What to do if…
you spot a recurring charge to a company you do not recognise

What to do now

1. Contact the bank or card issuer through a trusted route.

   • Use the number on the back of your card, the official app, or the bank’s official website.
   • Say: “I see a recurring charge to a company I do not recognize. I did not authorize this recurring payment. I want to stop future charges and open a dispute.”
   • Ask whether the issuer can block future recurring charges from that merchant.

2. Pause the payment method if you can do it safely.

   • Lock or freeze the card in the app if the bank offers that option.
   • Ask whether a replacement card is needed.
   • Ask whether any card-updater or recurring-payment feature could let the merchant keep charging, and what the issuer can do to stop that specific merchant.

3. Write down the transaction details before they disappear from view.

   • Record the merchant descriptor, amount, dates, account or card used, and how many times it has happened.
   • Take screenshots of the transactions.
   • Save any related emails, trial notices, receipts, or cancellation confirmations you find.

4. Ask what kind of transaction it is.

   • Ask whether it is a credit card charge, debit card charge, ACH debit, or another electronic fund transfer.
   • This matters because credit card billing disputes and bank-account electronic transfer disputes follow different rules.
   • Repeat clearly that you do not recognize the company and did not authorize the recurring payment.

5. Start the dispute in the rights-protecting way.

   • For a credit card charge, open the dispute promptly and ask for the billing inquiries address. To protect billing-error rights, you generally need to send a written billing error notice within 60 calendar days after the charge appeared on your statement.
   • For a debit card, ACH debit, or other electronic fund transfer, ask the bank to open an error or unauthorized transfer investigation. A bank may require written confirmation within 10 business days after an oral notice and must tell you where to send it.
   • Keep copies of anything you send and note the date, time, and name or ID of the person you spoke with.

6. Do a quick subscription check, but do not get stuck.

   • Search the exact merchant descriptor in your email and receipts.
   • Check app store subscriptions, payment apps, and recent free trials that may have converted to paid.
   • If you identify a real subscription you forgot about, cancel it through the official app or website you navigate to yourself, then still ask the bank how to stop any charge you did not authorize.

7. If it is coming from your bank account, ask about stopping automatic payments.

   • Tell your bank that you revoke authorization for that company to debit your account.
   • Ask what the bank needs to stop the next scheduled withdrawal.
   • Follow up in writing or email where possible, using the address or method the bank gives you.

8. Secure the accounts connected to the payment.

   • Change the password for your bank account and the email account tied to it, especially if passwords were reused.
   • Turn on multi-factor authentication where available.
   • Check your bank profile for changes you did not make, such as a new phone number, email address, mailing address, or authorized user.

9. If the charge looks like part of a wider identity theft problem, reduce the risk of new accounts.

   • Use IdentityTheft.gov if you see broader signs such as new accounts, multiple unknown merchants, collection notices, or mail about accounts you did not open.
   • Consider a fraud alert if you are worried someone may try to open credit in your name.
   • Consider a credit freeze with each major credit bureau if you want stronger protection against new credit accounts being opened.

10. Escalate if the bank or issuer is not handling the dispute.

• Ask for the dispute or claim number.
• Ask what else they need from you and when you should expect a response.
• If the bank, card issuer, or financial company is not responding or appears to be mishandling the dispute, you can submit a complaint to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.