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By Charge Lookup Now Editorial TeamPublished April 7, 20265 min readFraud & Disputes
Fraud & DisputesUpdated Apr 7, 20265 min read

3 Types of Charges That Look Like Fraud (But Usually Aren't)

How to tell the difference before you dispute.

If you review your statements carefully, you've probably flagged a charge that looked suspicious but turned out to be legitimate. Here are the three most common categories, with ways to confirm each one.

1. Restaurant charges with “TST*” or “SQ*” prefixes

These are point-of-sale system charges, not fraud. The restaurant name follows the prefix. If you've eaten at any independent restaurant recently, the charge likely looks like TST* OAKWOOD BREW or SQ* LOCAL COFFEE.

Common POS system prefixes

  • TST*: Toast (widely used in independent restaurants)
  • SQ* or SQU*: Square (coffee shops, food trucks, small retailers)
  • CLP*: Clover (another restaurant POS system)

To confirm: Match the date and dollar amount to a receipt or your calendar. The amount usually matches exactly, including any tip added at the table.

2. Charges from payment processors instead of merchants

The statement descriptor sometimes shows the payment processor, not the merchant. A lot of online retailers route payments through intermediaries, so the store name never appears on your statement.

Common payment processor descriptors

  • PAYPAL *MERCHANT: Etsy, eBay, and many small online stores process payments through PayPal
  • STRIPE: Millions of online businesses use Stripe; the merchant name may or may not appear alongside it
  • SHOPIFY* MERCHANT: Some Shopify stores show the platform name rather than the merchant

To confirm: Search your email for an order confirmation or receipt with the matching dollar amount from around the same date.

3. Annual subscription renewals you forgot about

Subscriptions billed annually are the most common surprise charge, especially in Q1 when many services renew. The statement descriptor is usually an abbreviated company name, not the product name. That gap is what makes them easy to miss.

What these actually show on your statement

  • iCloud storage: APPLE.COM/BILL
  • Google One: GOOGLE ONE or GOOGLE LLC
  • Dropbox: DROPBOX or DROPBOX INC
  • Adobe Creative Cloud: ADOBE or ADOBE SYSTEMS
  • Microsoft 365: MICROSOFT* or MSFT*365
  • VPN and password managers: usually the company name, sometimes followed by a support phone number

To confirm: Search your email by company name for a receipt. Apple and Google both list active subscriptions and renewal dates in account settings.

If none of the categories above match your charge, it's worth investigating further before disputing. The patterns below are more consistent with unauthorized use.

When it IS actually fraud

Patterns that suggest genuine fraud:

  • A charge from a merchant you've never heard of, in a category you don't use, for an amount that doesn't match any common subscription
  • Multiple small charges in a row. Card testers often run $1–$2 test charges to verify a card before attempting larger purchases.
  • Charges tied to a city or location you've never visited

If research doesn't explain it, you can initiate a dispute with your card issuer. Under federal consumer protections, cardholders generally have 60 days from the statement date. Check your issuer's dispute process for exact requirements and next steps.

See our step-by-step dispute guide for what to document and how to contact your issuer.

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Charges That Look Like Fraud (But Usually Aren't) | Charge Lookup Now