What is the MONTHLY charge on my credit card?

What this MONTHLY charge usually means

A charge labeled MONTHLY is commonly tied to a recurring subscription or membership renewal. In many cases, this descriptor appears when the merchant uses a short billing label instead of its full brand name. One known case is Monthly/Studio, where monthly.com redirects to studio.com, and billing can post as a short monthly descriptor rather than the full product name. This can make a valid payment look unfamiliar on your statement.

Charges with generic text are often legitimate, but they can also be confusing when you signed up through a promotion, free trial, creator app, or bundled plan. If the amount repeats on a predictable cycle, that is a strong sign it is a subscription renewal rather than a one-time purchase.

Why it appeared on your statement

You may see MONTHLY for several reasons:

• You started a subscription that auto-renews every month.
• A free trial converted into a paid plan after the trial period ended.
• A family member or employee used your saved card on a shared account.
• You subscribed through a third-party checkout where the descriptor is shortened.
• The merchant descriptor differs from the public brand name.

If you have other unclear charges, compare patterns with similar descriptor cases such as Patreon or Cash App, where statement text may differ from what users expect.

How to verify whether the charge is legitimate

First, check your email for receipts, invoices, or renewal notices around the transaction date. Search for keywords like “monthly,” “subscription,” and the exact amount. Next, review your card’s prior statements to see whether this amount has repeated on the same day each month.

Then verify the merchant directly. For Monthly/Studio-related billing, start at https://studio.com and check account billing settings and active subscriptions. If you can’t identify the transaction, contact support at support@studio.com and include the date, amount, and last four digits of the card (never send full card details by email).

How to cancel MONTHLY recurring billing

If the charge is valid but no longer wanted, cancel from the account dashboard first, then confirm by email so you have a timestamped record. Some merchants require cancellation before the next renewal cutoff. For Studio terms, subscriptions auto-renew unless canceled in settings before renewal, and refund eligibility can be limited.

• Log in to the merchant account tied to your card email.
• Open subscription or billing settings and turn off auto-renew.
• Save screenshots of cancellation confirmation.
• Request written confirmation from support.
• Monitor the next statement cycle for additional debits.

How to dispute a MONTHLY charge

Dispute immediately if the payment is unauthorized, duplicated, or continues after cancellation. Contact your card issuer through the number on the back of your card and report the transaction as soon as possible. Provide your cancellation proof, merchant emails, and any receipt history. Ask the issuer to block future debits from the same merchant descriptor if needed.

If fraud is suspected, request a card replacement and enable real-time transaction alerts. Prompt reporting usually improves the chance of a successful chargeback and prevents repeated billing.