A charge labeled “ACT*PROGRAMS 800-498-6065” on your bank or credit card statement is a payment to ACT, the Iowa-based organization that administers the ACT college-admissions test. The phone number is ACT’s customer service line, and the “IA” or “IAUS” tag some statements add refers to the company’s Iowa City headquarters. In most cases the charge is for an online test registration paid by a student or parent, though ACT uses the same descriptor for score reports, test-date changes, and other services. Before treating it as fraud, check whether anyone in the household recently signed up for the ACT or ordered something from ACT.
What the Dollar Amount Tells You
The size of the charge usually points to exactly what was purchased. ACT’s standard registration is $68, with an optional writing section at $25 and a science section at $4, so a full registration tops out near $97.1ACT. ACT Test Registration Other common amounts billed under the same descriptor:2ACT. ACT Test Fees
- $42 late registration
- $75 standby testing
- $49 to change the test date, center, or form
- $20 for each additional score report, plus $30 if the scores are more than three years old3ACT. Sending Your Scores
- $36 or $44 for ACT My Answer Key (Test Information Release), depending on when it was ordered
- $67 or $134 for score verification
Depending on your bank, the entry may appear with a prefix like “CHKCARD,” “POS Debit,” “Visa Check Card,” or “PENDING” in front of the ACT*PROGRAMS text.4What’s That Charge. ACT*PROGRAMS 800-498-6065 IA If the amount matches one of the figures above and someone in the household is a high school student, the charge is almost certainly legitimate.
Make Sure It Isn’t ACTIVE Network Instead
A separate company called ACTIVE Network processes registrations for races, youth sports leagues, camping reservations, and conferences, and its billing descriptors also begin with “ACT*.” That coincidence causes a lot of mistaken identity. An ACTIVE Network charge typically shows “ACT*” followed by the name of the event or organization, and the descriptor often fills in with more detail once the transaction settles.5ACTIVE Network. ACT Charge on Bank Statement
One ACTIVE charge in particular catches people off guard: a $99.95 annual membership called ACTIVE Advantage that auto-renews after a 30-day free trial. People who signed up for a race or a youth-league registration sometimes accept the trial without noticing, then see the renewal a year later.6ACTIVE Network. $99.95 Charge on Bank Statement
The quickest way to tell the two apart is the descriptor itself. A real ACT test charge includes “800-498-6065” and usually “IA,” and the amount lines up with a published ACT fee. An ACTIVE Network charge is more likely to carry an event or organization name after “ACT*,” show a different phone number, or hit for exactly $99.95. If it turns out to be ACTIVE, you can email support@active.com with the transaction date, amount, last four digits of the card, and the cardholder’s name to open an inquiry.7ACTIVE Network. Unknown Credit Card Charge
If the ACT Charge Is Real but You Want a Refund
ACT’s refund policy is narrow. Exam fees are generally nonrefundable: a student who misses a test for any reason, including illness, late arrival, or denied admission for lack of acceptable ID, does not get the registration fee back.1ACT. ACT Test Registration
A few situations do produce refunds. The $75 standby fee is returned if the student is turned away at the test center or if registration is canceled for lack of a photo. Score reports to the fifth and sixth college choices ($20 each) are refundable on written request if the student never tests. And when a test-date change triggers a price adjustment, ACT refunds the original fee and recharges at the current rate automatically.2ACT. ACT Test Fees
To ask about a specific charge or request a refund, contact ACT at:
- Phone: 1-800-498-6065
- Email: customerservices@act.org8ACT. ACT Privacy Policy
If You Believe the Charge Is Unauthorized
When ACT either can’t help or confirms no account exists in the cardholder’s name, the next step is a dispute with the card issuer. Under the Fair Credit Billing Act, you have 60 days from the statement date on which a credit card charge first appeared to dispute it in writing. The letter goes to the issuer’s billing-inquiry address (not the payment address) and should include your name, account number, the amount and date of the charge, and a brief description of why it’s wrong. Certified mail with return receipt is a good idea.9Federal Trade Commission. Using Credit Cards and Disputing Charges
Once your issuer receives the dispute, it has 30 days to acknowledge the complaint in writing and 90 days to resolve it. During the investigation the disputed amount can’t be reported as delinquent to credit bureaus, and the issuer can’t try to collect on it. Federal law also caps your liability for truly unauthorized credit card charges at $50.10Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Regulation Z – Section 1026.12
Debit card protections work differently and the clock runs faster, so if the charge hit a checking account, call the bank right away. Either way, hang on to copies of everything: statement screenshots, letters, emails with ACT, confirmation numbers. They make the dispute stronger.
If No One Resolves It
When ACT and the bank both come up short, you can file a complaint with a government agency. The FTC takes fraud and deceptive-billing reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau handles complaints about credit card issuers that don’t follow dispute rules.11Federal Trade Commission. Bureau of Consumer Protection Your state attorney general’s office also accepts complaints about unauthorized or deceptive charges.12Federal Trade Commission. How to Stop Subscriptions You Never Ordered