Consumer complaint received 2026-02-03 00:00:00
Product: Checking or savings account — Checking account
Issue: Problem with a lender or other company charging your account — Transaction was not authorized
Company: U.S. BANCORP
State: TX

Complaint narrative:
I am filing a complaint regarding U.S. Banks failure to honor an active stop payment on a recurring debit card transaction, its improper processing of a charge after authorization had been revoked, and its obstruction and resistance during the dispute process. 

On XX/XX/year>, I notified U.S. Bank directly that I no longer authorized recurring debit card payments from XXXX XXXX and placed a stop payment on that merchant. This stop payment was active and confirmed in my account. 

Despite this active stop payment, U.S. Bank allowed a subsequent debit card transaction to process from the same merchant relationship. The transaction processed using a descriptor variation and processed with the same XXXX XXXX account. Although the amount differed from the monthly dues, the charge arose solely from the same ongoing membership relationship for which authorization had already been revoked. 
Because U.S. Bank failed to honor the original stop payment and allowed the charge to go through, I was forced to place a second stop payment on XX/XX/year>, to prevent further unauthorized debits. This second stop payment should not have been necessary. It was only required because U.S. Bank failed to properly apply the original XX/XX/year> stop payment across the merchant relationship and allowed a descriptor variation to bypass it. 

A change in transaction amount or merchant descriptor does not reinstate authorization under Regulation E, and the original stop payment should have applied to all membership-related charges, including annual fees and any descriptor variations used by the same merchant or its billing processor. 


On XX/XX/year>, beginning at approximately XXXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXXX, I contacted U.S. Bank to dispute this unauthorized transaction. 

The initial representative, XXXX, repeatedly focused on whether I had canceled directly with the merchant and suggested that merchant cancellation was required, despite my explanation that I had already notified the bank and placed a stop payment. After continued resistance, I requested escalation. 

I was transferred to a supervisor named XXXX. During this call, XXXX repeatedly spoke over me, focused on reading scripted stop-payment language, and initially struggled to locate the original XX/XX/year> stop payment. The conversation continued to center on merchant cancellation rather than the banks failure to honor the existing stop payment. 

Only after continued insistence did XXXX agree to open a dispute. She emphasized that any credit would be temporary and did not acknowledge that the second stop payment placed on XX/XX/year> was necessitated solely by the banks earlier failure to block the transaction. I was eventually provided a dispute reference number and requested issuance of a new debit card to prevent further unauthorized charges. 

U.S. Bank : Failed to honor an active stop payment placed on XX/XX/year> Allowed a descriptor variation and amount change to bypass the original stop payment Forced me to place a second stop payment on XX/XX/year>, due to its own failure Improperly suggested that merchant cancellation was required to dispute the charge Initially resisted and obstructed acceptance of a Regulation E dispute

Company public response: Company has responded to the consumer and the CFPB and chooses not to provide a public response
Company response to consumer: Closed with explanation