What SP or SP * means on your statement
A line that starts with SP * is not the name of your bank. Shopify's own help page says that if you bought something from a store that uses Shopify Payments, the charge is displayed as SP * on your statement. The words after that prefix are the clue to the store.
Last updated: October 17, 2026
Last checked: Oct 2026
What the letters are for
Shopify's page on unknown charges, opened 17 October 2026, splits two different lines. A purchase from another store that uses Shopify Payments is displayed as SP *. A bill Shopify sends to a store owner is displayed as SHOPIFY * followed by a 9 digit bill number. If you are a shopper, you are usually looking at SP *. If you own a store and the line has a bill number, you are looking at Shopify's invoice for your own shop, not at a hoodie you bought from someone else.
The store sets the customer statement name that shoppers see. Shopify's payments settings page says that name must be between 2 and 19 characters, and it must include the shop name, the legal entity name, the store name (the doing business as name), or the store URL. If the merchant never edits it, Shopify sets one that meets those rules. If the merchant picks a name Shopify decides is not enough, Shopify replaces it and emails the account owner. That is why the line can be a shortened shop name, a legal name you do not remember, or a piece of a web address.
The same page says the merchant must add a phone number so customers can call if there is a problem. Some extra public information might also show, depending on the card network, the card brand, or the bank that issued the card. Shopify says that extra text is the bank's decision. So one person's line can be SP * plus a shop name, and another person's line for the same shop can add a phone number or a city. Read the whole line, not only the SP *.
Named companies are on what is this charge on my statement. The full list of these short names is on statement codes.
How to find the store
Copy the text after SP *, including any phone number. Search your email for that text and for the dollar amount. Order mail from a Shopify store often uses the shop's real name even when the statement uses the short statement name. Check the inbox of anyone else who is allowed to use the card.
If a phone number is printed on the line, call it and ask which store billed that amount on that date. Have the statement in front of you. Ask for the order number. Then open that store's order history with the email you used at checkout.
A family member, a saved card, or a trial that renewed can be a real purchase you did not expect. Match the date and the amount before you call it fraud. If the name is only a legal entity, search that legal name in quotes. The customer statement name is required to include the shop, the legal name, the doing business as name, or the URL, so one of those four is on the line even when it is short.
If you own the Shopify store
A SHOPIFY * line with a bill number is Shopify charging the store, not a customer purchase. Shopify says bills are paid with the primary payment method, and the statement shows SHOPIFY * plus a 9 digit bill number. In the Shopify admin, go to Settings, then Billing, then Past bills, and compare the bill number and the amount. If the full 9 digits are cut off, Shopify says to ask your bank for the complete bill number.
If the bill is not in the store you are logged into, Shopify's Forgot Your Store tool emails you a list of stores tied to an address you enter. Check each store's bills. That tool is for store owners. It does not look up a shopper's SP * purchase.
Shopify also describes a small extra charge on an otherwise valid transaction as a bank fee for an international purchase. The help page says banks often apply an international purchase transaction fee, usually 3% of the charge, when the purchase is in a foreign currency or through a foreign bank. Shopify says that fee is charged by the card provider, not by Shopify. Your own card's fee schedule is the number that applies to you. Do not treat 3% as your rate until the card agreement says so.
When the line is still a mystery
If you do not own a store and the text after SP * still does not match an email, contact the card issuer with the date, the exact description, and the amount. Shopify says its support can help identify charges that come from Shopify, and that if you believe the charge is fraud you should also contact the bank or card provider. For a store owner's unknown Shopify bill, the help page asks for the 9 digit bill number, a screenshot with the amount and date, the email addresses you tried in Forgot Your Store, and the first 6 and last 4 digits of the card.
A second posted line for one purchase is a different problem. Use charged twice. Steps for a renewal you want to stop are on how to cancel a subscription. Upload the statement on Expenvo. The PDF stays on your device. Expenvo lists the lines so you can match a short name to a date and an amount. It does not call the bank, and it does not dispute a charge.
Questions
- Is SP * the same as SHOPIFY *?
- No. Shopify says a purchase from a store that uses Shopify Payments is displayed as SP *. A bill Shopify sends to a store owner is displayed as SHOPIFY * plus a 9 digit bill number.
- Why is the store name so short?
- Shopify says the customer statement name must be 2 to 19 characters and must include the shop name, the legal entity name, the doing business as name, or the store URL. The bank may add more text. That extra text is up to the bank.
- The line has a phone number. Whose is it?
- Shopify tells the store to add a phone number so a customer can call about the charge. Call that number and ask which store billed the amount on that date.
- Does Expenvo know which shop it was?
- No. Expenvo reads the statement you upload and lists the lines. You still match the text after SP * to your email or to the phone number on the line.
Sources
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