Bank statement charge
What is an SQ * or GOSQ.COM charge on my bank statement?
Who charged you
A business that takes payments with Square
SQ * or GOSQ.COM means you paid a business that takes cards with Square, the card reader and checkout company. The charge is usually a purchase from a small business such as a cafe, food truck, market stall, salon or tradesperson, named after the asterisk.
How it can show on a statement
SQ *SQ *[BUSINESS NAME]SQ *[BUSINESS NAME] gosq.com [STATE]SQ *GOSQ.COM [STATE]
Find out what it was
- 1
Read the words after SQ * slowly: a shortened business or personal name often matches a place you visited.
- 2
Open the transaction in your banking app and check the merchant details, category and location it shows.
- 3
Search your email and text messages for a Square receipt with the same amount and date; Square receipts name the seller.
- 4
Match the date and amount with your calendar or photos from that day, such as a market, festival or trip.
- 5
If the same seller appears twice, check whether one line is a pending pre-tip amount that drops off within a few days.
- 6
Still a charge you did not agree to? File your complaint here. We write it with you and send it to the business, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
Not in any of your accounts? If nobody in your household made it, someone else may have used your card details. Your card issuer can stop the card, so the charges do not continue.
Why does it say “SQ *”?
Square puts its SQ * prefix in front of the seller's name, and the bank shows a short, often cut-off version of that name. Sellers without a business name show their personal name, and some businesses register under a company name that differs from the sign over the door.
Some lines show GOSQ, Square's short web name, with a state code where a town would normally be. Either way the seller is the business you paid, not Square.
Why you might see this charge
- A coffee shop, food truck or market stall that takes cards on a Square reader.
- A salon, barber or other appointment booked and paid through Square.
- An online order or invoice from a small business that uses Square checkout.
- A tip added after paying, which can make one visit show as two lines until the first, pre-tip amount drops off.
- A seller whose registered name differs from the name on the storefront or menu.
- A membership or repeat payment that a small business bills through Square.
Is SQ * legit?
Square is a large, real payment company, owned by Block, Inc. The charge itself comes from the business named after SQ *, and dishonest sellers can use Square too, so the Square prefix alone says nothing about the seller.
If a text or email that uses Square's name asks you to confirm or refund a payment through a link, do not use the link: match the charge with your own receipts and banking app instead.
Other charges people look up
| On your statement | Who charged you | What it usually is |
|---|---|---|
| ACTBLUE* | ActBlue | ACTBLUE* is ActBlue, the nonprofit fundraising platform that Democratic candidates, progressive groups and some… |
| AWX* | Airwallex | AWX* means you paid a business that takes card payments through Airwallex, a payments company. |
| NAYAX VENDING | Nayax | NAYAX VENDING means you paid at an unattended machine that takes cards through a Nayax reader. |
| crownbill.com | Crownbill | crownbill.com is Crownbill, a billing platform run by Tecom Ltd in Cyprus that takes payments for subscription… |
| Epoch.com | Epoch | Epoch.com is Epoch, a US payment company that bills for thousands of subscription websites, including adult-content… |
| APPLE CASH SENT MONEY | Apple Cash | APPLE CASH SENT MONEY means your debit card paid for money sent to a person with Apple Cash, in Messages or Wallet on… |
| Probiller.com | Probiller | Probiller.com is Probiller, the billing service of Aylo Billing, which takes payments for adult-content and other… |
| SP AFF | Shop Pay Installments | SP AFF means you paid a store with Shop Pay Installments, the pay later option in Shopify's checkout that Affirm… |
Questions about SQ *
What does SQ mean on a bank statement?
SQ stands for Square, the card reader and checkout company. The words after SQ * are the business you paid, often cut short by your bank.
What is GOSQ on my statement?
GOSQ is Square's short web name. A line with GOSQ and a state code is a purchase from a business that takes payments with Square, the same as an SQ * line.
What is SQUARE INC on my bank statement?
Square Inc was Square's company name before it became Block, Inc. A purchase at a business that uses Square normally shows SQ * and the seller's name, while a line with only SQUARE INC can also be a payout or fee between Square and someone who sells with Square.
What can I do about an SQ * charge I did not agree to?
File a complaint on Complain.biz. We write it with you and send it to the business, so you do not have to chase it yourself.
Based on
- Square Purchases and Cardholder Help (Square Support, article 5103)
- What information shows on a customer's bank statement? (Square Seller Community, moderator answer)
- Square receipt lookup
- How can I change how the business name appears on customers' bank statements? (Square Seller Community)
- SQ *GOSQ.COM MA (WhatsThatCharge)