Visa Inc. (or VISA as it is branded) is an American multinational financial services company headquartered in Foster, California, USA. In September 1958, Bank of America (BofA) launched the BankAmericard loan program in Fresno, California. Its purpose is to facilitate electronic fund transfers across the world through a wide range of Visa-branded debit cards, credit cards and prepaid cards. Except for countries with closed economies such as China, a duopoly is formed with the closest competitor, MasterCard. There are also competitors like Discover Financial and American Express.
By 1970, BofA formed a consortium with various other BankAmericard issuer banks to buy out the management of BankAmericard, giving up its direct control. It was later renamed Visa in 1976.
Visa is not a son client company. The main customers are not the card users, but where the card users are connected. Visa generates its revenues largely through end-user spending or through a clearly agreed fixed payment.
Covering nearly all Visa transactions in the world, the company operates in Ashburn, Virginia, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, London, England; and is processed through VisaNet operated directly from one location in four secure data centers located in Singapore. Visa is the world’s second-largest card payment provider (debit and credit cards combined), after overtaking China UnionPay in 2015.
Visa is one of the most valuable members in the world with a market value of $482 billion. Total revenues for 2020 are approximately 21 billion dollars and net revenues are 10.87 billion dollars.
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Visa is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial
institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect
the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling
individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone
everywhere, lift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement.
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Unlocking opportunities for everyone
We’re a world-leading digital payments network that removes barriers and connects people to the global economy. We aim to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.
Innovation built to help everyone
Innovation is in our DNA, it is the foundation of our business and it is at the core of everything we do.
Visa helps power the global economy
We connect businesses, banks and governments in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Visa fact sheet
4.2 B
Visa cards connecting people globally¹
~15 K
Financial institutions²
269 B
Payment transactions³
100 M+
Merchant locations around the world⁴
A network working for everyone
As a trusted network, we facilitate digital payments across more than 200 countries and territories among a global set of consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners and government entities through innovative technologies.
See how Visa helps enable money movement globally
Transforming transactions
We see huge growth opportunities in the world of payments and are accelerating our efforts to convert $18 trillion in consumer spending from cash and cheques to digital payments.
Unlocking opportunities
Our network of networks approach creates opportunities to enable digital payments for consumers, businesses and governments around the world by facilitating P2P, B2C, B2B, B2b and G2C payments.
Supporting your business
Payments continue to evolve. Just like your business’s needs. That’s why Visa offers clients a suite of services that cover everything from fraud management and security to data products and consulting and analytics.
Pioneering payment technology
Our journey begins in 1958, the year that Bank of America launched the first consumer credit card program in the U.S. We expanded internationally in 1974 and introduced the debit card in 1975. In 2007, regional businesses around the world were merged to form Visa Inc. and, in 2008, the company went public in one of the largest IPOs in history. Today, we operate in more than 200 countries and territories with products and services available on cards, laptops, tablets, mobile devices and more. We continue to evolve, but our vision remains the same–to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.
BankAmericard
1958
Bank of America launches BankAmericard, the first card with a “revolving credit” feature
Visa is born
1976
BankAmericard becomes Visa–a name that sounds the same in all languages
Meet Visa Inc.
2007
Visa forms a global corporation, while Visa Europe remains member-owned
A history of making payment history
Visa has a rich history of innovation, collaboration and disruption that formed one of the world’s largest payments networks. We are leveraging our innovative spirit to enable the future of money movement.
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