VISDSNB is listed on my credit report - What should I do?

Submitted by Karazzy on Sat, 02/10/2007 - 05:03
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VISDSNB is related to Macy's credit card, which was previously associated with Federated Department Stores, Inc. VIS is the short form for VISA and DSNB is the short form for Departmental Store National Bank. Thus, VISDSNB stands for Visa Departmental Store National Bank.

If you have applied for a credit card with Visa Departmental Store National Bank, you'll find a VISDSNB listing on your credit report. These department store card issuers offer reward programs where customers can gain points on purchases. These points can then be exchanged for rewards. However, to qualify for best rewards, you will have to spend thousands of dollars at these stores.

Like most Visa and Mastercard store cards, these cards can be used at other retailers.

What to do if VISDSNB shows up on your credit report

If you did not apply for a VISDSNB credit card and it is listed on your credit report, you can dispute the item. There are two ways you can do this.

  1. Validate and dispute with credit bureaus - First, send a debt validation letter to VISDSNB via fax or certified mail. If they fail to validate the debt, you can send dispute letters to the bureaus and have them investigate further.
  2. Dispute with VISDSNB - You can directly dispute the incorrect listing on your credit report by calling VSDSNB at 1-800-668-7196. However, if it's Macy's credit card, you can call 1-800-830-3087 or 1-866-593-2543 to request that they close down the account.

Other than Macy's, VISDSNB issues cards through other department stores like Bloomingdale's and Strawbridge's.

If you have an account with Visa Departmental Store National Bank and the account has been handed over to collections, you can do the following:

  1. Know your rights: It is very important to know your rights as a debtor. Check out the rules on debt collections outlined by Fair Debt Collections Practices Act (FDCPA). If the collection agency violates any of the rules, you can file a complaint with the Federal trade Commission (FTC) , and your State's Attorney General.
  2. Validate the debt: If you are not sure whether you owe money to the creditor you should ask them to validate the debt. Even if you know that you incurred the debt, you can ask for debt validation if you are confused about the outstanding debt amount. Send the debt validation letter via fax or certified mail.
  3. Get a written agreement: Once the debt is validated, get the payment agreement in writing. Also, keep the payment receipts as proof of your payments.
  4. Request a Pay For Delete: Once you make a payment agreement, negotiate a "Pay for delete" agreement (PFD) with the collector. If the collector agrees to a PFD, the negative listing will be removed from your credit report once the debt has been repaid. Send the PFD letter via fax or certified mail.

VIS stands for VISA and DSNB stands for Departmental Store National Bank. Therefore VISDSNB is Visa Departmental Store National Bank. Now if you have VISDSNB listed in your credit report, it means that you may have applied for a Departmental store credit card (VISDSNB credit card). If you have applied for a credit card in any of the departmental stores, e.g MACY's, then there may be a hard inquiry conducted in your credit report and so you may find the VISDSNB listing in your credit report.
Alternatively, you may also have outstanding debts on your existing VISA departmental store credit card.

However, if you have not applied for a credit card in any of the departmental stores, you should send a letter to the inquirer asking them to remove the hard inquiry listing from your report. As per the Fair Credit Reporting Act, only authorized hard inquiry must stay in your credit report and so you can remove any hard inquiry listings which you have not authorized.

If it is a outstanding debt listing, and you are sure you do not have a VISDSNB credit card, you can send a debt validation letter to the credit card company whose name and address appear in your report. If they cannot validate the debt within 30 days from the date of receiving your letter, send a dispute letter to the bureaus telling them that you do not agree with the listing. The bureaus will verify it with the credit card company and remove it from your report.

You can call them at the following numbers

Macy's credit card : 1-800-830-3087
other VISA departmental store cards :1-800-668-7196

Mon, 02/12/2007 - 23:46 Permalink
Rebecca (not verified)

I received the VISDSNB and after much reading, I know it was when I signed up for my Macy's card ... both of which I'm going to cancel.

My first question is what is FIA CSNA?

My second question is are you penalized (credit score) for canceling credit cards that have a zero balance and you no longer use?

Thanks!

Mon, 02/19/2007 - 18:27 Permalink
Stevie (not verified)

FIA CSNA is the credit card unit of the Bank of America. If you want to know more about FIA card service, you can visit the link FIA CSNA

VIS DSNB account is attached to your Macy's charge. Evidently when you apply for a Macy's charge card you automatically get a Macy's VISA too. Surprise Surprise. To close just the VISA account, call Macy's credit department and give them your Macy's charge account number and they can find the VISA account from there and just close it. Here is the number: 1-866-282-8697 (they will trasfer you). Hope this is helpful. Thanks to those who wrote and said this was connected with the Macy's account. It put me on the right track.

