Maria Adams, Credit Cards Moderator
@m_adams
The difference between Visa and American Express is that American Express is both a card issuer and a payment network, while Visa is only a payment network. Visa is also more widely accepted than Amex, as Visa cards work in over 200 countries and territories, compared to 160+ for American Express cards.
Differences Between American Express and Visa
Point of Comparison | American Express | Visa |
Payment Network? | Yes | Yes |
Credit Card Issuer? | Yes | No |
Worldwide Acceptance | Accepted in 160+ countries and territories | Accepted in 200+ countries and territories |
Domestic Acceptance | Accepted at 10.6 million U.S. locations | Accepted at 10.7 million U.S. locations |
Cards in Circulation | 53.7 million | 336 million |
$0 Fraud Liability Guarantee | Yes | Yes |
Merchant Processing Fees | High | Low |
$0 Liability Guarantee? | Yes | Yes |
For merchants, the biggest difference between American Express and Visa is how much they charge a merchant for processing payments. Amex processing fees are on the higher end, while Visa’s fees are on the lower end.
Although there are a handful of big differences between American Express and Visa, most people will not be affected unless they travel abroad, as Amex has less acceptance outside of the U.S. than Visa. Otherwise, for the average cardholder, there are far more similarities between the two payment networks than differences.

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Compare CardsGrace Enfield, Content Writer
@grace_enfield
The difference is that Amex also issues credit cards, Visa does not. With that said, you can use a Visa card almost anywhere, whereas Amex isn't accepted in as many places.
Chip Lupo, Credit Card Writer
@CLoop
I think the main difference is in the number of U.S. merchants that accept them. AmEx cards are accepted at about 30% less merchants than Visa.
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