Exhibit 5.1

                             OPINION AND CONSENT OF
                               CHARLES W. SPRAGUE

         April  7, 2000

         Fiserv, Inc.
         255 Fiserv Drive
         Brookfield, WI 53045

         Fiserv, Inc.
         Registration Statement on Form S-8

Dear Sirs:

I  have  acted  as  counsel  to  Fiserv,  Inc.,  a  Wisconsin  corporation  (the
"Company"),  in  connection  with its  Registration  Statement  on Form S-8 (the
"Registration  Statement"),  filed under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Act"),
relating  to the  offer  and  proposed  sale of up to  2,000,000  shares  of the
Company's  common stock (the  "Shares")  and related  Preferred  Stock  Purchase
Rights (the "Rights") pursuant to the Fiserv, Inc. Employee Stock Purchase Plan,
the Canadian  Employee Stock  Purchase  Plan,  the Fiserv Group  Savings-Related
Share  Option  Plan,  the  Singapore  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan,  and  the
Australian Employee Stock Purchase Plan (collectively the "Plans").

In that connection,  I have examined originals, or copies certified or otherwise
identified to my  satisfaction of such  documents,  corporate  records and other
instruments  as I have deemed  necessary  or  appropriate  for  purposes of this
opinion,  including  the Restated  Articles of  Incorporation  and  By-Laws,  as
amended, of the Company.

Based upon the foregoing,  I am of the opinion that:

1.   Fiserv has been duly  organized  and is validly  existing as a corporation
     under the laws of the State of Wisconsin.

2.   The Shares have been duly  authorized and are validly issued and fully paid
     and  nonassessable,  except  as  provided  in  Section  180.0622(b)  of the
     Wisconsin Business Corporation Law.

3.   The Rights to be issued with the Common  Stock when issued  pursuant to the
     terms of Fiserv's Rights Agreement will be validly issued.

I hereby  consent to the use of this opinion as an exhibit to the   Registration
Statement  and to the reference to me under "Legal  Matters" in each  Prospectus
comprising  a part of the  Registration  Statement.  By  giving  the  foregoing
consent, I do not admit that I come within the category of persons whose consent
is required under Section 7 of the Act.

     Very truly yours,


     /S/CHARLES W. SPRAGUE
     Charles W. Sprague
     Executive Vice President,
     General Counsel and Secretary