Tue, 03/06/2007 - 19:00 Permalink
John (not verified)

Same thing here. I was so glad this came up when I did a search tonight. My boyfriend and I are going thru his credit report and finding that his ex wife from 2 years ago opened an account after the divorce and it is on his credit. well it was showing up as Macy's being a 0 balance, but then had this VISDSNB under it with a large balance. I'm so glad we found this b/c we are searching everywhere trying to figure out what it could be. Thanks so much for posting this info. that's crazy that this company can just list themselves w/initials, no name or contact information. that's absurd. Thanks for all the advice though.

Thu, 04/05/2007 - 03:03 Permalink
Jenny (not verified)

FIACS used to be MBNA. MBNA used to handle a lot of accounts for banks and credit unions. After MBNA merged with Bank Of America, accounts having to do with another financial institution that belongs to Bank Of America would go under FIACS so the bank may keep their business with the other financial institutes.

Tue, 08/07/2007 - 17:14 Permalink

Thanks a lot for the information Jenny.

Wed, 08/08/2007 - 05:41 Permalink
Barbara masone (not verified)

what does VISDSNB stand for
please let me know??

Sat, 09/08/2007 - 20:14 Permalink

This is a VISA thrown in with MACY's express application. Check with your card issuer.

Mon, 09/10/2007 - 05:21 Permalink
Boone (not verified)

Thanks so much for the information! I greatly appreciate it!

Tue, 11/20/2007 - 19:42 Permalink

Hi Boone,

Its great to hear that you found the information useful.

Wed, 11/21/2007 - 07:26 Permalink
Ena23 (not verified)

VISDSNB stands for Visa Departmental Store National Bank. If it appears in your credit report, it means that you must has a debt on a credit card applied through VISDSNB.

Thu, 12/13/2007 - 22:35 Permalink

Hi Ena,

it will be great to see you on the forum :)

Fri, 12/14/2007 - 07:37 Permalink
lisa (not verified)

thanks for the phone # macy's visdsnb
would you happen to have the billing address or is the same as the reg macy's billing?

Fri, 01/11/2008 - 02:21 Permalink
Credit Guru (not verified)

Your credit scores will drop when you close the credit cards. Closed cards are worth nothing. Good accounts are worth anywhere from 20-60 points. Closing a good credit card is like credit suicide. It would be like pulling spark plus from your cards engine and wondering why you aren't driving as fast. Get educated. Don't listen to your peers, listen to somebody who actually know what they are talking about.

Tue, 02/05/2008 - 19:56 Permalink
Cookie (not verified)

I have the same problem and tried to find the information and your question came up. I want to cancel the credit card too :cry:

Tue, 02/12/2008 - 21:27 Permalink
briala (not verified)

The VIS stands for Visa and the DSNB is Department Stores National Bank. It's a visa that is attached to a Macy's or Bloomingdale's charge, but if it's Macy's, the account itself could have come from another retailer that has since merged with Macy's depending on the date the account was opened. The generic Macy's customer service number is 1-866-593-2543 and they can look up your account number if it does not appear in full on your credit report. I don't know the Bloomingdale's number, but I'm sure it's available from their website. It is true that when you apply for a Macy's or Bloomingdale's charge they will automatically apply you for a visa unless you opt out on the application. The visa's that they offer are a separate line of credit than your line of credit for in store purchases, which is why both lines show up separately on your credit report. It's also possible to close just the visa line of credit if you still wish to have your regular Macy's or Bloomingdale's card, but not vice-versa.

Tue, 02/19/2008 - 07:08 Permalink

MACYS FEDERATED DEPARTME 9111 DUKE BLVD
MASON , OH 45040

MACYS/DSNB 9111 DUKE BLVD
MASON, OH 45040 (800) 458-6229

MCYFDSB 9111 DUKE BLVD
MASON, OH 45040 (800) 243-6552

Hope thats gonna be helpfull

Sun, 02/24/2008 - 13:50 Permalink

MACYS/DSNB 9111 DUKE BLVD
MASON, OH 45040 (800) 458-6229

Actually thats the exact info you guys need

Sun, 02/24/2008 - 13:54 Permalink
Spicy (not verified)

I disagree with the above poster. While your credit score may initially drop, having open cards with high interest rates that you NEVER USE hurts you if you attempt to apply for a new, lower rate card. You will likely get a rejection because you have "too much" available credit for your income.

The Macy's situation is also different because, if you're like me, you never even RECEIVED the actual VISA card, it just appears on your credit report. It is not good personal security to have some outstanding VISA card you never technically remember applying for.

Tue, 02/26/2008 - 15:29 Permalink

I agree to some extent with Spicy here. Too much available credit poses a disadvantage while applying for new credit.

