It’s always a good idea to review your credit card transactions to make sure all charges are legitimate. There are all sorts of scammers out there looking to make unauthorized transactions on credit cards belonging to other consumers. But sometimes unrecognizable charges on your statement might be legitimate, including those named “CPC” or “SCP.”
What are these charges, and why are you seeing them on your credit card statement?
Key Points
- CPC or SCP charge on your credit card is from Canada Post.
- CPC stands for Canada Post Corporation, while SCP stands for Societe Canadienne des Postes in French.
- You may see this charge on your credit card for a variety of reasons, such as purchases made at a Canada Post location, customs duties, or shipping fees.
What Is A CPC/ SCP Charge On A Credit Card?
A CPC or SCP item on your credit card is a charge from Canada Post. This charge may appear on your credit card when:
- You purchased a product or service from the postal operator.
- Canada Post provides a service as part of a purchase you made that was not charged in your original transaction.
What Does CPC/SCP Stand For?
The CPC stands for Canada Post Corporation, and SCP is short for Societe Canadienne des Postes in French.
Why Does A CPC/SCP Charge Show Up?
Canada Post may charge you for a handful of reasons, including the following:
| Shipping Fees | Canada Post may charge additional fees if you send or receive a package. |
| Customs Duties | Import duties may be incurred for purchases from outside Canada, which Canada Post processes. |
| Postal Services | You may incur this charge for buying stamps, envelopes, or gift cards from Canada Post. |
| Miscellaneous Fees | Various things like registered mail services, money orders, or mailbox rentals may also show up as CPC/SCP charges. |
Other Common Store Abbreviations
Canada Post isn’t the only entity whose charges will show up on your credit card bill as an abbreviation. Many other merchants and services are often abbreviated, which you may not immediately recognize. Some of these may include the following:
| CANADA PRO | This charge refers to the Canada PRO Deposit, which provides tax credits to eligible residents of Ontario and Alberta. |
| Canada RIT | The Canada Refund Income Tax is money the government gives back after you file your income taxes. |
| TM | This acronym stands for Ticketmaster. If you have purchased tickets for a concert or event through this marketplace, the charge may show up on your credit card statement as “TM.” |
| MSFT | This stands for Microsoft. The technology company may charge you for subscriptions or other products or services you purchased with your credit card. |
| SQ* | SQ* indicates a purchase made using Square, a payment processing tool that helps businesses accept credit card payments. |
| AMZN | An AMZN charge on your credit card bill typically refers to purchases or subscriptions made through Amazon. |
| CIC ONLINE/CIC EN LIGNE | This stands for Citizenship and Immigration Canada Secure Online Services. This allows clients of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) to securely check on the status of their citizenship application online. Immigration and citizenship applications come with a fee, which you may see on your credit card statement under CIC ONLINE or CIC EN LIGNE. |
What Should You Do If You Don’t Recognize A Credit Card Charge?
If you find a strange or unfamiliar charge on your credit card statement, take the following steps:
- Look Into Your Purchase History: Check recent emails, receipts, or account statements to verify whether the transaction is legitimate but forgotten, or if the transaction warrants further investigation.
- Look Up The Merchant Name: Some charges may appear under a different business name other than the name you may be familiar with. Do an online search to see if you can find more information.
- Check With Authorized Users: If there are others that have access to your credit card as an authorized user, ask them if they made the purchase.
- Check Your Subscription Renewals: You may have memberships or subscriptions set up for auto-renewals and forgotten about them. Look into these subscriptions to see if they coincide with the credit card charges.
- Contact The Merchant: If a charge seems inaccurate, call the company listed on your credit card statement.
- Call The Credit Card Company: Reach out to your creditor to see if they can provide more information about the charge and the merchant. This may help you remember if the charge is legitimate or if it requires further investigation. If not, dispute the charge and request a card replacement if the charge is fraudulent.
Final Thoughts
Many charges on credit card statements can be obscure, especially if they’re listed as an acronym or a set of numbers. One such charge you may be unfamiliar with is CPC/SCP, which refers to a charge from Canada Post.
You may have had a shipment delivered by the postal service, or you may have bought a physical product, like stamps, envelopes, or boxes. But if you don’t recall dealing with Canada Post, reach out to your credit card issuer to find out if you were charged in error.
