America’s top renowned book store, Barnes and Noble was in the news earlier in 2021, when they acquired another prominent stationary, Paper Source, and now they are in the news again because of unexplained charges described as Barnes and Noble paper source on many credit card holder’s bills nationwide. However, many such charges after being investigated turn out to be because of some forgotten subscriptions, memberships and purchases, but still, a detailed verification is always required to ascertain the charge’s nature.
While researching I bumped into someone who has a strange story to tell, wherein a Barnes and Noble customer disputed a $67 charge on his credit card because he didn’t receive his Barnes & Noble package. It was either stolen or delivered to the wrong address. Barnes & Noble refused to take any action and, since Barnes & Noble wouldn’t help their customer, he disputed the charge with the credit card company and won and later Barnes & Noble has blocked him and he is not allowed to even make an e-book purchase.
How could you identify the nature of this charge, I have explained in this guide, later if you ascertain that the charge is legit, it’s good but if it turns out to be illegal, the procedure to take further is explained below along with the scenarios where you could be charged from Barnes and Noble company, understand the cases and verify with your purchase history easily with the help of this guide.
What Are Barnes And Noble Paper Source Charges?
The charges descriptive as Barnes and Noble Paper Source on your credit card bill or bank statement most refers towards a purchase from Barnes & Noble. Below is a breakdown;
- Barnes & Noble: It’s a well-known bookstore chain in the U.S that sells books, magazines, music, DVDs, toys, games, and gifts. They also have many offline stores along with a strong online presence.
- Paper Source: This is a retailer that mainly specializes in high-quality paper products, stationery, greeting cards, and unique gifts. They also have many offline stores and online stores.
What Does Barnes And Noble Paper Source Charges Indicate?
This charge on your credit card statement typically indicates a transaction with Barnes & Noble Paper Source.
This charge will reflect if you made a purchase that included products from both retailers, implying the recent acquisition of Paper Source by Barnes & Noble’s parent company. Also, it represents a combined billing system or cross-promotional sale where some products or services from Paper Source are available at Barnes & Noble stores or online.
It was highly in the news as it was a notable acquisition involving these companies. In March 2021, when Paper Source filed for bankruptcy in May 2021, Barnes & Noble’s owner, Elliott Management, promptly acquired Paper Source in anticipation of strengthening the position of both brands in the retail market which allows numerous potential cross-promotional opportunities and also the shared resources.
This clearly explains why you are seeing a combined charge with the names of both entities on your credit card statement which is confusing you.
Uncovering The Possibilities For Barnes And Noble Paper Source
There could be some scenarios for these charges to incur on your credit card bill, I have explained some of them below, read and try to relate;
- Authorization Hold – It happens in your account after you have placed an order, you might confuse it with that you have been charged twice for your order, but it’s an authorization from your card issuer, and the funds held are released back to you shortly, but the exact time frames vary on card issuers. It’s a general standard industry practice adopted by financial institutions to ascertain the funds are available for the transaction, wherein a temporary hold is placed on your card for the full amount of the order. After your order has been shipped, you will then see the amount of the shipment charged to your card and the money has been deducted from your account. If your order contains multiple items and is shipped in multiple packages, you are most likely to see multiple charges, eventually adding up to the total amount of your order.
- B&N Gift Card payment authorization generally holds for 24 hours, except when you have paid for pre-ordered items. In the case of Gift Cards used to pay for pre-ordered items, the authorization hold will remain on the funds until the item has been shipped or downloaded and then the funds will be deducted from the Gift Card. If you cancel the order, before the item has been shipped or downloaded, the authorization hold will be released, and the funds are reversed to the Gift Card.
See the scenarios, where you might have accessed Barnes and Noble paper Source services or purchased a product;
- You might have subscribed to a service that offers access to Barnes & Noble Paper Source products, that offers monthly deliveries of books and stationery items. The charge in this case will represent a monthly subscription fee for a service, including a new book each month from Barnes & Noble and stationery items like a monthly planner from Paper Source.
- Charges could be for buying physical books, eBooks, audiobooks, and magazines.
- Annual fees for the Barnes & Noble Membership program, which provides discounts, free shipping, and other benefits.
- Purchases related to Nook eReaders which include eBooks and subscriptions.
- Charges for food and beverages purchased at Barnes & Noble Cafe.
- Fees if you have attended in-store events, book signings, or workshops.
- Charges for purchases of specialty paper, greeting cards, journals, and other stationery items.
- Fees if you have attended crafting workshops, such as calligraphy, card making, or DIY projects.
- Charges for some custom printed items which include wedding invitations, personalized stationery, and business cards.
- Monthly or quarterly subscription boxes including the curated Paper Source products.
- Charges for the purchase of Paper Source gift cards.
- Charges for a professional gift wrapping service are offered in-store.
- Barnes and Noble Gift Card
Check if you have purchased a Barnes and Noble gift card in-store or online as the charge on your credit card statement labeled as Barnes and Noble also means this purchase.
To pay for the gift card itself, you might have used your credit card and this will be later indicated on your statement as a separate transaction from any actual purchases made with the gift card.
The charge would reflect the amount you have loaded onto the gift card adding any applicable taxes or fees.
To check this, check your email or mail box as the Barnes and Noble gift card will be sent via email and will arrive at the recipient’s email address within hours.
Paper Source gift cards can easily be redeemed at any Paper Source, Barnes & Noble, Bookstar, B. Dalton Bookseller or Barnes & Noble College stores nationwide, as well as at papersource.com and bn.com, check if it has been delivered and misused as their gift cards are not returnable and you cannot redeem them for cash.
In another important scenario, the purchase amounts that have exceeded the value of the Gift Card will then require an additional payment for the amount remaining, which will then be deducted from your credit card and will show as a separate entry, as Barner and Noble Paper Source charge.
