A “Wikimedia” charge on your bank statement is a donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, the San Francisco–based nonprofit that runs Wikipedia. If you don’t remember making it, the likely explanations are a one-time gift you forgot about, a recurring donation you set up earlier and never canceled, or a contribution made by someone else who has access to your card or PayPal account.
How to Recognize the Charge
The descriptor varies by bank and by how the payment was processed, but the common versions all point to the same organization:
- WIKIMEDIA SAN FRANCISCO CA
- WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION
- WIKIMEDIA 8776009454
- PAYPAL *WIKIMEDIAFO
- PAYPAL INST XFER WIKIMEDIAFO
The “San Francisco” tag reflects the foundation’s headquarters.1Wikimedia Foundation. Donor Frequently Asked Questions Some statements also show the phone number 877-600-9454. The foundation uses several payment processors, including PayPal, Adyen, Ingenico, Amazon Pay, and dLocal, so a PayPal-routed donation may not mention San Francisco at all and instead show a generic PayPal label with “WIKIMEDIAFO” in it. Any combination of “Wikimedia,” “WMF,” or “WIKIMEDIAFO” with San Francisco or a PayPal reference is the same nonprofit.
Why the Charge Is Showing Up
Wikipedia’s fundraising banners sit at the top of articles and take only a few clicks to complete, so many people donate in the moment and forget about it by the time the charge posts.
Recurring donations are the bigger source of surprise. The donation form offers a monthly or annual recurring option, and those charges continue automatically until you cancel. If the charge appears months after a donation you remember making, you probably signed up for a recurring pledge.
p>The other common cause is a shared payment method. A family member with access to your card, debit account, or PayPal may have donated, and tribute gifts made in someone else’s name can also generate a charge the cardholder doesn’t recognize.
How to Cancel a Recurring Donation
The Wikimedia Foundation does not have an online self-service portal for managing donations. To stop future charges, email donate@wikimedia.org and include:2Wikimedia Foundation. Manage Your Donation
- That you want to cancel (or modify) your recurring donation
- The email address you used when you originally donated
- The full name on the donation
- The amount and currency being charged each cycle
Do not include your credit card number or other financial details in the email. The foundation explicitly warns against sending card information, and its donor relations team can locate your record from the information above.2Wikimedia Foundation. Manage Your Donation
How to Request a Refund
Refund requests go to the same address, donate@wikimedia.org. Include your full name, the email address tied to the donation, the date of the charge, and the amount. You don’t need to send card details: once a credit card transaction is processed, the foundation redacts the first 12 digits of the card and retains only the last four in its records.3Wikimedia Foundation. Give by Mail
If you can’t find your original receipt, search your email inbox for messages from the Wikimedia Foundation around the date the charge posted. The receipt will show the amount, the email tied to the donation, and a confirmation number. Even without a receipt, the descriptor, date, and amount from your statement are usually enough for donor services to find the record.
Disputing an Unauthorized Charge With Your Bank
If you’re confident no one in your household authorized the donation and donor services can’t resolve it, your rights depend on how you paid.
For credit card charges, the Fair Credit Billing Act gives you 60 days from the date your statement was sent to dispute a billing error in writing with your card issuer.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 U.S. Code 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors Your dispute needs to identify your account, explain why you believe the charge is an error, and state the amount. Most issuers also accept disputes through their app or website, but the 60-day window applies either way. The issuer must acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles.
For debit card or bank account charges, the Electronic Fund Transfer Act applies instead. Report an unauthorized transfer within two business days of learning about it and your liability caps at $50. Wait longer and the cap rises to $500. After 60 days from when your statement was sent, you could be liable for the full amount of any unauthorized transfers that occur after that window closes.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
Try the foundation directly before filing a chargeback. A chargeback against a nonprofit is a blunt tool, and legitimate charges usually get sorted out faster through donate@wikimedia.org than through a bank investigation.
If the Donation Was Yours: Tax Deductibility
If it turns out the charge was one you authorized and want to keep, the Wikimedia Foundation is a 501(c)(3), so the donation is tax-deductible if you itemize.6Wikimedia Foundation. Financial Reports Cash contributions to public charities are generally deductible up to 60 percent of your adjusted gross income.7Internal Revenue Service. Charitable Contribution Deductions
For any single donation of $250 or more, you need a written acknowledgment from the foundation showing the amount and stating whether you received any goods or services in return.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 U.S. Code 170 – Charitable Contributions and Gifts The email receipt from the foundation typically satisfies this. You must have the acknowledgment by the time you file your return for that year, or by the return’s due date including extensions, whichever comes first. For donations under $250, the bank or credit card statement showing the organization’s name, the date, and the amount is enough documentation. The foundation’s EIN is 20-0049703.9Wikimedia Foundation. Workplace Giving