We’re here to help. There can be a number of explanations for a transaction that you might not immediately recognise and we’ve added the most common ones here.
Could it be:
Some retailers use a different trading name to what they are normally known as.
Did you know that you can log onto your Online Banking and ask Cora for more information about a debit or credit transaction you don't recognise? Simply tell Cora you don't recognise a transaction and she will ask you to copy and paste the full name of the retailer from your account into the chat window.
Alternatively you can check our list of common retailers(opens in a new window) to help confirm if the transaction is genuine.
If you need to cancel a direct debit, please see How do I cancel a direct debit?
If you've got a joint account or secondary cardholder, double check with them to see whether they know about the payment.
Your statement will show the last 4 digits of the card that was used to make the transaction.
Some companies will automatically start taking the monthly fee from your account when the free trial period for their service ends. When you sign up for a free trial, put a reminder in your calendar to cancel it if you decide you don’t want to continue. Please contact the company first as this is often the easiest way to resolve any disputes. Further support on matters like this can be found here(opens in a new window).
A regular debit or credit card payment is not a direct debit or a standing order. It's a regular payment made from your card, like a subscription to a publication or a service, such as Netflix. Regular payments automatically carry over to new cards unless cancelled. Further support on Regular Payments can be found here(opens in a new window).
A common example of where a pre authorisation may occur is when you check into a hotel. They will take a pre-authorised amount from your available balance, which guarantees that there are funds to pay for any charges incurred during the hotel stay, such as the cost of room service or other amenities. At the end of your stay, once the balance is settled, the authorisation will be reversed back to you and full payment of your stay will be taken.
We are unable to cancel any transactions while they are pending, the retailer is the only one who can cancel it and return funds back to you at this time. In most cases you’ll be able to sort this out with the retailer, if you’re still having issues after the payment has fully debited your account (UK 3-5 working days, Europe 7-10 working days and International 10-14 working days), you can raise a dispute with the company by using our online dispute forms(opens in a new window).
If you have received a payment into your account with a reference starting REM, this will relate to a refund of fees/charges taken in error on a product you have or have had with us. Depending on the value, we may have written to you about this error, including what product was impacted and when. You do not need to contact us or do anything else about this.
In addition to the refund of fees/charges, compensatory interest* has been applied to make sure you're not out of pocket. This compensatory interest payment is calculated from the date any fees/charges were incorrectly applied, up to the date you received payment. This will appear on your statement on the same day as the payment starting REM and may include the reference NET.
You do not need to do anything about this.
* In accordance with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) requirements, Basic Rate Tax has been deducted from the gross amount of compensatory interest before paying you. If you are not a UK taxpayer, you may be able to claim a refund of the tax deducted directly from HMRC. Depending on your personal circumstances (e.g. if you are an additional rate taxpayer) you may need to include the amounts on your self-assessment tax return and pay further tax. In such a situation, you are advised to contact the HMRC Helpline on 0300 200 3300.
If you still don’t recognise it, you can find more information about the options available to you on our Report Fraud Page(opens in a new window).
Cora can help with a wide range of queries and show you how to do your banking.
