What is the POSITIVE charge on my credit card?

What the POSITIVE charge usually means

A card transaction labeled POSITIVE is most commonly tied to Positive Payment Solutions (mybancard.com), a payment-processing provider used by some businesses. The company advertises merchant processing plans that can include monthly platform fees and card-related service charges. Because many card statements shorten descriptors, you may only see a brief label like POSITIVE instead of the full business name.

If you are a business owner, this line item may be a processor fee, monthly service charge, or another account-level billing entry connected to your merchant services agreement. If you are a consumer, the descriptor can also appear when a merchant routes card activity through a processor setup that uses a shortened billing label. In either case, the key is to match the date and amount against known purchases, invoices, or merchant account billing notices.

Why this appeared on your statement

• You enrolled in card-processing services and have a monthly platform or service fee.
• A merchant account under your business was billed for a recurring processing plan.
• A store purchase included a card service fee that posted with a shortened descriptor.
• The descriptor was truncated by your bank, hiding the full merchant wording.
• A family member or coworker used a card linked to a shared business account.

How to verify the charge quickly

Start with your transaction details: exact amount, posting date, and card suffix. Then review your merchant service agreement, processing statements, or receipts from nearby dates. If you use accounting software, search for matching entries by amount and date range.

Next, contact Positive support directly and request clarification of the descriptor, MID/account reference, and billing reason. Keep notes from that call and ask for written confirmation by email. You can also compare this transaction style with other descriptors you may have seen, such as Patreon or Cash App, where statement labels often differ from the name users expect.

How to cancel future POSITIVE charges

If the charge is valid but unwanted, cancel through the provider tied to the billing agreement. For business processing accounts, ask for the cancellation workflow in writing, including required notice period, terminal-return instructions, and final-bill timing. Request a cancellation confirmation number and effective date.

After cancellation, monitor at least two billing cycles to ensure no new fees post. If another charge appears, contact support immediately and reference your prior cancellation confirmation.

How to dispute if you do not recognize it

If the charge is unauthorized or cannot be verified, contact your card issuer right away and file a dispute. Most issuers let you dispute in-app, online, or by phone. Provide the transaction amount, date, merchant descriptor (POSITIVE), and any documentation showing you did not authorize or receive the billed service.

• Ask the issuer to block or replace the card if fraud is suspected.
• Upload cancellation proof, receipts, and support emails.
• Track dispute deadlines and provisional credit status.
• Respond quickly if the issuer requests additional evidence.

Many cases are resolved faster when you first attempt merchant contact and document that attempt. If merchant-side resolution fails, your issuer dispute remains the formal path to recover funds.