ESTA scam: what to do if you paid more than $40?

What is ESTA and what is the official cost?

• The ESTA authorization stands for Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Launched in 2007, it requires all travelers flying or sailing to the United States to complete a form on the official ESTA website. The fee is $40 per person as of September 30, 2025.
• Here’s the catch: several companies have created websites that look nearly identical to the official ESTA site and offer to fill out the form for you—at inflated prices. One member of our Destination New York Facebook group paid €79 for their ESTA. In October 2025, another traveler reported paying $139 per application.

What to do if you paid more than the official $40

• I hear regularly from visitors who fell for this scam. Pressed for time or not paying close attention, they used one of these fake official sites and paid well above the $40 fee.
• What’s your best move? First, know this: disputing the charge with your bank is risky. Yes, the fake site overcharged you, but it did submit your ESTA application and paid the official $40 fee on your behalf. Your ESTA is valid. If you dispute the charge, the site could retaliate or worse—modify your ESTA to make it invalid.
• The better approach, used successfully by several site visitors, is to email the site firmly and request a refund. Make a strong case: explain that you were misled by a site mimicking the official one, that you believed you were using the genuine U.S. government portal, and that the charge far exceeds the official ESTA price. A note mentioning that you’ll report the deception to U.S. authorities if they don’t refund you can help.

A refund success story

• Think it’s impossible to get your money back from these fake sites? Consider Ghislaine, a member of our Destination New York Facebook group.
• Without paying attention, Ghislaine landed on a site that mimicked the official one. She didn’t suspect anything because Google had directed her there. She ended up paying $104 per ESTA—$208 total for two people. Realizing her mistake too late, she sent a firm email to the site requesting a refund. Within days, they approved it.

Is an ESTA obtained from a fake site valid?

Fake ESTA sites work by charging double or triple the official fee. But here’s the thing: your ESTA is still valid. Two important points:

• If you don’t get a refund, you can still use your ESTA. I recommend verifying it on the official site first. Here’s how to check if your ESTA is valid.
• If you do get a refund, apply again through the official site. The fake site may cancel your ESTA payment on their end, leaving you with an invalid authorization.

Either way, avoid these fake sites entirely and use only the official ESTA portal. Your ESTA is too important to trust to shadowy websites with unknown data practices—especially when they have your name, address, and passport number. Please share this article and spread the word: if no one falls for these scams, they’ll shut down.