Why Is Experian Charging Me and How to Stop It?

• Open your Experian portal, locate the 'Billing' tab, and note the product name attached to the recent charge.
• Examine the exact transaction description on your bank statement; Experian usually lists the subscription or trial conversion label.
• Search your email inbox for a welcome, confirmation, or trial‑ending notice that matches the charge date.
• Log into the 'Subscriptions' page to see any active free trial, auto‑billing enrollment, or partner conversion charge.
• Compare the amount with Experian's pricing table to determine if it's a standard subscription fee, a one‑time report purchase, or a partner‑linked service fee.

The charge on your card comes from the specific Experian product listed in your account's billing section. Review your online account or email receipt to see which subscription, free trial, or partner conversion generated the charge.

1. Sign in at the Experian billing portal.
2. Click Billing History or Statements.
3. Locate the recent charge; the product name appears directly beside the amount.
4. Expand the entry to view details such as start date, renewal cycle, and whether it is a free‑trial conversion.
5. Cross‑check the product name with the confirmation email Experian sent when you enrolled.
6. If the name is unfamiliar, search Experian's public product list for a description (e.g., 'Experian CreditWorks' or 'Identity Theft Protection').
7. Note the exact product title; you will need it for the cancellation steps that follow.

Cancel your Experian subscription now by logging into your Experian account, locating the active subscription, and selecting 'Cancel.' Confirm the cancellation through the on‑screen prompt and the follow‑up email.

• Sign in at Experian account portal.
• Click My Account ► Subscriptions.
• Find the subscription linked to the charge you identified earlier.
• Press Cancel Subscription and choose a reason (optional).
• Read the confirmation screen; click Confirm Cancel.
• Check your email for a cancellation receipt; save it for future reference.

Once you have the receipt, move on to verify that no free‑trial or partner conversion charges remain hidden on your statement.

Look at your Experian online portal or mobile app, open the subscription tab, and compare the start date with any promotional email you received; if a free trial expired without cancellation, a charge will appear on the same line. Verify the amount, the billing date, and the description - often the statement will read 'Experian partner' or show a merchant name that matches the trial offer.

Next, scan your credit‑card or bank statement for any partner conversion charges listed under a partner's brand (for example, 'IdentityGuard' or 'CreditWorks'); these are typically auto‑billing after a free trial ends.

If you spot such a line, log into the partner's site (or the Experian help center at Experian help center) and cancel the subscription before the next billing cycle. This verification clears the way for the upcoming section on discovering charges billed through Apple, Google, or your bank.

• Apple, Google, and your bank each show Experian charges in their transaction histories, letting you identify the source before you cancel.
• On iPhone, go to Settings → [your name] → Media & Purchases → Purchase History and look for 'Experian' or the subscription name; see Apple's guide to viewing purchase history for details.
• In the Google Play Store, open Menu → Payments & subscriptions → Budget & history, then search for 'Experian'; refer to Google's instructions on transaction history.
• Log into your online banking or mobile app, filter by merchant name 'Experian' (or 'Experian Services'), and note the date, amount, and platform; capture a screenshot for later dispute or support contact.

Removing the saved card and turning off auto‑billing stops Experian from pulling future charges.

1. Log into Experian.com, select My Account, then click Payment Methods.
2. Find the listed credit or debit card, choose Delete or Remove, confirm the prompt.
3. Return to My Account > Subscriptions, locate any active Experian product, toggle Auto‑renew to Off and click Save.
4. If you signed up through Apple, Google, or a partner site, open the respective app store, go to Subscriptions, locate the Experian entry and select Cancel Subscription; this also disables auto‑billing.
5. After removal, verify that no payment method appears in your account and that the auto‑renew switch shows Off; if the card remains, contact Experian support via the online chat or phone line and request deletion of the payment source and cancellation of auto‑billing.

These steps ensure Experian cannot charge you again without your explicit consent, setting the stage for confirming the charge isn't identity theft or fraud in the next section.

Check the charge immediately to decide whether it's a legitimate Experian subscription or a sign of identity theft or fraud.

