First Billing Services

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First Billing Services is a payment processing and electronic billing provider that handles online and phone payments—often for utilities, municipal governments, and similar billers. A charge labeled “FBS FEE” typically represents a convenience or service fee associated with paying one of these bills by card or e‑check.

Dayton, Ohio, United States
firstbilling.com
Owned by Paya Holdings

About First Billing Services

First Billing Services (often abbreviated as FBS) is a U.S.-based electronic bill presentment and payment processor that provides web, mobile, IVR, and live-agent payment solutions. The company works primarily with utilities, municipal governments, and other service providers to accept customer payments by credit/debit card, ACH, and other methods, and to manage recurring billing, notifications, and customer portals. It was acquired by Paya, a payments company, and continues to operate as a specialized billing and payments platform within that group.

On card statements, a descriptor like “FBS FEE SCOTTSDALE AZ” usually refers not to the underlying utility or city department itself, but to a **service or convenience fee** charged by First Billing Services when you paid a bill (for example, a water, sewer, trash, court, or other municipal/utility invoice) through their online portal, phone system, or an agent. Many of their municipal contracts explicitly describe a separate “First Billing Service Fee” or “FBS fee” that is collected on each card or electronic payment. This fee may appear as a separate line item from the primary bill amount, and the descriptor city (here, Scottsdale, AZ) can reflect where the processor’s operations or merchant account is registered, not the location of your local utility or government agency.

If you’re unsure about an FBS FEE charge, start by checking which bills you recently paid online or by phone—especially city or county utilities, court fines, or other government/utility bills. You can usually confirm the fee by looking at the original payment confirmation email or receipt from the utility or agency, which often itemizes the convenience fee and may reference First Billing Services or FBS by name. To resolve questions, you can contact First Billing Services customer support (listed on their payment portal pages) with your card details and transaction date, or contact the utility/agency you paid; both can look up the transaction in their systems. If you do not recognize the underlying bill and cannot match it to any account in your household, you should contact your card issuer to dispute the charge or request a replacement card as appropriate.

Bank Statement Variations

1 known variations

These are the raw merchant codes that appear on bank and credit card statements that we've identified as belonging to First Billing Services.

  1. FBS FEE SCOTTSDALE AZ

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the “FBS FEE SCOTTSDALE AZ” charge on my card statement?

This descriptor normally refers to a convenience or service fee collected by First Billing Services when you paid a bill—most often a utility, municipal, or similar government-related bill—through their online, phone, or agent-assisted payment system. The core bill (for water, trash, court, etc.) may appear as a separate line item, while the FBS FEE line reflects the payment-processing fee.

Which types of bills commonly result in a First Billing Services (FBS) fee?

FBS primarily serves utilities and municipal or local government entities. You’ll most often see an FBS fee when you pay water, sewer, trash, electricity, or city/county bills (including some court or citation payments) by card or e‑check using the agency’s online or phone payment system powered by First Billing Services.

Why is the FBS fee a separate charge from my utility or city bill?

Many utilities and municipalities contract with First Billing Services to assess a separate convenience fee for electronic payments instead of embedding it in the bill amount. As a result, your statement may show one line for the bill itself (in the name of the utility or city) and a second line such as “FBS FEE SCOTTSDALE AZ” that represents the payment-processing fee retained by FBS.

How much does First Billing Services typically charge as a convenience fee?

The exact FBS fee depends on the contract with the specific utility or government agency and may be a flat dollar amount, a percentage of the payment, or a combination of both. The amount should be disclosed on the payment page or your confirmation screen before you complete the transaction, and it is often labeled as a "First Billing Service Fee" or similar line item on the receipt.

How can I verify that an FBS fee charge is legitimate?

Compare the date and amount of the FBS FEE charge to any recent online or phone payments you made to utilities or local government agencies. Check your emailed or printed receipt, which typically lists a convenience fee along with the payment total and may reference First Billing Services. If you still aren’t sure, contact the utility or agency’s billing office or reach out to First Billing Services support via the customer portal listed on firstbilling.com and ask them to look up the transaction using your card’s last four digits and payment date.

How do I get a refund of an FBS fee if my bill payment was cancelled or made in error?

Refund policies for FBS fees are dictated by the agreement between First Billing Services and the utility or government agency. In many cases, the convenience fee is non‑refundable even if the underlying bill is adjusted. Your best course is to contact the utility or agency that you attempted to pay and request that they review the transaction; they can coordinate with First Billing Services if a fee reversal is allowed under their policy.

How can I avoid future FBS fee charges on my bills?

To avoid FBS convenience fees, check whether your utility or municipality offers no‑fee alternatives such as mailing a check, using bank bill‑pay, setting up ACH auto‑draft, or paying in person at a local office. Many entities only assess an FBS fee when you pay with a credit/debit card or certain online channels, so choosing a different payment method may prevent additional FBS FEE transactions.

What should I do if I don’t recognize any bill related to an FBS FEE charge?

First, confirm with everyone in your household or business who might have paid a bill using your card. If no one recognizes the transaction and you cannot match it to any utility or municipal account, contact your card issuer immediately to report a potentially unauthorized charge. You can also reach out to First Billing Services or the suspected utility for more details, but your card issuer should guide you on disputing the charge and, if needed, issuing a new card.

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