What "SP *" means on a bank statement

An SP * or SP prefix is commonly used for purchases from online stores that take card payments through Shopify Payments. The text after it is usually the store name the seller chose, which may differ from the website address you bought from.

Other processors can use similar short prefixes, so treat SP as a strong hint rather than proof. Your order confirmation email is the quickest way to confirm.

Examples

Example lines with made-up merchants, and what the Merchant Cleanup API returns for them today:

Raw lineCleaned merchantProcessorCategory
SP * PINE HILL BOOKSTOREPine Hill BookstoreShopify Paymentsother
SP MAPLE STREET COFFEEMaple Street CoffeeShopify Paymentsmeals
SP * RIVERSIDE FUEL GEARRiverside Fuel GearShopify Paymentsauto_and_transport

Results are automated suggestions and can be wrong; check anything that matters.

FAQ

Why does the name not match the website?

Sellers choose the statement name separately from their domain, so it can be a company name, a short brand name or an abbreviation.

Is SP * the same as Shopify charging me?

Usually no. It is normally a payment to the store, processed by Shopify Payments. A subscription to Shopify itself would usually name Shopify directly.

Does the API detect SP?

Yes. It reports Shopify Payments in the processor field when the line starts with SP followed by a space or an asterisk.

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Have a PDF bank statement instead of a CSV? RowSmith converts bank statements to CSV or Excel in your browser, then you can clean the descriptions here.

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