A charge reading “Five Star Food Service Hunt Valley MD” on your bank or credit card statement is a vending machine purchase from Five Star Breaktime Solutions, a workplace vending and food service company. The machine is typically located in a hospital, office building, hotel, or similar setting. If the amount looks higher than what you bought, it is almost always a temporary pre-authorization hold that will drop to the real price once the transaction fully posts.
Why the Amount Often Looks Too High
Vending machines place a hold on your card before dispensing an item, and that hold is generally set higher than the purchase price. A machine might place a $5 hold for a $2.25 snack, for example. Within a few days, the hold is adjusted to match what you actually spent. Until then, the larger figure sits on your statement and can look unfamiliar or inflated.
The descriptor itself can arrive with any number of prefixes depending on your bank and card network, including “CHKCARD,” “CHECKCARD,” “POS Debit,” “POS Purchase,” “Visa Check Card,” “PRE-AUTH,” “PENDING,” or “Misc. Debit.”1WhatsThatCharge.com. Five Star Food Service Hunt Valley MD All of these point to the same underlying transaction.
Why It Says Hunt Valley, Maryland
The “Hunt Valley MD” text refers to the location of the payment processor that handles Five Star’s card transactions, not the vending machine itself. Five Star Breaktime Solutions operates across the Southeast and Midwest, so a charge from a machine in Tennessee, Georgia, or Ohio can still show a Maryland descriptor. Seeing a state you have never visited on the line item does not mean the charge is fraudulent.
What To Do If the Charge Is Wrong
Wait a few days first. Pre-authorization holds from vending machines routinely drop to the correct amount once the payment settles, and the difference may resolve itself without any action on your part.
If the charge still looks wrong after it posts, or if the machine took your payment without dispensing a product, you have a few options. You can contact Five Star Breaktime Solutions directly. The company’s corporate headquarters can be reached at 423-643-2600, and its website has a service request form and a tool for locating branch offices.2Five Star Breaktime Solutions. Contact Us Have the date and time of the transaction, the machine location and any ID number on it, and a mailing address ready, since the company sometimes issues refunds by check rather than crediting the card.
Consumer complaints about Five Star Breaktime Solutions filed with the Better Business Bureau generally involve machines that took money without dispensing product, holds that exceeded the displayed price, and delays in getting refunds. In responses to those complaints, the company has attributed inflated-looking charges to temporary bank holds and, in at least one case, offered to reimburse the difference if the customer could show the hold was never released.3Better Business Bureau. Five Star Breaktime Solutions Complaints Filing a BBB complaint has prompted responses from the company in past cases.
You can also dispute the charge with your bank or card issuer. Under federal rules, you generally must notify your bank within 60 days of the statement date showing an unauthorized or incorrect electronic transaction. The bank typically has 10 business days to investigate and must correct any confirmed error within one business day of finishing its review. If the investigation runs longer, the bank may be required to issue a temporary credit while it continues looking into the matter.4Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. How Do I Get My Money Back After I Discover an Unauthorized Transaction
Who Five Star Breaktime Solutions Is
Five Star Breaktime Solutions, formerly Five Star Food Service, is a workplace vending and food service company headquartered in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It rebranded to its current name on January 2, 2024.5Vending Times. Five Star Food Service Rebrands as Five Star Breaktime Solutions The company operates vending machines, micro-markets, coffee and water services, and cafeterias across the Southeast and Midwest, which is why its charges show up on statements for people who bought a drink or snack at work or while traveling through those regions.6Five Star Breaktime Solutions. Our Story