However if you are using a minimum of 25% of the available credit then it poses an added advantage. Closing down a card which is not doing any harm is dangerous for your credit. Keep in mind that you dont carry more than 4 cards.

Thu, 03/13/2008 - 06:07 Permalink
nyczxpsylocke (not verified)

Hey guys I have the address but had no idea what VISDSNB was!

Thanks for clearing it up guys.
The address is:
9111 Duke Blvd
Mason, OH 45040

Tue, 03/18/2008 - 01:10 Permalink

Thanks a lot for the information. We appreciate that you took time out to provide us with the information. Hope to see you around more often. :)

Tue, 03/18/2008 - 11:38 Permalink
Gina (not verified)

Even if these are small credit cards with a high interest rate. If you close them then wont they eventually go off of your credit report all together. I dont want my credit report to show how much I have borrowed in the last 7 years

Tue, 06/10/2008 - 00:02 Permalink

Wow, Uhh Guru that was a bit...intense... You should lighten up. PPL come here for help and advice not abuse.

Now....Rebecca,

Yes, it does hurt your credit score to cancel revolving accounts. The good thing is you can always open a new card. Granted the account will not be as old and you will have to rebuild your credit history but, such is life. Luckey for you this mistake can be fixed with time and research. Shop around for a CC with low intrest little to no annual fees and a good reputation for monthly reporting. Keep you balance below 30% of your credit limit and pay on time each month. Make sure you have a small balance on your account or you wont be earning any credit off the card.

Good Luck

Tue, 06/10/2008 - 01:30 Permalink

Yeah, I think you can start rebuilding your credit history with the new credit cards. But make sure that you make payments on time and don't spend more more than 30% of your credit limit. Try to pay monthly utility bills with these new cards to build a consistent credit history on the card.

Tue, 06/10/2008 - 11:14 Permalink
Joyce (not verified)

question for credit guru, I was always told, the more cr you have open..the lower your score.. (even if always pay on time.)..due to the fact,you have the capitality of getting in over your head in a hurry

Mon, 07/14/2008 - 12:57 Permalink

That depends on the on the status and the balance of the cards. If you keep the balance below 30%, then they will add to your score, making your payments on time and paying more than the minimum will increase your score.

Tue, 07/15/2008 - 02:23 Permalink

Hi Joyce
Your credit score depends on the amount in your credit card you have spend. If you have spend less than 30% of your credit card, then there is no reason why your credit score should decrease. This is because about 30% of your credit score depends on your amount owed. The lower the amount, the better the score.

Tue, 07/15/2008 - 11:28 Permalink
neicy (not verified)

I work for a credit bureau, for security purposes, I will not say which one, and the info I have seen here is mostly correct. visdsnb is macys and sometimes bloomingdales... the vis is visa, the ds is department store, and the nb is name brand...

as far as the closing credit cards goes there is some truth there... If you close good standing credit cards it can hurt you fo a little while, but if you have too many credit cards it is actually looked at by lenders as a negative. Lenders will see many credit cards as you have reached your spending limit, and tend not to lend to you. Also obviously applying for too much credit can be bad too.
I hope this info has been useful.

Fri, 08/29/2008 - 03:21 Permalink

Thanks for explaining this Neicy. So it would be better to close accounts that were newer and in good credit standing then to close older ones in good standing? We have four total accounts Discover, lowes, fashion Bug and Dell. I want to close the Dell and Fashion Bug when they are paid off and only have two. Is this a wise idea?

Fri, 08/29/2008 - 13:34 Permalink

Yes, I agree with you Neicy. Since the new credit cards do not have a credit history, it is better to close them down rather than closing the older ones on which you have been making purchases for long. These old credit cards add up to your credit score because credit history or the payment history constitutes about 35% in your score. Another thing is that the more your credit approaches the credit limit, the creditor finds it risky to lend you money because you have already an existing debt which you have not yet repaid.

Sat, 08/30/2008 - 10:24 Permalink

Good explanation Mary...but of course you are good at this.

Wed, 09/03/2008 - 01:25 Permalink
Better Credit Guru (not verified)

It is always better to close unnecessary accounts provided they are closed at the customer's request and in good standing at the time. Then follow-up with a letter to the three reporting agencies (equifax, trans union, and experian). It seems folks like Credit Guru have been advising too many people in our country. Seen the stock market lately? Thanks a lot for your help Credit Guru.

Thu, 10/16/2008 - 16:59 Permalink

What would you say in this letter to the credit bureau. I would actually like to close a couple accounts that we really don't need to have and get rid of the temptation of them. Do you simply explain that you are closing it at your own request and would like that displayed on your report. I would really be interested in this as I am going to pay off an account today, thanks.

