What Is SQ * on My Bank Statement?
SQ * means the payment was taken through Square, a card reader small businesses use. The name after the star is the business itself — so SQ *THE CORNER CAFE is a café, not a company called Square.
At a glance
- What it is
- A payment taken via Square
- Typical merchant
- Café, salon, market stall
- Merchant name
- Usually follows SQ *
- Similar to
- SumUp and Zettle
Why small businesses appear this way
Independent traders rarely have their own merchant account. They use a card reader from Square, SumUp or Zettle, and the processor's name is what reaches your bank — with the trader's name appended.
That's why the entry sometimes looks unfamiliar: the shop's trading name may differ from the name over the door, or be shortened to fit.
How to identify the payment
Match it on date and amount against what you did that day — a coffee, a haircut, a market stall. If the appended name is unhelpful, searching the exact descriptor often reveals the business.
What if you don't recognise it?
Don't panic, but don't ignore it either. Work through this order:
- Check who else uses the card — a partner, or a child on a family account, is the most common explanation.
- Look for a matching subscription or order in the relevant app or account.
- Search the exact descriptor as it appears, including any * or reference number.
- Still unexplained? Contact your bank straight away. Report it as an unrecognised transaction — under UK rules you're generally protected against unauthorised payments, and your bank can freeze the card and investigate.
Never phone a number that appears in the transaction itself, and never share a one-time passcode with anyone who calls you — including someone claiming to be your bank.
Frequently asked questions
Is SQ * a scam?
No — it's a legitimate payment processor used by thousands of UK small businesses. But if you genuinely can't place the payment, treat it like any unrecognised charge and contact your bank.
What's the difference between SQ *, SumUp and Zettle?
Nothing that affects you — they're competing card readers for small businesses. All three put their own name on your statement with the trader's name alongside.
Still stuck? Start with our guide to what that charge on your bank statement is.
More statement entries explained: TFL TRAVEL CH · APPLE.COM/BILL · GOOGLE *TEMPORARY HOLD · AMZNMktplace / AMZ* · PAYPAL / PP* · Klarna · CHG · FPI / FPO · CR / DR
General information only. If you don't recognise a payment, contact your bank — they can investigate and, where a payment was unauthorised, refund it.
