If you’re seeing PPOINT on your bank statement, it’s almost certainly a recurring subscription charge routed through a third-party payment processor sometimes referred to as Planet Point. The processor handles billing for a range of online merchants, and the generic descriptor is used on purpose so the statement entry doesn’t reveal which specific service you signed up for. Adult entertainment and dating sites are the most common culprits, though other digital media and software subscriptions use the same processor.
What PPOINT Actually Is
PPOINT is a billing shorthand, not a merchant. The processor sits between you and the website you subscribed to, and its name is what appears on your statement instead of the site’s name. Discreet billing is standard in subscription industries dealing with sensitive content, which is why the descriptor tells you so little on its own.
If the amount looks like a monthly membership fee and you don’t recognize it, an adult content or dating site is the likeliest source. Common subscription amounts under this descriptor fall in the $20 to $60 per month range, with trial and premium tiers falling outside that band.
Figuring Out Which Service Is Charging You
Open the full transaction detail in your bank’s app or online portal. Note the exact date, the dollar amount, and any alphanumeric string following “PPOINT” in the description. That string is usually a merchant or transaction identifier inside the processor’s system.
Third-party billing processors typically run a support portal where you can look up a charge using those details or the last four digits of the card. A web search combining “PPOINT” with the exact dollar amount often surfaces forum posts identifying the specific merchant. Once you know the merchant, you can decide whether to cancel, request a refund directly, or go straight to a bank dispute.
Canceling the Subscription
You have two paths: cancel on the merchant’s website, or cancel through the processor’s portal. The portal generally asks for the email tied to the account or the card used at signup, then leads you to an account screen where you confirm cancellation.
Save the confirmation email or a screenshot of the final confirmation page. If the merchant keeps charging you after cancellation, that receipt is the strongest evidence you can bring to a bank dispute. Without it, the dispute turns into your word against the merchant’s billing records.
Federal law is on your side here. Under the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act, a business selling subscriptions online has to provide a cancellation process no harder than the signup process.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 8403 – Negative Option Marketing on the Internet The same law requires clear disclosure of all recurring charges before payment information is collected, and express consent before billing. A merchant that buried its subscription terms or made cancellation unreasonably difficult may have violated federal law.
Cutting Off the Charge Through Your Bank
If the merchant won’t respond, or you can’t reach anyone, you can block the charges at the bank. You have the right to revoke authorization for any recurring charge, even one you originally agreed to.2Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Stop Automatic Payments From My Bank Account? Tell your bank in writing that you’ve revoked authorization for the merchant. Once that’s on file, future charges from that merchant are treated as errors, and your bank should reverse them.
Your bank may also suggest a stop payment order, a formal instruction to block payments to a specific company. Banks typically charge a fee for stop payment orders, so ask about the cost before you request one. Keep records of every call, letter, and date. If charges keep appearing after you’ve canceled and revoked authorization, those records strengthen the dispute.
Disputing an Unauthorized PPOINT Charge
Your dispute rights depend on whether the charge hit a credit card or a debit card. The rules differ, and the difference affects both your liability and how quickly you’ll see your money back.
Credit Card Charges
Credit card disputes fall under the Fair Credit Billing Act. You have 60 days from the date the statement was sent to notify your card issuer in writing that you’re disputing a charge. The issuer has to acknowledge your dispute within 30 days and resolve it within two billing cycles, which cannot exceed 90 days total.3Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1666 – Correction of Billing Errors While the investigation is open, the issuer can’t try to collect the disputed amount, charge interest on it, or report it as delinquent.
Your maximum liability for unauthorized credit card charges is $50 under federal law, and most major issuers waive even that.4Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1643 – Liability of Holder of Credit Card
Debit Card Charges
Debit card disputes are governed by the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E. The stakes are higher because the money has already left your account, and your liability depends on how quickly you report the problem:
- Report within two business days of learning about the unauthorized charge, and your liability is capped at $50.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
- Report after two business days but within 60 days of the statement date, and your liability can reach $500.6Consumer Compliance Outlook. Consumer Liability for Unauthorized Transactions Under the Electronic Fund Transfer Act and Regulation E
- Wait more than 60 days from the statement date, and you can be liable for the full amount of any unauthorized transfers that occur after the 60-day window closes, with no cap.5Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.6 – Liability of Consumer for Unauthorized Transfers
That escalating structure is why speed matters. Once you report, your bank has 10 business days to investigate. It can extend the investigation to 45 days, but only if it provisionally credits your account within those initial 10 business days.7Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors For certain transactions, including point-of-sale debit purchases and international transfers, the investigation window extends to 90 days.8eCFR. 12 CFR 1005.11 – Procedures for Resolving Errors
What the Investigation Looks Like
For both credit and debit disputes, the bank will usually ask for a written statement explaining why the charge is unauthorized. Some banks use a standardized fraud affidavit; others accept a free-form letter. Include the transaction date, amount, descriptor, and a clear statement that you didn’t authorize the charge or that you canceled the service before the billing date.
If the bank finds the charge was unauthorized, any provisional credit becomes permanent, and the bank typically issues a replacement card so the same number can’t be billed again. If the investigation goes against you, the bank has to explain its reasoning in writing and return any documentation you submitted. You can request copies of the evidence the bank relied on.
How Long Refunds Take
If you resolve the issue directly with the merchant or processor instead of filing a bank dispute, expect the refund to take five to 14 business days to post. Timing depends on how quickly the merchant initiates the refund, its batch processing schedule, and your bank’s own posting timeline. If more than two weeks pass with no credit, follow up with both the merchant and the bank, since refunds occasionally get stuck in processing.
Refunds from formal bank disputes follow the regulatory timelines above: 10 business days for provisional credit on debit disputes, and up to 90 days for final resolution on credit and debit disputes alike.