If you have eaten out recently, there is a good chance you have seen a charge starting with TST on your credit card or bank statement, such as “TST JOE’S PIZZA” or “TSTBLUE MOON CAFE.” The prefix confuses many people because it does not obviously belong to any business. In reality, it is simple: TST indicates that the merchant uses Toast, a popular point-of-sale and payment system for restaurants. This guide explains what TST* means, why the amount can change, how to identify the restaurant and what to do if you do not recognize the charge.
What does TST* mean?
TST is the billing prefix used by Toast, Inc., a company that provides point-of-sale systems, payment processing and online ordering for restaurants, cafés, bars, bakeries, food trucks and other food and drink businesses. When a business processes your card through Toast, your statement shows TST followed by the business name, and sometimes a location or phone number.
So *TST is not the merchant**. It is the payment technology the merchant uses. The name after the asterisk is the business you paid.
Examples of TST* charges
| Statement text | What it means |
|---|---|
| TST* GREEN LEAF CAFE | You paid Green Leaf Café, which uses Toast |
| TST*SUNSET TACOS 1234 | Sunset Tacos, location or terminal number 1234 |
| TST* ROSIES BAKERY BOSTON MA | Rosie’s Bakery in Boston |
| TST* THE CORNER BAR | A bar using Toast |
| TST* ONLINE ORDER | Possibly an online or app order through Toast |
Why your TST* charge amount changed
Restaurant charges often change between pending and posted:
- Tips added after authorization. When you sign the receipt or add a tip on the tablet, the restaurant authorizes the bill first and adds the tip later.
- Estimated tip holds. Some systems pre-authorize a little extra to allow for a typical tip.
- Bar tabs. Bars may open a tab with a hold and settle the final amount at closing.
- Online orders. Delivery or pickup orders may include fees and tips adjusted after preparation.
This is normal. The posted amount should match your final receipt including tip. For more on this pattern, see what pre-authorization means on a debit card and how long a pending transaction takes to clear.
How to identify a TST* charge
- *Read the name after TST.** It is usually the restaurant’s name, sometimes abbreviated or using the legal business name.
- Look at the date. Think back to where you ate or ordered.
- Search the name and city online. This usually brings up the restaurant.
- Check email and texts. Toast sends digital receipts if you entered your email or phone number, and online orders always send confirmations.
- Check your banking app’s details, which may show the restaurant’s address and logo.
- Ask whoever you dined with. A friend may have used your card to split a bill.
If none of these work, read our broader guide on how to find out who charged your card.
TST* vs other payment processor prefixes
| Prefix | Payment company | Typical businesses |
|---|---|---|
| TST* | Toast | Restaurants, cafés, bars |
| SQ * | Square | Small shops, cafés, markets, services |
| CLV* or CLOVER | Clover | Retail and restaurants |
| SP * | Shopify | Online stores |
| PAYPAL * | PayPal | Online payments |
| LS* or LIGHTSPEED | Lightspeed | Retail and hospitality |
Is a TST* charge ever fraud?
Most TST* charges are legitimate restaurant purchases. Signs of a problem include:
- A restaurant in a city you have not visited
- Several TST* charges on the same day you did not make
- A tip that is much higher than what you wrote or selected
- A charge after you paid in cash
What to do
- Wrong tip or amount: Call the restaurant first. They can usually correct it quickly by checking the signed receipt or tablet entry.
- Double charge: Ask the restaurant to void the duplicate. If it still posts, dispute it with your bank.
- Unrecognized charge: Lock your card, contact your bank and follow what to do if you see an unknown charge.
Tips for avoiding TST* confusion
- Ask for a digital receipt by email or text so you can match charges later.
- Keep a photo of the signed receipt when you add a tip.
- Check your banking app the next day to confirm the final amount.
- Use transaction alerts.
- When splitting bills, note who paid with which card.
Real examples
The tip adjustment. Daniel’s pending charge at “TST* HARBOR GRILL” showed $62.40. Two days later it posted as $74.88 after his 20 percent tip was added. That matched his receipt.
The legal name. Priya did not recognize “TST* GRL HOLDINGS LLC.” Searching the name showed it was the legal company behind a burger restaurant she visited on Friday.
The bar tab. Chris saw a $50 pending TST* charge from a bar he visited. The final amount, $38, posted the next day after the hold for the open tab was released.
Frequently asked questions
What does TST* stand for?
TST* stands for Toast, the restaurant payment and point-of-sale company. The name after it is the business you paid.
Is Toast a legitimate company?
Yes. Toast, Inc. is a well-known publicly traded technology company that provides payment systems to restaurants.
Why does my TST* charge show a different amount?
Tips, holds and final adjustments are added after the initial authorization.
Can I dispute a TST* charge?
Yes. Contact the restaurant first. If unresolved, dispute it with your card issuer like any other charge. See how to dispute a charge with your bank.
Why don’t I see the restaurant’s name?
Some restaurants bill under a legal or parent company name. Search the text after TST* along with your city.
How Toast payments work behind the scenes
When you pay at a restaurant that uses Toast, the server or cashier runs your card on a Toast terminal or handheld device. Toast’s payment processing sends the authorization to your card issuer through the card network. At the end of the business day, the restaurant closes out its batch, which finalizes all the day’s transactions including tips. Toast then deposits the money into the restaurant’s bank account, minus processing fees.
This is why the name on your statement includes the TST* prefix: Toast is acting as the payment facilitator, and the descriptor tells your bank that Toast processed the payment on behalf of the restaurant. Many small and mid-sized restaurants use Toast because it combines ordering, kitchen display, payroll and payments in one system.
Online and delivery orders through Toast
Many restaurants also use Toast for their own online ordering websites and apps. When you order pickup or delivery directly from a restaurant’s website, the charge may still show TST* followed by the restaurant name, or sometimes a slightly different descriptor for online orders. Online orders often include:
- Service or convenience fees set by the restaurant
- Delivery fees if the restaurant offers delivery
- Tips you added at checkout
- Taxes
If you ordered through a third-party delivery app instead, such as a food delivery marketplace, you will usually see that app’s name on your statement rather than TST*.
TST* charges and rewards
Because Toast is a restaurant platform, TST charges are usually coded with a restaurant merchant category code. That means credit cards that earn bonus rewards on dining typically count TST purchases as restaurant spending. If your card’s dining rewards did not apply, check whether the business is classified differently, such as a grocery store or bakery, which some card issuers categorize separately.
Keeping track of restaurant spending
Restaurant charges add up quickly, and the TST prefix makes them easy to spot. If you want to monitor dining spending, search your statement or banking app for “TST” to pull up most of your restaurant purchases in one list. Combining that with searches for “SQ *” and other processor prefixes gives you a fast view of how much you spend eating out each month.
What to say when calling a restaurant about a TST* charge
If a TST charge looks wrong, a quick, friendly call usually fixes it. Have the date, time and amount ready and say something like: “Hi, I dined with you on [date] and my card shows a charge of [amount] from TST [name]. My receipt shows [amount]. Could you check the transaction and correct it?” Restaurants using Toast can look up the transaction, see any tip adjustments and issue a refund or correction directly from their system, often within minutes. Ask them to email you a corrected receipt for your records, and check your statement a few days later to make sure the fix has posted.
The bottom line
TST on your credit card statement means you paid a restaurant or food business that uses Toast. The name after TST is the actual business. Amounts may change because of tips and holds. Identify the charge using the name, date and city, and contact the restaurant or your bank if something looks wrong. For other confusing descriptors, see ACH credit and card not present.