A “Google Donations NFG” charge on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a charitable donation processed through For Good, formerly Network for Good, which handles donations made through Google Search, Google Pay, YouTube Giving, or Google Assistant. On statements the transaction often appears as “4Good*Charity Name” or a reference to For Good or Network for Good rather than the charity itself.1For Good. Donor FAQ If you recognize the donation, the charge is legitimate. If you don’t, treat it as a possible unauthorized transaction and follow the dispute steps below.
Why the Charge Shows Up as NFG Instead of the Charity
Google does not process charitable donations itself. It routes them to For Good, a 501(c)(3) donor-advised fund (EIN 68-0480736), which collects the money and disburses it to the chosen nonprofit.2Google. How Donations to Nonprofits Work Because For Good is the entity actually charging your card, its name (or the “4Good*” descriptor) is what your bank sees, not the charity you picked.1For Good. Donor FAQ
That mismatch is why the charge catches people off guard. A five-dollar donation to a food bank made weeks earlier through a Google Search donate button rarely rings a bell when it appears on a statement as “4Good*”. The same pathway is used for YouTube Giving fundraisers on videos and live streams and for voice donations made through Google Assistant.3For Good. For Good Homepage4Mashable. Google Assistant Donate
IRS rules for donor-advised funds require For Good to hold exclusive legal control of the money once received. If the nonprofit you chose can’t accept the funds, For Good may redirect the donation to another qualified U.S. nonprofit at its discretion.2Google. How Donations to Nonprofits Work
How to Confirm the Donation Was Yours
Start with your email. Google sends a confirmation after every donation that doubles as your official receipt and states no goods or services were received in exchange.5Google. Google Pay Donations Search for “For Good,” “Network for Good,” or “Google donation” and the receipt usually surfaces quickly.
Next, check your Google Pay transaction history. Open the app, go to transaction history, and filter by date and amount to find the charge.6Google. View Transaction History in Google Pay If the amount and date match what’s on your statement, the donation was processed through your Google account and someone with access to it authorized it. Ask anyone who shares the account or a device.
Google also notes that its own charges typically appear on statements starting with “GOOGLE*” followed by the app or product name. A charge that doesn’t follow that pattern and doesn’t appear in your Google purchase or donation history may not have originated with Google at all.7Google. Find and Fix Unrecognized Charges
How to Dispute the Charge if You Didn’t Authorize It
Google gives two paths depending on where the charge appears.
If the charge is on your bank or card statement but nowhere in your Google account, Google directs you to contact your bank or card issuer’s fraud department first rather than filing with Google.8Google. Report Unauthorized Transactions Your bank can start a chargeback and issue a new card.
If the charge does show up in your Google account and you didn’t make it, file a claim through Google’s unauthorized transactions form. You’ll need your email, the payment method, the exact date and amount, and a short explanation. Claims must be filed within 120 days for credit or debit card transactions and within 60 days for mobile carrier billing, and Google typically responds within seven business days.9Google. Report Unauthorized Charges on Google Play Once Google confirms the claim, the payment profile tied to the transaction is restricted from future purchases, which can affect anyone else who shares it.8Google. Report Unauthorized Transactions
One boundary worth knowing: Google states that donations processed through For Good are non-refundable.5Google. Google Pay Donations That policy covers legitimate donations you authorized and later regretted. It does not block a bank dispute over a genuinely unauthorized charge, which runs on a separate consumer-protection track.
If you suspect your Google account itself was compromised, change the password right away and review your account security settings.7Google. Find and Fix Unrecognized Charges
Watch for a Wider Pattern of Fake Google Charges
Unauthorized charges carrying the Google name are not limited to donations. Local news investigations have documented fraudulent charges appearing on statements under Google or Google Play labels. They often start small, in the range of $0.99, $1.07, or $5.00, and larger unauthorized withdrawals sometimes follow when the test charges go unnoticed. Reports have spanned customers of Chase, Bank of America, Discover, Walmart Money cards, CashApp, and government benefit accounts. Some victims said the charges continued even after their bank issued a replacement card.10ABC15. Check Your Bank Statements as Google Scam Grows
The Better Business Bureau has recommended reviewing bank statements regularly for unauthorized charges of any size and checking active subscriptions inside your Google account.11WRTV. Check Your Bank Statements for Bogus Google Charges If you find one suspicious line item, scroll further; the same account has often been hit more than once.
Reaching For Good Directly
If you’d rather speak to For Good about a charge, the donor line is 1-888-284-7978, open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time.12Network for Good. Contact Us For Good was formerly known as Network for Good and rebranded in 2025, so either name may still appear in emails and statements.13NonProfit PRO. Donor Advised Fund Network for Good Unveils New Name: For Good For a charge you didn’t make, your bank is still the faster stop.