While both Visa and MasterCard are huge payment processing networks, there are some differences in their acceptance at merchants and the fees that they charge. This comparison also examines the companies' size, employee headcount and financial metrics such as revenue, net income.
Comparison chart
 | MasterCard | Visa |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | MasterCard Worldwide (NYSE:MA) is an American multinational corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters in Harrison, New York, United States. | Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is an American multinational corporation with its headquarters in in Foster City, California. Visa targets consumers, businesses, financial institutions and governments in more than 200 countries and territories. |
| Founded | 1966 | 1970 |
| Headquarters | New York | San Francisco |
| Industry | Financial services | Financial services |
| Products | Payment systems | Payment systems |
| Website | MasterCard.com | Visa.com |
| Stock Ticker | MA | V |
| Type | Public | Public |
| Key people | Richard N. Haythornthwaite, (Chairman), Ajay Banga, (President & CEO) | Joseph Saunders (Chairman and CEO) John Partridge (President) Byron Pollitt (CFO) |
| Revenue | US$5.539 Billion (FY 2010) | US$8.065 Billion (FY 2010) |
| Net income | US$1.846 Billion (FY 2010) | US$2.966 Billion (FY 2010) |
| Employees | 10,300 (2015) | 11,300 (2017) |
| Operating income | US$2.757 Billion (FY 2010) | US$4.638 Billion (FY 2010) |
| Total assets | US$8.837 Billion (FY 2010) | US$33.408 Billion (FY 2010) |
| Total equity | US$5.216 Billion (FY 2010) | US$25.014 Billion (FY 2010) |
| Acceptance | Worldwide | Worldwide |
Summary
Visa (Visa International Service Association) and MasterCard are both payment processing institutions that are each owned jointly by thousands of participating financial institutions that issue and market Visa and MasterCard products (mainly credit and debit cards).
Both companies have similar products. Other financial institutions (mostly banks) issue cards that use either Visa or MasterCard for processing payments. So if you are comparing Visa and MasterCard to decide which card to go for, it may be a good idea to look at the features of the specific card (not the brand). The most important features, of course, are interest rate and Annual fees.
Major international competitors of Visa and MasterCard include American Express and Discover. Some regional competitors are RuPay in India, as well as NETS and EzLink in Singapore.
Acceptance
Both VISA and MasterCard are accepted by most merchants. Some merchants do not accept certain cards because of higher payment processing fees. Although such fees do not affect consumers, they do affect the merchants. A recent survey found that
- 72% of online retailers accept all 4 major credit cards (American Express, Discover, MasterCard, VISA)
- 10.3% of online retailers accept American Express, MasterCard and VISA
- 7.7% of online retailers accept Discover, MasterCard and VISA
- 9.9% of online retailers accept VISA and MasterCard only
List of merchants that accept VISA but do not accept MasterCard
- Dollar General Corp.
- Costco Wholesale (they accept Visa credit cards exclusively, although debit cards from both Visa and MasterCard are accepted)
List of merchants that accept MasterCard but do not accept VISA
- Sam's Club (they do accept VISA debit cards but not credit cards. In fact, they accept VISA credit cards online and for gasoline)
In January 2005, Washington Mutual decided to switch its 10.5 million-card debit portfolio from VISA to MasterCard.
Sometimes, just like cards have their own cash back rewards, merchants have special "promotional" offers with certain types of cards. In order to take advantage of all such promos, it may be advisable to have both types of cards.
Debit Card 
Capital One Quicksilver 
Credit Security Freeze 
Bank 
Stocks 
401(k)
Comments: MasterCard vs Visa