- Barnes and Noble MasterCard
- Barnes and Noble also offer Mastercards, which are issued and administered by Barclays Bank Delaware (Barclays), located in Wilmington, Delaware. Check if you have used this Barnes & Noble MasterCard for a purchase. The charge description on your credit card will be as Barnes and Noble which most likely represents a transaction made using that particular store-branded credit card. Check your recent purchase history, if you bought books, stationery, or other items at a Barnes & Noble store or online and paid with your Barnes & Noble MasterCard. This charge would reflect the total amount of your purchase adding any applicable taxes.
- If you are definitely not relating to any such scenario for a charge labeled Barnes and Noble, on your credit card bill for an amount that you don’t recognize and you have reviewed your recent transactions for any purchases you made at Barnes & Noble. This situation directly indicates unauthorized use of your card, where someone else might have used your credit card to make a purchase without your consent. It could also be the result of stolen credit card details or fraudulent activity.
How Could Barnes And Noble Paper Source Charge Appear On Your Credit Card
Merchants to fulfill the name conventions as per the guidance from local authorities use various different descriptions for different purchases. This depends upon the merchant, type of transaction, services used, location and the payment processing method used.
- BARNES & NOBLE MASTER 1234-XXXX-XXXX-5678
- B&N GIFT CARD PURCHASE 4321-XXXX-XXXX-8765
- BARNES & NOBLE BOOKS 3456-XXXX-XXXX-7890
- B&N SHOPPING 6789-XXXX-XXXX-1234
- B&N STORE CHARGE 8901-XXXX-XXXX-2345
- BARNES & NOBLE ONLINE 1234-XXXX-XXXX-6789
- B&N MASTER CARD 5678-XXXX-XXXX-9012
- BARNES & NOBLE SUBSCRIPTION 9876-XXXX-XXXX-5432
- B&N PURCHASE 4321-XXXX-XXXX-0987
- BARNES & NOBLE ITEM 5432-XXXX-XXXX-2109
- B&N PAYMENTS 6789-XXXX-XXXX-3456
- BARNES & NOBLE RECHARGE 7890-XXXX-XXXX-4567
- B&N CARD USAGE 8901-XXXX-XXXX-5678
- B&N ONLINE TRANS 9012-XXXX-XXXX-6789
- BARNES & NOBLE ORDER 1234-XXXX-XXXX-7890
- B&N WEB PURCHASE 2345-XXXX-XXXX-8901
- BARNES & NOBLE SALE 3456-XXXX-XXXX-9012
- B&N CHARGE 4567-XXXX-XXXX-0123
- BARNES & NOBLE TRANS 5678-XXXX-XXXX-1234
- B&N PURCHASE 6789-XXXX-XXXX-2345
Verify The Barnes and Noble Paper Source Charge – Is It Legitimate
You must verify the charge and it’s just in case of any unapproved transaction;
- Check and verify the charges with your recent purchase history.
- Check your subscriptions or memberships, specifically for Barnes and Noble, and check when they start and what’s the cost.
Taking The Security Measures
If you are clearly unclear about the charges, you must take the measures mentioned below;
Contact Barnes and Noble
- You must reach out to Barnes and Noble, only trusting the contact details mentioned on their official website and try to ask for an explanation for any purchases showing the charge on your credit card. Make sure you don’t provide any bank details or card information.
If a credit card or debit card issuer levies a charge or fee because of some unexplained or unauthorized use of your credit card or debit card on Barnes & Noble site, then Barnes and Noble will reimburse you for such an amount up to $50.00. Try reaching out to their customer service for details as soon as possible.
Contact Bank Or Credit Card Issuer
- Immediately contact your card company or the bank and request them to block your credit card to avoid any further unauthorized transactions.
- Trust only the details mentioned on the pertinent card or the issuer’s website, do not rely on any other sources.
You must know that Under federal law, any credit card issuer cannot make you liable for charges in excess of $50.00 that are resulted because of an unauthorized use of your credit card. There are also similar federal laws for debit cards. However, exceptions do apply, and make sure you completely comply with the rules of your credit card or debit card issuer.
Apply The Safety Measures;
- Regularly review your bank statements for any unfamiliar transactions.
- Make sure the additional security measures offered by your bank for online transactions are enabled.
- Check if your computer and mobile devices are protected with the latest antivirus and anti-malware software.
- Never ever share your bank account details even if more than necessary, especially online or over the phone.
- Request and enable notifications for transactions above a certain threshold to quickly detect any unusual activity.
Conclusion
We often know the merchants with their popular brand names but the names they are registered with are mainly used for transactions and billing purposes and I believe most of you didn’t have any idea about the Barnes and Noble acquiring Paper source, and when you saw the charges with both names, your heart rate doubled, but it’s likely to be a purchase you made.
It’s highly recommended that you trust only reliable sources to know about such instances and never trust any website that might ask for your card or bank or subscription details, this would only increase the complications for you, the only reliable sources are your bank or the credit card issuer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Barnes And Noble Paper Source?
Paper Source is an American stationery and gift retailer based in Chicago, Illinois, that offers papers, custom invitations and announcements, gifts, greeting cards, gift wrap, paper craft kits, party supplies, and personalized stationery and stamps.
Does Paper Source Address Envelopes?
Recipient addressing is a service Paper Source provides by digitally printing a list of mailing addresses onto the front of envelopes which replaces the need to handwrite individual addresses. Additionally they also print a return address on the envelope flap.
Can I Stop Unauthorized Charges?
If you notice any unauthorized charges on your credit card, contact your bank right away. To limit your liability, it is important to notify the bank promptly upon discovering any unauthorized charge(s). You may notify the bank in person, by telephone, or in writing.
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