What is the REVIEW charge on my credit card?

What the REVIEW charge usually means

A charge labeled REVIEW is a short billing descriptor, not always the full business name. Card networks and processors often limit descriptor length, so many statements show an abbreviated label that can look generic. In practice, REVIEW may appear for digital services, trial-to-paid offers, account-monitoring tools, or other online purchases where the full merchant identity is truncated.

Because this descriptor is very broad, you should treat it as an identification clue rather than a confirmed merchant match. A legitimate purchase can still appear unfamiliar if the company uses a parent legal entity, a processor descriptor, or a shortened brand string on card statements.

Why it appeared on your statement

• You started a free or low-cost trial that converted to a paid plan.
• You made a one-time purchase that was routed through a payment processor.
• A family member or authorized user made the purchase.
• The merchant name was shortened by your bank to fit statement limits.
• The charge is unauthorized and needs to be disputed.

If you are comparing similar unfamiliar descriptors, you may also want to review pages for Patreon and Cash App to see how merchant naming can differ on statements.

How to verify whether REVIEW is legitimate

Start inside your banking app and open the transaction details. Many issuers show expanded data such as merchant location, merchant ID, network reference, or a phone number that does not appear on the statement summary line. Next, check your email for receipts using the transaction amount and date. Search for terms like “receipt,” “invoice,” “subscription,” and the last four digits of your card.

Then review subscription lists in Apple, Google, PayPal, and any digital wallet you use. Also check household accounts that may use your saved card. If you find a matching receipt, confirm billing frequency, renewal date, and cancellation method before the next cycle.

How to cancel future REVIEW charges

• Log in to the merchant account linked to the receipt and turn off auto-renew.
• Save proof of cancellation (confirmation page, email, or ticket ID).
• Remove stored card details from the merchant profile when possible.
• Ask your issuer to block future merchant-initiated transactions if needed.
• Set a transaction alert for any new charge containing REVIEW.

If the merchant is unresponsive, request a stop-payment or recurring-transaction block through your card issuer. Keep records of all cancellation attempts and timestamps.

When and how to dispute the charge

Dispute immediately if you do not recognize the charge, cannot identify a valid receipt, or were billed after cancellation. Contact your issuer through the number on the back of your card and report the transaction as unauthorized or canceled-recurring, depending on your case. Provide documentation: receipts, cancellation proof, chat transcripts, and dates.

Most issuers let you file disputes directly in-app. Submit clear notes, then monitor provisional credit and follow-up requests. If fraud is suspected, ask for a card replacement to prevent additional attempts.

In short, REVIEW is a high-ambiguity descriptor. Confirm the merchant first, cancel quickly if needed, and escalate to a formal dispute when charges remain unexplained.