83 descriptors decoded · free · no signup
What is this charge?
Paste the line exactly as it appears on your statement — codes, dates and all. We'll tell you who's actually charging you, why it looks like gibberish, and what to do if it isn't yours.
Try it: AMZN MKTP · FENIX INTERNET · CSC SERVICEWORKS · PAI ISO
The usual suspects
Commonly decoded charges
Descriptor forensics
Why statement charges look like gibberish
REASON 01
22 characters, no mercy
Card networks give merchants a name field roughly 22 characters long. Real names get amputated into initials and codes that only make sense once you know the trick.
VALVOLINE INSTANT OIL CHANGE → VIOC LB0134
See the VIOC page →REASON 02
The middleman signs the receipt
Millions of small businesses run cards through Square, Toast, or Paddle. Your statement names the processor first — the actual seller is squeezed in after an asterisk.
SQ *BLU BTL COF · TST* HG HOLDINGS
Decode the SQ * prefix →REASON 03
Companies bill under names you've never heard
OnlyFans bills as Fenix Internet. Your building's laundry room bills as CSC ServiceWorks. Comcast autopay shows up as ACHMA VISB. None of this is on purpose to help you.
FENIX INTERNET LLC · ACHMA VISB
See who's behind Fenix →Browse the ledger
Charges by category
When nothing matches
If the charge truly isn't yours
Most "fraud" turns out to be a forgotten trial, a spouse's subscription, or a truncated name. But when it's real, speed matters. The playbook covers the whole process — including your actual legal rights on debit vs. credit disputes.
Read the playbook- Search your email for the exact amount — receipts usually beat memory.
- Ask everyone with card access, including the app-store family plan.
- Contact the merchant behind the descriptor — refunds there take days, disputes take weeks.
- Still nothing? Lock the card and call your bank — 60-day dispute windows apply.