An FSI Verizon charge on your bank or credit card statement is almost always a $3.50 convenience fee for paying a Verizon bill with a card through BillMatrix, a third-party payment processor owned by Fiserv. “FSI” is short for Fiserv and “BMC” stands for BillMatrix Corporation, which is why the full descriptor usually reads “FSI*VERIZON+BMC” followed by the amount and a phone number, commonly 1-800-345-6563.1800Notes. Phone Number Lookup for 1-800-345-6563 If the amount matches a recent Verizon payment you made with a card, the charge is legitimate. If it doesn’t, treat it as a possible unauthorized transaction and dispute it.
Where the Fee Comes From
Verizon routes certain one-time credit and debit card payments through BillMatrix, a Dallas-based processor Fiserv acquired in 2005.2Fiserv. Fiserv Inc Completes Acquisition of BillMatrix Corp The $3.50 charge dates back to at least September 2010, when Verizon began charging FiOS customers that amount for online card payments and told customers it was moving to “a new vendor to process credit/debit/ATM transactions.”3Fierce Network. Verizon FiOS Customers Faced $3.50 Online Credit Card Payment Fee The fee is tied to the payment channel, not the account, so you’ll see it only when a payment runs through the third-party processor.
How To Stop Seeing It
Verizon doesn’t charge a convenience fee when you pay through its own channels. Payments made in the My Verizon app, on verizon.com, at a Verizon store, or by dialing #PMT from a Verizon mobile phone are free.4Verizon. Pay Bill FAQs
Enrolling in Auto Pay with a bank account or the Verizon Visa Card avoids the processing fee and qualifies the account for a monthly per-line discount.5Verizon. Auto Pay FAQs Customers who signed up for the Auto Pay discount using a debit card before February 14, 2024, keep their discount eligibility, but new enrollees must use a bank account or the Verizon Visa Card to qualify.
When the Charge Doesn’t Look Right
Not every FSI*VERIZON charge is a routine fee. Users on complaint forums have reported charges under this descriptor well above $3.50, including amounts of $253, $503, $515, $522, and $1,300, in some cases without any active Verizon account or after already paying the bill another way. Commenters have also linked the 1-800-345-6563 number to phishing emails directing recipients to pay bills through a fraudulent third-party site.1800Notes. Phone Number Lookup for 1-800-345-6563
A small, unexplained charge from an unfamiliar merchant can also be a sign of card-testing fraud, where someone uses a stolen card number for a low-value transaction to confirm the card works before attempting larger purchases. The telltale pattern is a small charge followed within days by larger unauthorized ones.6Stripe. What Is Card Testing Fraud
A few quick checks will tell you which situation you’re in. Does the amount match a recent Verizon bill payment made with a card? Did anyone else on the account make a payment? Is the date close to a bill you paid through a different method? If none of those line up, treat the charge as unauthorized.
How To Dispute an Unauthorized Charge
If the charge isn’t yours, a few steps will protect the account and get your money back.
Start by checking with anyone who shares the account, since Verizon suggests confirming that no one in the household made the payment before reporting it as fraud.7Verizon. Account Security Overview
Call your bank or card issuer next. For unauthorized charges on a credit card or bank statement, Verizon’s own security page tells customers to “contact your bank directly” to dispute the charge, and a chargeback is usually the fastest route to a refund.7Verizon. Account Security Overview If you suspect your card number was stolen, ask the issuer for a replacement card so further charges can’t go through.
Contact Verizon if you think your account itself has been compromised. The fraud reporting line is 888-483-7200, and general customer service is at 1-800-922-0204 or *611 from a Verizon phone.7Verizon. Account Security Overview4Verizon. Pay Bill FAQs
You can also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov, which Verizon points customers to for cramming and other unauthorized charges.8Verizon. Slamming and Cramming