You open your card statement.
A small charge appears.
$1.
$0.99.
Sometimes even $0.
You don’t recognize the merchant.
Your first thought — is this fraud?
Why Small “Test Charges” Happen
- Payment systems verify that your card is active
- Subscriptions check billing eligibility
- Free trials validate payment methods
- Fraud prevention systems run authorization tests
This is called a card authorization hold or verification charge.
How to Tell If It’s Only a Test
- The amount is very small ($0–$2)
- The charge shows as “pending”
- No invoice or receipt exists
- The charge disappears within a few days
Test charges are temporary.
They usually reverse automatically.
When It Might Be a Real Charge
- The charge posts as “completed”
- The amount repeats monthly
- You signed up for a free trial recently
- The merchant matches a subscription service
In this case, the charge is likely tied to active billing.
When to Worry About Fraud
- The amount increases later
- Multiple unknown charges appear
- The merchant looks unrelated to any service
- You never entered your card details recently
If this happens, contact your bank immediately.
What You Should Do First
- Check your subscription and billing pages
- Review recent free trial signups
- Search the merchant name online
- Monitor if the charge disappears
A small unknown charge is often harmless.
But verifying early prevents larger billing surprises later.