A charge that starts with SQ * was paid to a business that uses Square to take card payments. Square is the payment processor; the text after the asterisk is usually the business name the seller set up, often cut short, followed by extra codes, a city or a state.
Small shops, cafes, food trucks, markets and service businesses commonly use Square, so the name after SQ * may be one you only know from a sign or a receipt.
Example lines with made-up merchants, and what the Merchant Cleanup API returns for them today:
| Raw line | Cleaned merchant | Processor | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
SQ *MAPLE STREET COFFEE 1234 OAKLAND CA | Maple Street Coffee | Square | meals |
POS PURCHASE SQ *MAPLE STREET COFFEE 1234 OAKLAND CA | Maple Street Coffee | Square | meals |
SQ *PINE HILL BOOKSTORE PORTLAND OR | Pine Hill Bookstore | Square | other |
Results are automated suggestions and can be wrong; check anything that matters.
Not by itself. It only means the seller used Square. If you do not recognise the business name after the asterisk, check your receipts and recent purchases, then contact your bank or card issuer if you still cannot place it.
Card networks limit how many characters a descriptor can have, so long names are often shortened or run together with location codes.
Start with the name after SQ *, the city and the date. Your bank app may show more detail. The free demo below will strip the prefix and codes and suggest a clean name and category.
Try this line in the free demo Get a free API key
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.
More guides: What does TST* mean on a bank statement? - What does PAYPAL * mean on a bank statement? - What does SP * mean on a bank statement? - What does POS DEBIT or POS PURCHASE mean on a bank statement? - What do ACH and CHECKCARD mean on a bank statement? - How to clean bank transaction descriptions