A “HIGHLIGHTSFORCHILD” charge on your credit card comes from Highlights for Children, Inc., the Columbus, Ohio children’s magazine and educational products company. In almost every case, the charge is tied to a magazine subscription, book club, or activity box, and if it looks unfamiliar it is most likely an auto-renewal of a subscription set up months or years earlier, or a promotional offer that quietly converted into a recurring plan.
Why the Charge Is Showing Up Now
Highlights sells age-grouped magazines, activity and learning boxes, and book clubs such as the “I Can Read! Book Club.” Unless a customer turns off auto-renewal, Highlights automatically charges the card on file when a term ends, at whatever the current price is at that time.1Highlights for Children. Automatic Renewals Annual subscribers get an email reminder before the charge posts, but many customers report not seeing or not recognizing it.
The other common cause is a promotional offer. Highlights markets discounted first shipments of book clubs and activity boxes that transition into ongoing subscriptions at regular pricing. Better Business Bureau complaints describe customers who thought they had ordered a one-time “free” or low-cost item and later found recurring charges posting every few weeks.2Better Business Bureau. Highlights for Children Complaints
Typical Charge Amounts
The amount depends on the product. As of mid-2026, Highlights magazine subscriptions run about $4 per issue, and the Highlights plus brainPLAY bundle is listed at $63 for 18 issues. Book clubs and learning boxes start at $15 for a first shipment, and the High Five Activity Box starts at $20.3Highlights for Children. Current Offers and Promos Recurring book club shipments have been cited in complaints at $13.90 plus shipping and handling, billed every three weeks, and annual magazine renewals of roughly $39.96 also appear in customer disputes.2Better Business Bureau. Highlights for Children Complaints
How to Cancel and Stop Future Charges
To cancel online, sign in to your Highlights account, go to “My Gift Subscriptions” or “My Orders,” find the subscription, click “Actions,” select “Cancel,” and confirm. Cancellation immediately stops all future deliveries.4Highlights for Children. Cancel Magazine Subscription Book clubs and subscription boxes have separate cancellation steps in the same account portal.
To cancel by phone, call Highlights customer service at 1-888-372-6433, Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time.5Highlights Magazine Subscriber Services. Highlights Magazine You can also reach support through highlights.com/customer-service/contact-us.
Know the difference between the two options in your account. Turning off auto-renewal leaves the subscription active through the end of the current term and stops it from billing again after that. Canceling outright ends the subscription now, and Highlights states it provides a pro-rata refund for any unused full months remaining.1Highlights for Children. Automatic Renewals
Getting a Refund From Highlights
When customers escalate a charge through the BBB, Highlights typically cancels the account, waives any outstanding balance, and lets the customer keep items already shipped. In auto-renewal disputes, the company has issued refunds. One documented case from March 2024 involved a customer who disputed five years of unauthorized renewal charges and received a refund covering the most recent $39.96 charge plus two prior years of payments.2Better Business Bureau. Highlights for Children Complaints In its written responses, the company generally says the promotional materials disclosed the subscription terms and describes the situation as a misunderstanding. Ask directly for a refund of the recent charge and a full cancellation when you call.
Disputing the Charge With Your Card Issuer
If Highlights won’t resolve it, or if you believe the charge was genuinely unauthorized, you can dispute it through your credit card issuer. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can challenge a billing error by sending a written dispute letter to your issuer’s billing inquiry address within 60 days of the statement date on which the charge appeared.6Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges Include your name, account number, and a description of the charge, along with copies of any supporting documents. Send it by certified mail so you have proof of delivery.
Once the issuer gets your dispute, it must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill You may withhold payment on the disputed amount while the investigation is open, without penalty. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50.6Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges If the issuer’s investigation doesn’t fix the problem, you can file a complaint with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.