When reviewing your bank statement, you may notice charges from Facebook or Facebook-related services. This can lead to the question: What does Facebook show up as on my bank statement? The answer depends on the type of Facebook transaction.
Facebook Advertising
If you have run Facebook ads for your business, the charges will likely show up under the name Facebook, FB, or Facebook ads. The merchant category code will be 7311 for advertising services. The charge description will include information like “Facebook ads” along with details on the specific ad account or campaign.
For example, you may see something like:
FACEBOOK FB AAAFBN2S2XX 07/01 $50.00
This indicates a $50 charge from Facebook on July 1st associated with the ad account ID AAAFBN2S2XX.
Facebook Shop Purchases
If you made a purchase directly through a shop on Facebook, such as purchasing a product advertised on Facebook, the merchant name should show up as the specific shop name or username. However, the charge will likely still be processed through Facebook Payments Inc. or FB Payments Inc.
For example, a charge could show up as:
Cool Shop coolshopfbuser 07/05 FB Payments $25.00
This indicates you purchased a $25 item from the Cool Shop Facebook shop with the username coolshopfbuser on July 5th, processed via Facebook Payments.
In-App Purchases
When making in-app purchases within games or apps on Facebook, the merchant name will likely show up as the app developer or game company. However, the charge will still process through Facebook Payments.
For example:
Farm Game FarmGameInc 07/12 FB Payments $4.99
This shows a $4.99 in-app purchase in Farm Game by the developer FarmGameInc on July 12 processed by Facebook Payments.
Facebook Subscriptions
If you pay for an ongoing subscription through Facebook, such as a subscription to use an app or subscribe to certain content, it will show up under the related merchant name but process through Facebook Subscriptions.
For example:
AwesomeApp AwesomeAppLLC 07/20 Facebook Subscriptions $9.99
This indicates a $9.99 monthly subscription fee for the app AwesomeApp charged on July 20th and processed by Facebook Subscriptions.
Facebook Services
There are also some Facebook-related services that may show direct charges from Facebook on your bank statement, such as:
- Facebook Pay: Peer-to-peer payments made via Facebook Pay
- Messenger: Charges related to messenger features, bots, etc.
- Oculus: Charges from the Oculus VR headset store
- Portal: Purchases of Facebook’s Portal video chat devices
These would show up as originating directly from Facebook or the specific Facebook service.
Identifying Other Facebook Charges
In some cases, a Facebook-related charge may not be obvious at first glance. Here are some tips for identifying other Facebook charges:
- Look for charges from Menlo Park, CA, where Facebook headquarters is located.
- Look for merchant category codes like 7311 for advertising services.
- Look for merchants with names like FB, Facebook, or Instagram (owned by Facebook).
- Check charge dates against your Facebook usage history.
- Compare amounts to your Facebook receipts or records.
Even if the merchant name itself does not indicate Facebook, the location, category code, or other charge details may identify it as a Facebook transaction.
Why Facebook Charges Appear Vague
In many cases, Facebook charges are vague or use generic descriptions like “Facebook ads” or “FB Payments.” There are a few reasons for this:
- Facebook offers many services – ads, shops, payments, etc. – so charges can come from various sources.
- Detailed descriptions would take up too much space on statements.
- Grouping charges under common names like “Facebook” or “FB” allows easier tracking.
- Facebook has billing agreements with merchant banks that specify generic descriptors.
While more details would provide clarity, Facebook opts for shortened, generalized descriptors on bank statements and credit card bills to save space and simplify things.
Getting More Details on Facebook Charges
If you need more specifics on a Facebook charge, you can:
- Log in to your Facebook account and check your payment history and receipts.
- Check the emailed receipts Facebook sends for purchases and subscriptions.
- Contact Facebook support for billing inquiry and ask for more details.
- Check your credit card statement, which may include more details than a bank statement.
This way you can get more information on the specific service, product, campaign or account associated with the charge. Having the transaction date and amount can help Facebook identify the charge details faster for you as well.
Disputing Unrecognized or Fraudulent Charges
If you come across a charge on your statement from Facebook that you do not recognize or appears fraudulent, you can dispute it with your bank. Some steps to dispute Facebook charges:
- Contact Facebook support to see if they can identify or explain the charge. There may be a simple explanation.
- File a dispute with your bank if Facebook cannot verify the charge. Explain you do not recognize it.
- Provide date, amount, merchant name and any other details to help your bank investigate.
- If charge is determined fraudulent, Facebook will refund you and your bank will credit your account.
- Monitor statements regularly for any additional suspicious charges.
Disputing unrecognized Facebook charges helps protect against unwanted or fraudulent transactions on your accounts.
Preventing Unwanted Facebook Charges
To help avoid unwanted Facebook charges in the future:
- Enable purchase approvals and notifications in account settings.
- Set spending limits for advertising and other services.
- Cancel unused subscriptions and inactive ad accounts.
- Use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
- Beware of ads or pages designed to extract payments.
- Monitor statements routinely for unfamiliar charges.
Closely managing your Facebook payment settings, profiles and activity can reduce the chances of being charged unexpectedly.
Conclusion
Facebook charges can show up under various merchant names but are commonly processed through Facebook, FB or Facebook Payments. Check locations, codes, amounts and dates to identify Facebook transactions. Review statements regularly and utilize Facebook purchase controls to catch unauthorized charges. Dispute any unfamiliar Facebook charges with your bank promptly to reverse the transactions and prevent fraudulent activity.