A ConsumerInfo.com charge on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a billing from Experian. ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. is Experian’s consumer-facing subsidiary, and it handles payments for paid credit monitoring and identity theft protection subscriptions. Most of the time the charge traces back to a free trial you signed up for and forgot to cancel, or a one-time credit report or score purchase. If nobody in your household recognizes it at all, treat it as possible unauthorized use of your card.
Why the Merchant Name Looks Unfamiliar
ConsumerInfo.com, Inc. does business as Experian Consumer Services. Experian routes its consumer subscription billing through this subsidiary rather than under the Experian brand name, so the line item on your statement doesn’t match the site where you signed up. Same company, different label.
What You’re Actually Being Billed For
The most common source is Experian IdentityWorks. Experian offers a seven-day free trial that requires a credit card at signup. If you don’t cancel within those seven days, the trial converts automatically to a paid monthly membership.1Experian. Compare Identity Theft Protection Plans and Pricing
The two paid tiers are:
- IdentityWorks Premium at $24.99 per month plus applicable sales tax, for one person, with dark web monitoring, credit alerts, and identity theft insurance.
- IdentityWorks Premium Family Plan at $34.99 per month plus applicable sales tax, extending coverage to family members.1Experian. Compare Identity Theft Protection Plans and Pricing
Both paid plans include up to $1 million in identity theft insurance for expenses such as legal fees, lost wages, and credit restoration. A one-time credit report or score purchase can also appear as a ConsumerInfo.com charge, usually for a smaller amount than a recurring subscription.
Is the Charge Legitimate or Fraud?
Before disputing anything, check whether you or someone with access to your card signed up for an Experian trial. These signups often happen during a mortgage application, a car purchase, or after clicking an ad for a free credit score. The card gets entered, the free week passes, and the first paid month posts under a name that doesn’t ring a bell.
The charge is likely legitimate if the amount matches Experian’s pricing ($24.99 or $34.99), if you recently checked a credit score online or responded to an Experian offer, or if a welcome email from Experian sits in your inbox or spam folder.
Treat it as possible fraud if nobody with access to your payment method signed up for a credit service, if the dollar amount doesn’t match any known Experian product, or if multiple charges appear in quick succession. In that case, skip the cancellation steps below and go straight to your bank to dispute the charge and request a new card number.
How to Cancel and Stop Future Charges
The quickest fix is canceling online. Log in at experian.com, open your subscription settings, and select the option to cancel or downgrade. Experian keeps a free Basic tier, so the site may offer to move you to the free version instead of closing the account outright. Either way, the paid billing ends.
If you can’t get into your account or prefer to talk to a person, call Experian membership support at 1-866-617-1894. The line runs Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Central, and weekends from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central.2Experian. Contact Us – Section: Experian Membership Have the statement in front of you with the charge date, amount, and last four digits of the billed card. A Member ID from a welcome email speeds things along.
Once the cancellation is confirmed, save the confirmation number or a screenshot. Paid features stay active through the end of the current billing cycle, then the account drops to the free tier. Keep that proof in case the charge comes back.
Getting Your Money Back
Experian doesn’t offer prorated refunds for the unused part of a billing cycle. New subscribers who cancel within the first 30 days of a paid membership have reported getting full refunds by calling and asking. The representative has discretion, and a polite request works better than a legal argument.
Refunds from the merchant typically post within three to seven business days. If a promised refund doesn’t show up in that window, you have a backup: a billing dispute with your credit card issuer. Federal law gives you 60 days from the date a billing statement is mailed to send a written dispute for charges that are unauthorized or for services not delivered as described.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1666 Correction of Billing Errors The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, and can’t report the disputed amount as delinquent while it investigates. Those rules apply to credit cards. If the charge hit a debit card, your bank handles it under different rules, so ask what protections apply.
One order-of-operations point: a chargeback isn’t the first move. Call Experian first. Starting with a chargeback before contacting the merchant tends to slow the process, not speed it up.
Free Options So You Don’t End Up Here Again
Much of what the paid tier charges for is available at no cost. Experian’s own free Basic membership includes daily FICO Score access, credit report viewing, monitoring alerts, and tools like Experian Boost. No card is required to sign up.4Experian. Get Your Free Credit Score (No Credit Card Required)
You can also pull a free credit report from each of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) every week through AnnualCreditReport.com. Weekly access, once limited to one report per bureau per year, is now permanent.5Federal Trade Commission. You Now Have Permanent Access to Free Weekly Credit Reports
If it’s identity theft protection you actually want, check what your bank, credit card issuer, or employer already provides. Many bundle monitoring and insurance at no extra cost. Paying $25 or $35 a month for something you can get elsewhere is the kind of quiet recurring charge that quietly adds up to hundreds of dollars a year.