A charge labeled “Ping Inc” on your credit card almost always comes from Karsten Manufacturing Corporation, the Phoenix-based company that makes PING golf equipment. If you recently bought clubs, paid for a fitting, ordered apparel, or sent clubs in for regripping, that is your charge. If none of that fits, treat the entry as suspicious and act quickly, because the federal deadlines for disputing an unauthorized transaction are shorter than most cardholders realize.
What Ping Inc Is on a Statement
Karsten Manufacturing sells golf clubs, bags, and apparel under the PING brand. Depending on how a given retailer’s payment processor is configured, the descriptor on your statement may read “Ping Inc,” “PING,” or something that includes “Karsten.” That is why the wording varies from one purchase to another even when the underlying company is the same.
One boundary worth naming: “Ping” on a business card statement can occasionally refer to Ping Identity, a software company that sells authentication subscriptions to companies. A recurring monthly charge on a work card points there. A one-time charge in the hundreds on a personal card points to golf equipment.
Why the Amount Might Not Look Familiar
PING builds many of its clubs to individual specifications, and custom orders can take weeks to ship. It is common to forget the purchase entirely by the time the charge posts. Repair work such as regripping or reshafting bills under the same merchant name, as do apparel and accessory orders from the online store.
Fittings are another source. PING runs its own fitting centers and works with certified fitters at golf retailers. Some fittings are complimentary when you buy clubs through the fitter, but standalone sessions and demo-day purchases can generate a separate charge.
If your statement shows a partial refund instead of the full purchase price, the restocking fee is the likely reason. PING charges 20% on returns of custom-built clubs, refunding only 80% of the price plus tax, and waives the fee only when it confirms a manufacturing defect.1PING. Returns and Exchanges
Pending Charges and Authorization Holds
Not every “Ping” line represents a completed sale. Merchants routinely place small temporary holds, sometimes as low as $0.00 or $1.00, to confirm a card is active before running the real transaction. These pending entries can look alarming when the merchant name is unfamiliar.
On a credit card, an authorization hold can sit for up to 31 days before dropping off automatically. On a debit card, the hold usually clears within one to eight business days, depending on your bank.2Wikipedia. Authorization Hold If a small pending charge never posts as an actual transaction, it was likely a verification hold and will disappear on its own.
How to Verify Before Disputing
Spend ten minutes checking the obvious things first. Open the transaction in your bank’s app and note the exact date, amount, and any merchant ID. Search your email for order confirmations from PING or from any golf retailer or fitting center. Ask anyone else on the account whether they placed the order. Many “mystery” charges are legitimate purchases someone in the household forgot about.
If the charge still doesn’t match anything, call PING consumer relations at 1-800-474-6434.3PING. Customer Service They can look up transactions tied to your card and tell you whether a purchase exists on their end. That call often settles the question faster than a bank dispute, and it spares you the paperwork of a chargeback.
If the Charge Is Fraudulent, Act Fast
The type of card you used changes the stakes considerably. Federal law treats credit card fraud and debit card fraud under two different statutes, and the protections are not equal.
Credit Cards
Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, your liability for unauthorized use of a credit card is capped at $50 as long as you report the charge within 60 days of the statement date. Most major issuers go further and offer zero-liability policies, so in practice you usually owe nothing. While the investigation is open, you are generally not required to pay the disputed amount.
Debit Cards
Debit card fraud is worse because the money is already gone from your account. Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act, your liability turns entirely on how fast you notify the bank:4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR Part 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
- Report within 2 business days: your maximum loss is $50.
- Report between 2 and 60 days: the cap jumps to $500.
- Report after 60 days: there is no cap, and you can be liable for the full amount stolen.
The gap between a two-day report and a two-month report can be thousands of dollars. If a debit charge looks wrong, call the same day.
Banks must also issue provisional credit on a debit dispute if they can’t finish the investigation within 10 business days. No parallel rule requires provisional credit on credit card disputes, though many issuers give it anyway.
How to File the Dispute
Once you’ve confirmed the charge isn’t a legitimate PING purchase and isn’t a hold that will drop off, file a formal dispute. The procedure differs by card type.
Credit Cards: Put It in Writing
The Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from the date the statement was sent to dispute a billing error, and the statute requires a written notice sent to the creditor’s billing inquiry address, which is often not the same as the payment address.5Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Calling the number on the back of your card or tapping “dispute” in the app is a reasonable first step, but it may not preserve your FCBA rights unless the issuer accepts disputes through those channels. Send a letter to be safe.
The letter needs your name and account number, a description of the charge, and the reason you believe it’s an error. After receiving the letter, the creditor must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days and resolve the investigation within two complete billing cycles, and no later than 90 days.6FDIC Information and Support Center. How Long Can a Creditor Take to Resolve My Credit Card Billing Dispute or Error? During that window, the creditor cannot try to collect the disputed amount or report it as delinquent.
Debit Cards: Call, Then Follow Up
Debit disputes fall under Regulation E. Call the bank immediately and send whatever written confirmation it asks for. The bank has 10 business days to investigate, 20 for new accounts, and must issue provisional credit if it needs more time to finish.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR Part 1005 – Electronic Fund Transfers (Regulation E)
Signs the Charge Is Actually Fraud
Most unfamiliar Ping Inc charges turn out to be legitimate purchases. A few patterns, though, point the other direction:
- A tiny charge from an unfamiliar merchant, often under a dollar. Fraudsters test stolen card numbers with a small transaction before running a larger one.
- Several small charges from slightly different merchant names within a few hours, which suggests automated card testing.
- A charge from a merchant category that doesn’t fit your habits at all. If you’ve never played golf and a $400 golf charge appears, don’t talk yourself out of it.
- An unfamiliar charge following a data breach notice from your bank or a retailer.
When fraud is confirmed, the bank will cancel the card and issue a new one. Update any recurring payments tied to the old number so nothing lapses.
If the Bank Sides With the Merchant
Banks sometimes rule against the cardholder, especially when the merchant produces a signed receipt or a delivery confirmation. You still have options. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau accepts complaints under both the FCBA and Regulation E. Small claims court is available in every state, with limits that typically run from $5,000 to $20,000. Keep every letter, email, and transaction record from the start of the dispute; the same documentation you gathered to verify the charge is the evidence you’ll need if the matter goes further.