A “Dream Studio LLC” charge on your bank or credit card statement is a warning sign, not a forgotten subscription. Stability AI, the company that runs the AI image platform originally called DreamStudio and now called Brand Studio, states that legitimate charges appear only as “DREAM STUDIO—STABILITY AI LTD.” Anything else, including “Dream Studio LLC,” did not come from them, and the company itself points customers with a mismatched descriptor toward fraud reporting rather than account support.1Stability AI. Fraud Alert: Identifying Legitimate Brand Studio (Formerly Dream Studio) Transactions and Reporting Fraud
That single detail changes what you should do next. If the descriptor on your statement says “LLC,” “Inc,” or any other variation, skip the login attempts and refund requests and go straight to your bank.
What the Real Dream Studio Is
DreamStudio, now Brand Studio, is a web-based tool from Stability AI that generates images from text prompts. It runs on a subscription and a credit system, so real charges show up when someone signs up for a plan or buys a credit pack. The name is generic enough that it gets confused with photography studios, mattress sellers, and music apps, and the rebrand from DreamStudio to Brand Studio makes older signups even harder to place. That confusion is exactly what makes an unfamiliar “Dream Studio” line item so easy to shrug off.
How to Tell Whether Your Charge Is Real
Look at the descriptor character by character. Stability AI’s fraud page is explicit: a genuine transaction reads “DREAM STUDIO—STABILITY AI LTD.” Variants such as “Dream Studio LLC” or “DreamStudio Inc” are, by their own statement, not their charges.1Stability AI. Fraud Alert: Identifying Legitimate Brand Studio (Formerly Dream Studio) Transactions and Reporting Fraud
If the descriptor does match “LTD,” search your email, including spam and junk folders, for messages from Stability AI, DreamStudio, or Brand Studio. A receipt with the same date and amount as your statement effectively confirms the purchase. Then try logging in at stability.ai. The dashboard shows past generations and payments; if an account exists under the email tied to your card and its billing history matches the charge, the transaction was real.
If no account exists under that email and no receipt turns up, treat the charge as unauthorized even if the descriptor is close. Close matches are a common phishing tactic.
If the Charge Is Legitimate
Brand Studio currently offers a free trial of 1,000 credits for new accounts, a Core plan at $50 per month that includes 5,000 non-rolling credits, and an Enterprise plan with custom pricing.2Stability AI. Brand Studio Plans A $50 line item lines up with the Core plan. Odd smaller amounts usually mean a one-off credit pack.
Cancellation happens inside the account under billing or subscription settings. Wait for the confirmation email before assuming the cancellation went through. Cancellation stops future charges but takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle, and Stability AI’s stated policy is that it generally does not refund the charge you already paid.3Stability AI. Refund Policies If you believe the most recent charge was unauthorized despite the descriptor matching, cancel first to stop the bleed, then take the dispute to your bank.
If the Charge Is Not Legitimate
Your rights depend on whether the charge hit a credit card or a debit card. The deadlines are different, and missing them costs real money.
Credit Card
Federal law caps liability for unauthorized credit card use at $50, and most card networks apply a zero-liability policy on top of that.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1643 – Liability of Holder of Credit Card To formally dispute a billing error, send written notice to your card issuer within 60 days of the statement date, including your name, account number, the disputed amount, and why you think it’s wrong. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute in writing within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, and no more than 90 days. During the investigation they cannot try to collect the disputed amount or report it as delinquent.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Most issuers also post a temporary credit while they investigate.
Debit Card
Debit card disputes fall under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, and the timing matters more here. Report the unauthorized charge within two business days of learning about it and your liability is capped at $50. Report after that but within 60 days of your statement, and the cap rises to $500. Miss the 60-day window and there is no federal cap at all.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability
This is where a small mystery charge turns into a large one. A $50 hit that seems not worth chasing can be followed by hundreds more from the same source, after the two-day and 60-day windows have closed. On a debit card, report fast.
What to Give Your Bank
When you contact the bank, have the transaction date, exact amount, and any reference number from your statement ready. Say plainly that you do not have an account with Stability AI, if that is the case. Point out that the descriptor does not match “DREAM STUDIO—STABILITY AI LTD,” and note that Stability AI’s own fraud guidance treats mismatched descriptors as charges that did not come from them. If you called the bank first, follow up in writing so there is a dated record that you reported within the deadline.