimate, and it could be that you simply don’t recognize or remember it, but you’ll want to verify this just to make sure.
If you follow all the steps above but still can’t verify the charges on your statement, call or message your credit card issuer immediately to dispute the bill.3
Common Reasons for Unfamiliar Charges
Sometimes, an unfamiliar charge is legitimate and shouldn’t raise any concerns. Here are a few examples:
- A pending transaction may look fishy, but it could simply be a transaction your issuer approved but hasn’t yet processed.4
- Another unfamiliar but legitimate charge may occur when a business lists itself with a coded name that doesn’t correspond to the name you use for it.5
- You may have a recurring subscription you forgot about or canceled in time, but the merchant is still billing you, in which case you may be entitled to a refund after filing a dispute or alerting the company to the charge.6
How to Dispute an Unauthorized or Fraudulent Charge
If you see an unauthorized charge and are not receiving support from the original merchant, call your bank or credit card issuer right away to start the dispute process.7 For billing errors, you may also need to provide your issuer with a written notice no later than 60 days after the charge appears on your statement, so keep copies of all your communications.8 After you submit your dispute, monitor your account closely for updates while you continue to watch for any more unfamiliar activity.
Spotting Signs of Fraud
Here are some common signs of fraud to be on the lookout for:9
- Unfamiliar Purchases
If you consistently see unfamiliar withdrawals or transactions in places you’ve never been for products you’ve never bought, this could be a sign of fraudulent activity. - Unfamiliar Online Purchases
Online purchases you don’t recognize may be card-not-present fraud, where someone may have stolen your card information and used it to buy things without having your actual card in hand.10 - Strange Charges After Using a Payment Machine
Card skimming happens when a payment machine, like an automated teller machine (ATM) or gas pump, records your card’s information.11 - Your New Credit Card Never Arrives in the Mail
When fraudsters commit mail fraud, they may intercept your mail before you can activate your new credit card.12 This may be your case if you never got your physical card. - Missing Phones or Devices
Fraudsters may steal or hack phones and devices to mine them for financial information. In the event of a lost or stolen phone, your banking app information or other sensitive information could be compromised.
Preventing Unauthorized Charges on Your Credit Card
Keeping a watchful eye over your spending habits may be one of the simplest ways to spot signs of fraud. With regular account monitoring and real-time alerts, you may be better prepared to detect unauthorized charges. You can also protect your money by routinely checking out your credit report and score, where signs of fraud may also be visible.
In the meantime, here are some more tips for preventing fraudulent charges:13
- Update your card details, create complicated passwords you change often, and enable two-factor account authentication across accounts whenever possible.
- If you suspect card skimming, notify your card issuer immediately and avoid that location.
- If you’re waiting weeks for your new card, let your bank know immediately so they can cancel your potentially compromised card and issue a new one.
- If your device is stolen, get in touch with your bank to disable digital wallets and keep monitoring for unusual transactions.
Did you know?
You can obtain an Amex virtual card number to help add an extra layer of security when shopping online with your American Express® Card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Call the merchant or retailer on your statement to cancel an unknown pending transaction. If you suspect fraud, call your card issuer or bank right away.14
You may be able to block someone from taking money from your bank account with a stop payment, if the payment has not yet been processed.15 You can call your bank and say you’re revoking all authorizations for a specific business. They may have certain processes for finalizing revoked authorizations, so be sure to ask if you need to complete a form.
Scammers often use your account number, personal identification number (PIN) codes, Social Security number, or a mix of each as they attempt to gain access your bank account.16 Remember that your bank never contacts you by phone or email to gather sensitive information, so never share personal information with anyone who calls you unsolicited, no matter who they claim to be.17
The Takeaway
Even though unfamiliar charges aren’t always unauthorized, verifying every transaction on your credit card statement is important. Reading your statement, routinely tracking your account, and disputing suspicious activity can help you spot potential signs of fraud.
1,2 “How to read your credit card statement,” Bankrate
3,7 “How do I dispute a charge on my credit card bill?,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
4 “What Is a Pending Transaction?,” Experian
5 “How to update your business name on customers' credit card statements,” PayPal
6,8 “How can I get a refund on a product or service I purchased with my credit card?,” Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
9,10,11,12,13 “Credit Card and Debit Card Fraud,” Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
14 “How to cancel a pending credit card transaction,” Bankrate
15 “Understanding Stop Payments: When and How to Use Them,” Business Insider
16,17 “Bank and Check Scams,” Attorney General of Texas
Liv Gillespie is a Philadelphia-based writer with a double M.A. in English Linguistics & Literature and Secondary Education. Her work focuses on personal finance.
All Credit Intel content is written by freelance authors and commissioned and paid for by American Express.
Related Articles
Credit Card Fees and How to Save on Them
Credit card fees may include annual fees, cash advance fees, late fees, and more. Learn about common credit card fees and how to save on them.
How Amex Helps You Protect Yourself Against Credit Card Fraud
American Express helps protect you from credit card fraud with its advanced fraud protection methods. Here are a few simple steps to keep you safe and alert.
How to Report Credit Card Fraud
Learn how to report credit card fraud. See steps you can take to protect your finances and important things to consider when reporting credit card fraud.
The material made available for you on this website, Credit Intel, is for informational purposes only and intended for U.S. residents and is not intended to provide legal, tax or financial advice. If you have questions, please consult your own professional legal, tax and financial advisors.
