A PWIHELP charge on your bank or credit card statement comes from PeopleWhiz, an online people-search and background-check service that bills under the descriptor “PWIHELP.COM” or “PWIHELP” followed by a phone number. Most people see it after running what looked like a one-time report or a cheap trial and getting rolled into a recurring monthly subscription at about $27.99. To stop it, cancel directly with PeopleWhiz, then dispute any charges your card issuer should not have allowed through.
Why the Charge Is on Your Statement
PeopleWhiz (peoplewhiz.com) sells background reports built from public records and commercially available data, including criminal history, contact details, and marriage or divorce filings. People usually land on it while searching for someone’s background or current address. The first transaction is often a small amount for a single report or a few days of access. When that trial window closes, the account converts to a full monthly membership automatically. There is no second checkout screen, which is why the charge surprises people.
Recurring billing continues every month until you cancel. Deleting the app, clearing your browser, or ignoring the emails does nothing to stop it.
If you don’t remember signing up, check your inbox and spam folder for a welcome email from PeopleWhiz. It will show your account ID and confirm which email and card were used. If you can’t find it, PeopleWhiz’s support line at (833) 276-9449 is staffed around the clock and can locate your account.
How to Cancel the Subscription
PeopleWhiz does not offer a self-service cancel button inside the account dashboard. There are two ways to end the subscription:
- Call (833) 276-9449. Have the email you signed up with and the last four digits of your card ready. Ask the representative to confirm the cancellation on the call and to send a confirmation number or email before you hang up.
- Email support@peoplewhiz.com. Include your full name, the email tied to the account, and the last four digits of the card. Replies usually arrive within one business day.
Ask for a refund on any charges you consider unauthorized or unintended during the same contact. Representatives handle refunds in that interaction rather than through a separate process. Save every confirmation email and note the date, time, and name of anyone you speak with. That paper trail matters if you have to escalate to your bank.
If You Signed Up Through Apple or Google
If the subscription started through the Apple App Store, Apple handles the billing and PeopleWhiz cannot cancel it for you. On an iPhone, open Settings, tap your name, tap Subscriptions, find PeopleWhiz, and tap Cancel Subscription. On a Mac, open the App Store, click your name, click Account Settings, scroll to Subscriptions, and cancel there. Do it at least 24 hours before the renewal date to avoid the next charge.
For Google Play, open the Play app on your Android device, go to your subscriptions, select PeopleWhiz, and tap Cancel Subscription. Uninstalling the app on its own does not stop billing.
Disputing the Charge With Your Bank
If PeopleWhiz refuses to refund you, or charges continue after you canceled, dispute the transaction with your card issuer. Federal law gives you 60 days from the date the charge appeared on your statement to send a written billing-error notice to the card company.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1666 Correction of Billing Errors Miss that window and you lose the protections that force the issuer to investigate.
Most card companies let you open a dispute by phone or in their app, but following up in writing preserves your rights under the Fair Credit Billing Act. Your notice should include your name, account number, the amount you’re disputing, and a short explanation of why the charge is wrong. Once the issuer receives it, the bank has 30 days to acknowledge the notice and no more than two billing cycles to resolve the investigation.1Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 1666 Correction of Billing Errors During that time, it cannot report the disputed amount as delinquent or try to collect on it.
If charges keep hitting your account even after a cancellation and a successful dispute, ask your bank to block the PWIHELP merchant identifier. Some banks will also place a stop-payment order on the recurring charge.
Laws That Back You Up
Two laws are worth knowing before you make the call. The Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA) makes it illegal for an online seller to charge you through a negative-option feature unless it clearly discloses all material terms, obtains your express informed consent, and provides a simple way to stop the recurring charges.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 15 – 8403 Negative Option Marketing on the Internet If you were never clearly told the trial would convert to a monthly subscription, that is the law PeopleWhiz may have violated.
California adds its own layer. The state’s Automatic Renewal Law requires businesses selling to California consumers to disclose recurring charges clearly and conspicuously before the purchase is completed, describe the cancellation policy, and send an acknowledgment the consumer can keep.3California Legislative Information. California Business and Professions Code 17600-17606 – Automatic Purchase Renewals Several other states have passed similar statutes. If the disclosures you saw were missing or buried, say so when you ask for a refund.
Taking Your Information Off PeopleWhiz
Canceling stops future charges. It does not remove your own records from the PeopleWhiz database. That is a separate opt-out process.
Go to peoplewhiz.com/optout and search for your name, city, and state. When your record appears, click the confirmation button, enter your email, and follow the verification link. PeopleWhiz requires a copy of a government-issued photo ID (driver’s license or passport) to finish the request. Removal typically takes up to five business days, with servers refreshing within 24 to 48 hours after processing.4PeopleWhiz. Remove My Info
PeopleWhiz is one of dozens of people-search sites. If your information is on this one, it is almost certainly on others, and each site runs its own removal process.