Prefix guide
Statement charge prefixes, explained
Payment processors and platforms stamp recognisable prefixes onto bank statements. Knowing the prefix tells you who processed a charge — the first step to working out who actually charged you.
- Amazon
Charges processed via Amazon.
- Apple
Charges processed via Apple.
- Barclays (card services)
Issues store and co-brand cards — retail purchases (e.g. Old Navy, Gap) can appear under 'Barclay' on statements
- Comenity Bank
Store credit-card issuer behind many retail brands' cards
- Deliveroo
Charges processed via Deliveroo.
- Digital River
Charges processed via Digital River.
- DoorDash
Charges processed via DoorDash.
- GoCardless
Charges processed via GoCardless.
- Google
Charges processed via Google.
- Just Eat
Charges processed via Just Eat.
- Klarna
Charges processed via Klarna.
- Nayax
Vending machines and self-service kiosks bill through Nayax — this is usually a snack, drink or parking machine, not a company you have an account with
- Paddle
Charges processed via Paddle.
- PayPal
Charges processed via PayPal.
- Shopify
'SP ' is short and collides with other words
- Square
Charges processed via Square.
- Stripe
Stripe descriptors usually show the merchant, not 'STRIPE'
- SumUp
Charges processed via SumUp.
- Synchrony Bank
Store credit-card issuer — often a store-card payment or purchase on a retail card (Amazon, Lowe's, etc.), not a new merchant
- Toast
Charges processed via Toast.
- Uber
Charges processed via Uber.
- Zettle
Charges processed via Zettle.
Got a specific charge? Identify it now or upload a whole statement.
What a statement prefix tells you
A prefix like SQ *, TST*, PAYPAL * or SP identifies the payment processor that moved the money — Square, Toast, PayPal, Stripe — not the business you bought from. That's why a coffee shop can show up as SQ *BLUBTTL: Square processed it, and only the truncated merchant tag hints at who it was.
Knowing the processor is the first step to identifying a charge — and often the fastest route to a refund, since the processor can point you to the seller. Each guide below explains a prefix, who processes it, and how to check a charge. Don't recognise one? Paste it into the identifier.
Prefix questions, answered
Why does my statement show a prefix instead of the shop's name?
Millions of small businesses take payments through platforms like Square, Toast, PayPal or Stripe — and the platform writes the descriptor. The prefix names the processor; the abbreviated text after it is the actual business. That's why a coffee shop can appear as SQ *BLUBTTL rather than its real name.
Is a prefixed charge more likely to be fraud?
No — prefixes are completely normal and usually mean a legitimate small-business purchase. Fraud is better spotted by pattern: charges you can trace to no receipt, tiny 'test' amounts followed by bigger ones, or merchants you can prove you've never dealt with. Identify the merchant first; dispute only when it genuinely isn't yours.
The prefix guide didn't identify my charge — now what?
Paste the full line into the free identifier, which also uses merchant aliases, store numbers, locations and live web research. If it's recurring, run the whole statement through the subscription finder — recurring mystery charges are usually subscriptions wearing a biller's name.
Can I get a refund through the processor?
Processors like Square and PayPal can look up the seller behind a charge and route you to them — often the fastest path to a refund, and each guide links the processor's own receipt-lookup where one exists. For unauthorised charges, your bank's dispute process is the backstop.
Whole statement, one pass
Stop looking charges up one by one
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