Fri, 10/17/2008 - 11:36 Permalink
credit guy (not verified)

credit guru couldn't be more wrong. I check credit for a bank for a living. close unused cards. they count towards your DTI ratio, aka debt to income, because banks see them as potential debt you can draw on. additionally, if someone were to steal your identity, it provides them yet another account to tap. as long as you have a few credit accounts open and pay them on time, your score will be fine.

Tue, 12/30/2008 - 19:22 Permalink

I wondered this and remember asking the question before. It sounds like you could lose out either way. First if you close out an old card I hear that you could lose the credit history from that card. Meaning if you opened a card 5 years ago and have always been on time with payments and then wanted to close that card you could lose valuable credit history. Second, of you don't close the card it will be like you mentioned above...the open credit line could hurt you. I guess if you still had a couple cards that give good historyt you would be okay but the dilemma I always have is that we only have a couple cards and I wanted to go down to just one but do not want my score to drop if we close those accounts. What would be your suggestion?

Tue, 12/30/2008 - 19:36 Permalink
Dorothy (not verified)

A credit card has been issued in my name, and Equifax cannot tell me what the deal is. I have opened no new credit cards, and want to know how I can contact someone to get this removed from my credit report.

Thu, 02/19/2009 - 15:16 Permalink
swingdancer (not verified)

That stuff about Macy's is very helpful. Should have known it would be them...

Wed, 02/25/2009 - 05:29 Permalink

Hi Dorothy
I think that this is an instance of identity theft where somebody has opened a new credit card using your social security number and other sensitive information. Therefore you should immediately file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission to become a registered victim of identity theft. After filing the complaint with FTC, you should also notify it with the local police station and file a complain there.

Wed, 02/25/2009 - 12:43 Permalink
oldguy (not verified)

First.. thanks for the VSDSNB info.. googled here and it really helped.

This is about what credit guru posted.

I have a very long credit history. Using the rule of never close a good revolving account that credit guru pointed out, I have alot of old open accounts (more than 20) with 0 balances that I never use, some going back to the 80's.

The analysis that I got w/my score on the Myfico web site confirms that the my high debt/available is helping my score, but it also says the the high number of open accounts and high available credit is pushing it down.

Which is having the bigger effect?

Sat, 04/11/2009 - 15:51 Permalink

Hi Oldguy
The two most important factors that affect the FICO score is the credit history and the amounts owed factor. Now, if you have high unused balances on your credit cards, this means that the "amounts owed" factor that contributes 30% in your credit score, is low and so it will help you to improve your score. You may close down all open account if you have not used them because unused accounts do not play any role in your credit history.

Mon, 04/13/2009 - 09:01 Permalink
SteveMcG (not verified)

Notwithstanding the debate on whether an account should be opened or closed, can someone verify that when you do close an account it will still appear on your Credit Report for the next 10 years. On reviewing my credit report this appears to be the case.

Wed, 04/29/2009 - 16:16 Permalink

Hi Steven
If your account is still open (suppose you still use the credit card), then it may show in your credit report even after 10 years, because the account is in use and is still contributing to your credit history. But if you do not use the card or your account is closed normally (because you have already repaid the debt), then it may appear in your report for a maximum period of seven years. If it still appears in your report after 7 years, I think that you should dispute the listing with the bureaus in writing.

Thu, 04/30/2009 - 08:18 Permalink
Meri (not verified)

Thanks for information I needed.

Wed, 05/20/2009 - 19:00 Permalink
Kiti (not verified)

I haven't even activated my visa card, but I am billed for things that I don't know about... I was told to download the visa dispute form, but I can't find it on the web... can you tell me where I can find the form

Thu, 08/06/2009 - 17:19 Permalink

hi iamw8ing,
Can you give some more information on vsdsnb? I am not sure that people here will know what you are referring to. Please elaborate so that someone here can help you.

Thu, 11/05/2009 - 03:17 Permalink

Kiti, Have you tried to contact your atty general? This is one person who can really help. He or she knows all the rules and regulations. The person will call the company whom issued the visa card and get down to the bottom of the situation. It is free of charge so I would urge you to do so as soon as possible. No one would have applied for a visa in your name that you know of? Sometimes people we know will do this and sometimes even strangers. I would get the atty general and the FTC involved as soon as possible so this does not become a big problem.

Thu, 11/05/2009 - 19:44 Permalink

once you try the attorney generals office, you will find they are a wonderful resource, at least here in pennsylvania, ours follows through and follows up with everything.

How is your thing going with them fireyone?

Fri, 11/06/2009 - 11:52 Permalink
Luis Medina (not verified)

CREDIT GURU. YOU JUST SAID THAT CLOSING CREDIT CARDS WILL DROP THE CREDIT SCORES. HOW COULD THAT BE. I THOUGHT IT WAS ALL THE WAY AROUND.

Wed, 01/27/2010 - 23:41 Permalink