A charge labeled “PSV Health Sciences” on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a recurring subscription from a health newsletter publisher or supplement seller that uses “PSV” as its payment processing descriptor. If you don’t remember signing up, or you signed up for what looked like a one-time offer, you can cancel the subscription and dispute the charge, but a 60-day window governs your strongest rights with the bank.
Who Is Actually Billing You
The “PSV” label is a payment descriptor used by a network of health-focused newsletter and supplement companies generally affiliated with Agora, a direct-response publishing group based in Baltimore. The specific charge may come from entities such as OmniVista Health Learning, Health Sciences Institute, or other wellness imprints that sell alternative health content, anti-aging research, and dietary supplements through online ads, email promotions, and direct mail.
The descriptor rarely matches the name of the newsletter or product you remember, which is why the charge feels unfamiliar even when it traces back to something you clicked on months ago.
How the Subscription Started
Most of these charges begin with a negative-option offer. You accept something that looks free or cheap, such as a health report or a sample bottle of supplements, and unless you cancel during a trial window, you get enrolled into ongoing billing at a much higher price. Annual renewals in the range of $79 to $200 or more are common.
Federal law limits this tactic. Under the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, a company selling through a negative-option feature online must clearly disclose the material terms before taking your payment information, get your express informed consent before charging you, and provide a simple way to stop future charges.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – Section 8403 If the full price and renewal terms were never disclosed before you paid, the company may have violated the law, and the Federal Trade Commission has specifically targeted sellers that make cancellation harder than sign-up.2Federal Trade Commission. Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act
Pull Your Records Before You Call
Log into your bank account and find the charge. Write down the date, the exact dollar amount, the full billing descriptor as it appears (something like “PSVHEALTHSCI” or “PSV*”), and the last four digits of the card that was charged.
Then search your email for confirmation, welcome, or shipping messages from any health publisher or supplement company, including your spam folder. A confirmation email usually contains an order number or customer ID that tells you exactly which brand enrolled you. If email turns up nothing, check for magazines, pamphlets, or supplement shipments in your physical mail.
Cancel With the Merchant First
The fastest way to stop future charges is to contact the billing company directly. If your charge traces to OmniVista Health Learning, customer service is (866) 747-9421, with an international line at (443) 353-4245, and mail goes to PO Box 913, Frederick, MD 21705.3OmniVista Health Learning. Contact For other Agora-affiliated brands, search the specific publication name along with “customer service” or “cancel subscription” to find the right number; each imprint runs its own support line.
Tell the representative you want to cancel every active subscription on your account and request a refund for charges you didn’t authorize. Get a cancellation confirmation number in writing or by email. If you’re offered a discount or free extension, ignore it if your goal is to stop billing. When phone support is unreachable, send a written cancellation by email or certified mail so you have proof of the attempt.
Dispute the Charge With Your Card Issuer
If the merchant won’t refund you, won’t cancel, or won’t answer, file a formal dispute with the bank that issued the card. Your rights depend on whether the card is a credit card or a debit card, and the difference is significant.
Credit Card Disputes
The Fair Credit Billing Act lets you dispute billing errors, including charges for goods or services you didn’t accept or that weren’t delivered as described. Send a written dispute to the issuer’s billing inquiries address (not the payment address) within 60 days of the statement date that first showed the charge.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – Section 1666 Include your name, account number, the amount you believe is wrong, and why. Certified mail with a return receipt gives you proof of delivery.5Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Once the issuer receives the letter, it must acknowledge it in writing within 30 days and resolve the dispute within two billing cycles, capped at 90 days. During the investigation you don’t have to pay the disputed amount or any finance charges on it, and the issuer can’t report you as delinquent, close your account, or send the disputed portion to collections.5Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Debit Card Disputes
Debit card rights are weaker. Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act you still have 60 days from the statement date to report the error, but the liability rules cut the other way. Report an unauthorized charge within two business days and your maximum liability is $50. Report it after two days but within 60, and exposure rises to $500. After 60 days, there is no cap at all.
The bank must investigate within 10 business days of your notice and may provisionally recredit your account while it looks into the claim. The full investigation has to finish within 45 days.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – Section 1693f Because the money already left your checking account, you’re waiting for it to come back rather than withholding payment, so speed matters more than with a credit card.
The 60-Day Deadline
Sixty days from the statement date is the line you cannot afford to cross. Past that, a credit card issuer can decline your dispute as untimely, and a debit card holder loses the liability cap entirely. This is why recurring PSV charges are dangerous when they go unnoticed for several months: by the time you catch the pattern, the earliest charges may already be beyond dispute.
If you spot a repeating charge, you can still dispute the most recent charges that fall inside the 60-day window even when older ones are out of reach. And you can always ask the merchant for a refund on older charges, since the 60-day rule governs your bank rights, not your ability to negotiate.
Block Future Charges
Canceling and winning a dispute doesn’t always stop the billing. Some merchants come back under a slightly different descriptor or after a pause. Two moves close the door.
Ask your bank to place a stop payment order on the specific merchant. This tells the bank to reject future charges from that biller. Banks typically charge $15 to $35 for a stop payment order, and it may need to be renewed periodically.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Stop Automatic Payments From My Bank Account?
If the card was a credit card, request a new card number from your issuer. It’s free and immediately invalidates the number the merchant has on file. Just remember to update any legitimate subscriptions tied to the old card.
File a Complaint if the Problem Continues
If you’ve canceled, disputed, and blocked the merchant and still believe the company acted deceptively, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at ftc.gov/complaint. The FTC doesn’t resolve individual disputes, but complaints feed enforcement patterns and can trigger investigations. If your bank mishandled the dispute itself, file with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau at consumerfinance.gov. Both complaints are free and take about 10 minutes.