Visa and Mastercard are by far the most widely accepted cards, with
Most Widely Accepted in the U.S.: Visa and Mastercard are both accepted at almost 11 million U.S. merchant locations. Least Widely Accepted Internationally: American Express (160+ countries and territories); Discover (200+). Least Widely Accepted in the U.S.: American Express and Discover (10.6 million locations).
American Express is one of the sole credit card companies that isn't as widely accepted at retail stores as some of the other providers, like Mastercard and Visa. However, Amex is still a major credit card company with millions of customers around the U.S. and world.
As it turns out, not all cards are accepted by all merchants. Most often, the reason why some merchants say no to cards from particular payment networks boils down to relatively high fees charged by those networks. Fees are the lifeblood of the four payment networks: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
2. Which is more popular, Mastercard or Visa? Both Visa and Mastercard are accepted globally. However, Visa cards at the most basic level offer more benefits and features as compared to Mastercard.
That's because Mastercard is a card network, not a card issuer. In other words, it dictates where your card will be accepted and what secondary benefits – rental car insurance, for example – you may receive.
Credit Cards & Charge Cards
Using a credit card or charge card in Australia is easy - they are widely accepted throughout the country. Those commonly used include American Express, Diners Club, Visa, MasterCard and Bankcard.
American Express and Discover cards are accepted in Australia, but Mastercard and Visa take the lead when it comes to reliable acceptance. If you're looking for an ATM that accepts your Amex, major banks like ANZ, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, St. George Bank and WBC allow cash withdrawals with your card.
Visa and Mastercard are by far the most widely accepted cards, with Discover slightly behind those brands and American Express in a distant fourth place. Any retailer that accepts card payments likely takes Visa and Mastercard.
Acceptance. There may be a few significant differences between Visa and Mastercard, but acceptance isn't one of them. Both cards are widely accepted in the U.S. and in more than 200 countries and territories globally.
Bogdan Roberts, Credit Cards Moderator
Mastercard, Visa, American Express and Discover credit cards are all accepted worldwide. Visa and Mastercard are the two largest card networks in the world, both in terms of geographical spread and merchant acceptance.
The main reason you, as a business owner, might not accept certain credit cards is because they have higher fees, or interchange rates, than others. Interchange rates are set by the issuing bank of each card and can vary widely.
What is the most prestigious credit card? One of the world's most prestigious credit cards is the Centurion® Card from American Express*.
If your bank switched a card from Visa to Mastercard, it was likely because they felt the features and benefits of Mastercard were better than those of Visa. For example, the issuer might take into consideration processing fees or network-level benefits like travel insurance or purchase protection.
“According to an American Express representative, 99% of U.S. merchants who accept credit cards also now accept AmEx.”
Most store cards in Australia are credit cards with American Express, Mastercard or Visa functionality. This means you can use them anywhere regular credit cards are accepted.
Is Mastercard accepted everywhere? Yes, Mastercard is accepted almost everywhere you can use a credit or debit card. Millions of merchants in more than 210 countries and territories take Mastercard. And that includes more than 10.7 million retailers in the U.S. alone.
The Visa brand promise of “everywhere you want to be” means that you should be able to use your card anywhere Visa is accepted. An issuer is not permitted to block all transactions from a specific location or merchant type.
It's generally recommended that you have two to three credit card accounts at a time, in addition to other types of credit. Remember that your total available credit and your debt to credit ratio can impact your credit scores. If you have more than three credit cards, it may be hard to keep track of monthly payments.
You don't usually have to pay interest on purchases made with a debit card (unless you overdraw your account). Many transaction accounts also do not charge monthly account-keeping fees. In Australia, debit cards are more widely used than credit cards.
Percent of people aged 15+ who have a credit card
The latest value from 2021 is 51.41 percent. For comparison, the world average in 2021 based on 121 countries is 22.26 percent. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
On entry level cards, there is very little difference between Visa and Mastercard, as both provide a similar suite of basic features. However, Mastercard includes impressive special luxury offers on its World and World Elite level cards, which can be attractive for big spenders.
The only real difference that stands between Visa and Mastercard is that your card works on the payment network that the company operates. A Visa card won't work on Mastercard's network, and vice versa. Ultimately, any other differences in cards come from the specific card you have.