If you noticed a “Visa provisioning charge” on your recent statement, you might be worried that your credit card information has been stolen. This is a common fear for individuals who recently opened a bank account without an SSN or ITIN and have a new credit card.
Well, the good news is that in most cases, this is not a sign that your information has been stolen. Instead, it means that your credit card has been tested… we’ll explain more below.
Importantly, Visa isn’t the only credit card provider to do something like this. Other major credit cards have their own provisioning methods as well, including Mastercards and other US credit cards like American Express cards for non-US residents.
In this article, we’ll be taking a look at the Visa provisioning charge and sharing everything you need to know.
Feel free to use the table of contents to jump ahead to the sections most relevant to you.
Table of Contents
- What Is a Visa Provisioning Charge?
- Visa Provision Authorization
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Ready to Open Accounts With Banks in the USA?
What Is a Visa Provisioning Charge?
Visa provisioning charge is a zero-dollar verification fee that Visa uses to confirm cardholder information. In other words, it is a $0 assessment that gets charged to the credit card in order to confirm that the cardholder information provided is accurate. This protects the cardholder from their card being used fraudulently.
Furthermore, Visa provisioning charges are not permanent. In most cases, these charges are removed from your transaction records within one to two weeks. As a result, most consumers never notice them, since they are removed from the billing history before most monthly statements are released.
Alternatively, if you seeking information on a particular credit card, such as the best credit card for contractors, you’re in luck. We share everything you need to know in our free guide linked above.
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Visa Provision Authorization
As mentioned, a Visa provision charge is an essential authorization that confirms the cardholder’s information before a charge is fully completed. This helps to ensure that the card information is correct and an invalid charge is not run against the card.
Another important factor to consider when acquiring a credit card is the fact that not all credit cards are accepted everywhere and some credit cards can’t be used for specific transactions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below are two of the most common questions that we receive from people in regard to visa provisioning charges. If you have further questions you would like answered, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us directly.
What Are Visa Provisions?
Visa provisions are assessments that are “charged” against a consumer’s card. In short, they are used by online merchants to confirm that a credit card and the information provided is valid. These provisions result in a $0.00 charge being levied against an account and are commonly used by large online merchants like Apple or Netflix.
Is Provisioning Service Safe?
Yes, Visa provisioning service is a standard service that large online merchants use to confirm credit card information and cardholder identity. In fact, they act as a standard process for protecting cardholders from fraudulent use of their credit cards.
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