What is STK* / SHUTTERSTOCK on my credit card statement?

A charge labeled STK* or SHUTTERSTOCK on your statement represents a purchase or subscription renewal from Shutterstock. This typically happens when a free trial rolls over into a monthly subscription, an annual plan auto-renews, or someone in your home or office purchases stock photos, videos, or music.

1. What is STK* / SHUTTERSTOCK?

This descriptor represents Shutterstock, Inc., a popular platform for stock images, footage, and music. Because credit card statements have limited space for text, they use this abbreviated name instead of showing the specific file, license, or plan you paid for.

Merchant descriptor: STK* / SHUTTERSTOCK

Billing pattern: Stock media subscriptions, annual plan renewals, on-demand download packs, or team account fees.

Recommended action: Check your personal and work emails for a confirmation receipt, and ask anyone in your household or business who has creative projects.

2. Why did this charge appear on your card?

An annual subscription auto-renewed: Your yearly plan renewed automatically on the anniversary of your purchase to keep your download credits active.
A free trial rolled over: You signed up for a free trial to download a few stock images and forgot to cancel before the paid subscription kicked in.
An extra team member seat: If you use a team account, you might have been charged for inviting another user, coworker, or freelancer to collaborate.
A one-time image pack purchase: You purchased a bundle of credits or a single premium high-resolution photo/video for a project.
A forgotten project account: Someone in your household or company set up a temporary profile for a specific task and left the card connected to the auto-billing.

3. Is this charge safe or a scam?

⚠️ Legitimate service, but check your active plans.

While Shutterstock is a trusted brand, a valid billing name doesn't guarantee the charge was authorized by you. If you have checked your inbox, asked your colleagues, and are certain no one signed up, your card details may have been compromised.

4. How to trace the charge back to an account

Search your email history: Look through all your active email accounts for terms like 'Shutterstock', 'STK', 'invoice', or the exact dollar amount of the charge.
Try logging in to different profiles: Sign in to Shutterstock with any personal, work, or secondary email accounts you use to locate the active subscription.
Do not download new files: If you plan to ask for a refund, avoid downloading any stock photos or videos after the renewal date, as this can void your eligibility under their policy.

5. What other cardholders are reporting

“I used Shutterstock for a brief marketing campaign last year. I thought I canceled it, but the annual billing kicked in again twelve months later.”

— Creative Forum Post

“I signed up for their free trial to download a single image for my daughter's homework. I canceled it, but missed the final confirmation screen, so the full monthly subscription started.”

— Consumer Help Board

“My billing team flagged this charge, but our freelance web designer confirmed he had to buy an enhanced license for a client project.”

— Small Business Owner

6. How to stop future charges

Disable auto-renewal: Log into the active Shutterstock profile, go to 'Plans and billing,' and turn off the automatic renewal option. Simply deleting your account or uninstalling an editor won't stop the card charges.
Remove your payment details: If you must keep the profile but want to prevent unexpected renewals, remove your credit card information from the account settings.
Set calendar reminders: Since annual creative software plans renew quietly, note the billing anniversary on your calendar to review your creative tool usage.

7. How to request a refund or dispute a charge

Step 1. Locate the Shutterstock invoice or receipt number in your email history.
Step 2. Cancel the active subscription inside your account settings to prevent any further automatic billing cycles.
Step 3. Contact Shutterstock's customer support directly. If the renewal happened recently and you haven't used any download credits, they may issue a refund as a courtesy.
Step 4. Take screenshots of your dashboard showing zero downloads during the billing period or any cancellation errors.
Step 5. Reach out to your credit card company to open a dispute if customer support refuses to resolve an unauthorized charge.
💡 Need step-by-step phone scripts and ready-to-use dispute letters? Get the Pro Guide →

8. Frequently Asked Questions

Is STK* / SHUTTERSTOCK a scam?

No, this is the official billing descriptor for Shutterstock, Inc., a legitimate stock media platform. However, you should still check your account history to make sure the charge was authorized by you or someone with access to your card.

How do I stop future charges?

Log into your Shutterstock account, navigate to 'Plans and billing,' and turn off auto-renewal. Be sure to save the cancellation confirmation email as proof.

When should I call my bank?

Reach out to your card issuer immediately if nobody in your home or business authorized the charge, or if Shutterstock continues to bill you after you successfully canceled.

9. Related Articles

adobe cccanvawp wordpress woocommerce

10. Stop unrecognized billing and get your money back

ChargeDecode Pro Refund Guide

Get step-by-step phone scripts for calling your bank, ready-to-use email templates to send directly to support teams, and an evidence checklist to ensure your dispute gets approved.

$19.99Download Now

Privacy & rights note: ChargeDecode is an independent consumer-help research site. We do not store card numbers, bank logins, or personal banking data. We are not licensed lawyers, financial planners, or your bank, and this page is not legal or financial advice. Your refund and dispute rights depend on your issuer, location, timing, card network rules, and evidence; in the U.S., FCBA billing-error rights may be relevant for eligible credit-card disputes. Always verify charges directly with your card issuer and the merchant.

📝 Report an error