Why doesn’t my statement show the store’s name?
Because the line comes from whoever processed the payment, and many small businesses take cards through a payment service.
Your bank shows the description it receives. When a café takes your card through a service like Square, the description often starts with the service’s short code, then the café’s name, cut to fit.
What do the common prefixes mean?
They name the payment service that processed the charge.
| On your statement | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| SQ * | Paid through Square, often at a café, market booth or small store |
| PAYPAL * | Paid through PayPal, online or in an app |
| APPLE.COM/BILL | A purchase or subscription billed by Apple |
| GOOGLE * | A purchase or subscription billed by Google |
Square and PayPal both have help centers for questions about a charge they processed.[1][2]
What are the numbers and city names?
Usually the store’s number and where it is.
A line like “TARGET 1234 CHICAGO” is a Target store with the number 1234, in Chicago. Some banks also add their own prefix, such as the kind of payment or the date, and the last digits of your card.
Why do buy now, pay later payments look different?
Each installment is a payment to the buy now, pay later provider, so the provider’s name appears instead of the store’s.
To see what an installment was for, check the provider’s app, where each plan shows the store you bought from.
How do I work out who charged me?
Search the name and city, then check your email for a receipt at the same time and amount.
If a charge came through Apple or Google, your phone’s subscription settings list what you’re paying for.[3]
If you still don’t recognize a charge, contact your bank. They can tell you more about it, and help if it wasn’t you.