The #1 question every new client asks. Here is the complete, unfiltered answer — how the commission model works, why your price is not higher, and where the incentive misalignment risk actually lives.
Carriers — AT&T, Comcast, Zayo, CrowdStrike, and 300+ others — have a "channel partner" program. They set aside a portion of their sales budget to pay advisors like Fibi for bringing them qualified, ready-to-sign clients.
This commission comes out of the carrier's margin — not out of your invoice. Whether you call AT&T directly or come through Fibi, your price is the same. In practice it's usually lower because we apply volume discounts they don't offer to single buyers.
The model is identical to how a mortgage broker, insurance broker, or real estate buyer's agent works. You get professional representation at no charge because the other side of the transaction funds it.
From first call to ongoing support — and where the money flows at each step.
We learn your current setup, locations, requirements, compliance needs, and budget. No obligation.
We send RFPs to 50–300+ carriers simultaneously, negotiate pricing, and build a side-by-side comparison — work that would take your team weeks.
You pick the solution that fits your needs. We never pressure you toward any specific carrier.
Your contract is with the carrier — not with us. We have no hold on you. The carrier pays us a commission from their existing sales budget.
We continue to support you post-go-live — escalations, billing disputes, renewals. Our commission recurs as long as your service does, so our interests stay aligned with yours.
Where the commission flows: You pay the carrier's monthly invoice → carrier pays Fibi a commission (from their sales budget) → your invoice stays the same as if you went direct.
We'd rather address the hard questions directly than hope you don't ask.
"If Fibi is free, I must be the product."
You're the client. The carrier is the customer who pays us for placing qualified business with them. You get expert advisory at no charge; the carrier gets a vetted, ready-to-sign client.
"A broker will steer me toward whoever pays the most commission."
Commission rates across carriers are similar within any category. Steering you toward a bad-fit carrier would cost us more in support escalations, churn, and reputation damage than any commission difference.
"Going direct is cheaper."
Carriers maintain the same base price regardless of channel. Our volume relationships and negotiation leverage typically produce pricing you cannot get by calling the carrier directly.
"I'll lose control of my account."
Your contract is with the carrier. You can call their support directly anytime. Fibi is an additional resource you can use — not a gatekeeper.
We want to be completely transparent about this — including where our interests could theoretically diverge from yours.
Our commission is a percentage of your contract value. A $5,000/month solution pays us more than a $3,000/month solution. We could theoretically bias toward more expensive options.
We acknowledge this honestly: it is a real structural tension in any commission-based advisory model.
A client who overpays for services calls us to complain. They dispute invoices. They don't renew. They leave bad reviews. They don't refer. The long-term cost of a bad recommendation far exceeds any short-term commission gain.
Our business model depends on satisfied clients who renew year-over-year and refer colleagues. That only happens when the recommendation was genuinely right-sized.
What you can do: Ask us to show you the options we're NOT recommending and why. Ask us to show the commission range across the options we present. We will. Transparency is our only hedge against this conflict — and we'd rather compete on it than hide it.
What actually changes — and what stays exactly the same.
| Aspect | Going direct | Through Fibi |
|---|---|---|
| Who you contract with | The carrier | The carrier (same) |
| Pricing | Rack rate or negotiated | Volume-negotiated (equal or better) |
| Vendor evaluation | You do it yourself | We do it for you |
| Negotiation leverage | Single buyer | 300+ clients' combined volume |
| Your cost for advisory | N/A (no advisory) | $0 |
| Post-go-live support | Carrier support only | Fibi + carrier support |
| Renewal management | On you | We track and manage |
We work with 300+ carriers across internet, networking, voice, contact center, and cybersecurity. We are certified channel partners with most major carriers, which gives us access to pricing tiers that require significant volume to unlock.
Important: We do not have exclusive agreements with any carrier. A carrier cannot pay us more to "push" their solution. Our relationships are non-exclusive by design — if we had exclusivity, we couldn't objectively compare. We'd rather make slightly less per placement and remain someone you trust to return to.
If something about the model doesn't add up, we want to know. We'd rather answer a hard question on a call than have you walk away uncertain.
Learn more about how we work