A charge from Kikoff Inc on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a monthly subscription fee for Kikoff’s credit-building service, billed at $5, $20, or $35 depending on the plan. It recurs every month until you cancel it. If you never signed up, the charge can be disputed with your card issuer under federal billing-error rules.
What the Kikoff Charge Is
Kikoff is a San Francisco financial technology company that sells credit-building subscriptions. It offers three tiers, all billed monthly. The Basic plan is $5 per month and includes a $750 tradeline reported to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. The Premium plan is $20 per month and adds a larger tradeline, a secured credit card, bill reporting, and a debt negotiation tool. The Ultimate plan is $35 per month and adds identity theft insurance and personal data protection.1Kikoff. Pricing The credit line can only be spent in Kikoff’s own online store, which sells financial literacy e-books and e-courses.2NerdWallet. Kikoff Credit Builder Loan
A one-time $50 charge from Kikoff is the fee to report up to two years of prior rental payments to the credit bureaus.3Kikoff. Home A minimum $50 debit tied to the secured card is the required security deposit.1Kikoff. Pricing Kikoff itself is not a bank; the Kikoff Mastercard is issued by Coastal Community Bank.4Kikoff. About Kikoff
Debits Tied to the Secured Card
If you have the Kikoff secured card, expect a separate debit each cycle. Every secured card customer is enrolled in autopay by default, and Coastal Community Bank is authorized to debit the linked deposit account one day after each statement closing date so the security funds settle the full balance.5Coastal Community Bank. Kikoff Secured Cardholder Agreement To turn autopay off, you must call Kikoff support at least three days before the statement close date.6Kikoff. Secured Card Terms Kikoff’s terms state the company is not responsible for any bank fees, including overdraft or nonsufficient-fund charges, that result from these debits.3Kikoff. Home
How to Cancel the Subscription
Kikoff says you can cancel at any time without penalty and advertises a 45-day money-back guarantee for new subscribers.1Kikoff. Pricing3Kikoff. Home The company’s FAQ does not publish step-by-step cancellation instructions. The two contact channels are the support line at (844) 741-9292 and support@kikoff.com.7Kikoff. Frequently Asked Questions Multiple Better Business Bureau complaints describe users being unable to find any cancellation option on the website itself.8BBB. Kikoff Lending LLC Complaints
Two boundaries worth knowing before you close the account. Any outstanding balance remains your responsibility after cancellation, and closing the account does not erase late or missed payment history already reported to the credit bureaus.6Kikoff. Secured Card Terms Kikoff’s stated position is that it will not remove genuine late or missed payments because the Fair Credit Reporting Act requires accurate payment reporting.9BBB. Kikoff Lending LLC Complaint Profile
Disputing a Charge You Did Not Authorize
If you never signed up for Kikoff and a charge appears on a credit card statement, start with your card issuer. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you can dispute a billing error in writing within 60 days of the statement date. The issuer must acknowledge the dispute within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days, and it cannot report you as delinquent on the disputed amount during the investigation. Federal law caps your liability for unauthorized credit card charges at $50.10FTC. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau suggests calling the card company right away, then following up in writing. Keep copies of everything you send and log the dates of any follow-up calls.11CFPB. How Do I Dispute a Charge on My Credit Card Bill
If a Kikoff Account Was Opened in Your Name
A recurring Kikoff charge for someone who never signed up may reflect an account opened with stolen personal information. Numerous consumers have reported to the BBB that they found Kikoff tradelines on their credit reports for accounts they say they never opened. In several documented cases, Kikoff ran an internal investigation that matched the consumer’s name, date of birth, address, and Social Security number, then closed the case citing “insufficient evidence” to support removal.12BBB. Kikoff Lending LLC Complaints
In August 2023, Kikoff changed its policy to report accounts to the credit bureaus only after at least one payment has been made, and the company has said it will request tradeline removal for accounts where no payments were ever recorded.9BBB. Kikoff Lending LLC Complaint Profile If you believe an account was opened fraudulently, Kikoff directs consumers to its internal fraud team through the support channels above. Alongside that, dispute the tradeline directly with Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion, and pursue the billing-error rights described above with the card issuer being charged.