A “SumUp” charge on your bank statement is a card purchase you made at a small business that uses SumUp’s card readers to accept payments. SumUp is the payment processor, so its name lands on your statement in place of the shop’s name, similar to how PayPal or Square sometimes appear when you buy from a small vendor. The charge is usually a legitimate purchase from a coffee shop, market stall, boutique, salon, or mobile vendor. If the amount and date don’t line up with anything you bought, you can investigate the transaction and, if needed, dispute it.
Why SumUp Shows Up Instead of the Shop
SumUp gives small businesses compact card readers and software so they can take credit and debit cards without setting up a traditional merchant account through a bank. When you tap or insert your card at one of these readers, SumUp processes the payment on the business’s behalf. Because SumUp handles the transaction infrastructure, it’s the entity your bank sees and records.
The local bakery or barber doesn’t have a direct connection to Visa or Mastercard. SumUp routes the transaction, takes a processing fee, and deposits the rest into the business’s account. That routing is why the entry reads “SumUp” rather than the name of the shop you actually visited.
How the Charge Looks on Your Statement
On a credit card, the descriptor typically reads SumUp* followed by the business name. On a debit card, you’ll usually see the business name followed by a transaction ID.1SumUp. SumUp Security Center A coffee purchase might appear as “SUMUP*JAVA HOUSE” on a credit card or “JAVA HOUSE TDXXXXXX” on a debit card.
If the merchant hasn’t fully set up their SumUp profile, the descriptor may show a generic name or the owner’s personal name instead. That’s often why an otherwise ordinary purchase looks unfamiliar. Check the dollar amount, the date, and any location information your bank shows next to the entry. A match with a recent in-person purchase at a small shop is a strong sign the charge is legitimate.
How to Identify an Unknown SumUp Charge
Start with the basics: the exact date, the amount including tax, and the descriptor text from your statement. Compare those against your recent receipts. If the merchant sent you a digital receipt by email or text, it will include a transaction ID you can match to the statement line.
Think back to any in-person purchases at small or independent businesses around that date. Farmers’ markets, food trucks, pop-up shops, street vendors, salons, and repair services are the kinds of businesses most likely to use SumUp. A charge posting a day or two after the purchase is normal, since processing can shift the posting date.
If you still can’t place it, contact SumUp directly at support@sumup.com. Provide the date, amount, and any descriptor details from your statement. SumUp can look up the merchant tied to the transaction and help you work out whether it was yours.
Disputing a Charge You Didn’t Make
Once you’ve done your own checking and are confident the purchase isn’t yours, contact your bank or card issuer to open a formal dispute. The rules and your exposure depend on whether the card is credit or debit.
Credit Card Charges
Federal law gives you 60 days from the date your statement was sent to notify your card issuer of a billing error, which includes unauthorized charges.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC Chapter 41 Subchapter I Part D – Credit Billing Your maximum liability for unauthorized credit card charges is capped at $50, and most issuers waive even that under their zero-liability policies.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1643 – Liability of Holder of Credit Card
After you file the dispute, the issuer investigates and typically must resolve the claim within two billing cycles, up to a maximum of 90 days. During that time, the issuer may post a provisional credit so you aren’t out the money while the investigation runs.
Debit Card Charges
Debit cards work under a different set of rules, and timing matters more. Report an unauthorized transaction within two business days of learning about it and your liability is capped at $50. Wait longer than two days but report within 60 days of receiving your statement, and your liability can climb to $500. Miss the 60-day window entirely and you could be on the hook for the full amount.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1693g – Consumer Liability
If you suspect fraud on a debit card, report it right away. The difference between calling your bank on day one and day three can be the difference between $50 and $500 in exposure.