If the amount matches a subscription you recently started, a free trial you accepted, or a partner conversion charge you saw in your email, the charge is probably valid. Open your Experian account, locate the product line, and compare the billing date with the subscription start date you noted in the 'find the exact Experian product charging your card' step. Confirm the payment method used matches the one you saved during sign‑up, and verify that auto‑billing is still enabled. When everything lines up, you can move on to 'request refunds and file a bank chargeback properly' if you still want a refund.

If the amount does not appear in any of your records, you received no confirmation email, and the card number on the statement isn't one you linked to Experian, treat it as potential identity theft or fraud. Call your bank to flag the transaction, place a fraud alert on your credit reports, and contact Experian's fraud department with the charge details. Review recent credit activity for unfamiliar inquiries, and consider a credit freeze while you investigate. For guidance on protecting your identity, see how to protect your identity.

To get a refund from Experian and file a bank chargeback, follow these exact steps.

First, contact Experian directly. Pull the billing statement, note the date, amount, and description of the charge, and identify whether it came from a subscription, a free trial, or a partner conversion charge. Call Experian's toll‑free support line at 1‑888‑397‑3742, or use the online refund form on the Experian contact page.

When you speak to an agent, state that you want a refund for the specific charge, reference the subscription ID, and ask for a confirmation email. Keep the email, any chat transcript, and the original receipt for later.

If Experian refuses or does not respond within 10 business days, start a chargeback with your bank:

• Call the bank's fraud or disputes department within 60 days of the transaction (most issuers require this window).
• Provide the same documentation you gave Experian: statement showing the charge, refund request email, and a brief note that the charge was unauthorized or that the subscription was canceled but auto‑billing continued.
• Ask the bank to open a chargeback for the disputed amount and request a provisional credit while the investigation proceeds.
• Record the dispute reference number and follow up if the bank asks for additional proof, such as proof that you disabled auto‑billing in the Experian account.

After filing, monitor your email for updates from both Experian and the bank. If the bank approves the chargeback, the amount will be credited to your account, and Experian's subscription will be terminated.

If Experian eventually issues a refund, record the transaction and verify that the refund clears before proceeding with any further steps. This prepares you for the next section on what to say and send when contacting Experian support.

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• State your name, email, last four digits of the payment card, the exact charge date, amount, and the Experian product that generated the charge, and tell them you want the charge cancelled and refunded.
• Reference that you have already located the subscription (see 'find the exact Experian product charging your card') and demand immediate termination of the subscription and all auto‑billing.
• Attach a screenshot of the charge on your bank or credit‑card statement, the free‑trial or partner conversion confirmation email, and any prior cancellation notice.
• Ask for a full refund of the disputed amount and request written confirmation that the subscription and auto‑billing are removed; remind them of the typical 30‑day refund window.
• If the representative cannot resolve it, request escalation to a supervisor and mention you will file a chargeback and invoke applicable consumer‑protection laws.

If your child is an identity theft victim, freeze their TransUnion credit and add a fraud alert by following these steps: obtain an Identity Theft Report from the FTC identity theft reporting guide, gather the child's SSN card, a copy of your guardianship ID, and any police report; contact TransUnion by phone, online, or mail (see section 6 for channel choices) and submit the documents plus the Identity Theft Report, explicitly requesting a credit freeze and a fraud alert; record the PIN or password TransUnion provides; keep that PIN safe for any future temporary lifts (covered in section 9); and regularly check the child's credit file for new activity.

This process is free for minors and the freeze remains until you lift it or the child turns 18.

Here's the final 10‑step checklist to stop Experian charges permanently. Follow these actions in order to cancel subscriptions, block auto‑billing, and protect against future fees.

1. Locate the exact Experian charge on your card statement.
2. Log into the Experian account tied to that charge.
3. Cancel the identified subscription or free trial in the account settings.
4. Remove the payment method from the Experian account to disable auto‑billing.
5. Verify no pending free‑trial or partner conversion charges remain.
6. Email Experian support with a brief refund request, referencing the cancellation and any 30‑day refund window.
7. If Experian denies the refund, file a chargeback with your bank, attaching cancellation screenshots and support emails.
8. Record every interaction (date, rep name, ticket #) in a simple log.
9. Scan upcoming statements for any new Experian charge; dispute immediately if it appears.
10. Submit a complaint to the CFPB or your state consumer agency, attaching all evidence, to invoke consumer‑protection laws.