diff --git a/api/paidAction/downZap.js b/api/paidAction/downZap.js
index e6b82be2..968f822e 100644
--- a/api/paidAction/downZap.js
+++ b/api/paidAction/downZap.js
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export async function onPaid ({ invoice, actId }, { tx }) {
   // denormalize downzaps
   await tx.$executeRaw`
     WITH territory AS (
-      SELECT COALESCE(r."subName", i."subName", 'meta')::TEXT as "subName"
+      SELECT COALESCE(r."subName", i."subName", 'meta')::CITEXT as "subName"
       FROM "Item" i
       LEFT JOIN "Item" r ON r.id = i."rootId"
       WHERE i.id = ${itemAct.itemId}::INTEGER
diff --git a/api/paidAction/zap.js b/api/paidAction/zap.js
index dea0d057..66b4d6a0 100644
--- a/api/paidAction/zap.js
+++ b/api/paidAction/zap.js
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export async function onPaid ({ invoice, actIds }, { tx }) {
   // NOTE: for the rows that might be updated by a concurrent zap, we use UPDATE for implicit locking
   await tx.$queryRaw`
     WITH territory AS (
-      SELECT COALESCE(r."subName", i."subName", 'meta')::TEXT as "subName"
+      SELECT COALESCE(r."subName", i."subName", 'meta')::CITEXT as "subName"
       FROM "Item" i
       LEFT JOIN "Item" r ON r.id = i."rootId"
       WHERE i.id = ${itemAct.itemId}::INTEGER