Is Sears Credit Card a Visa or Mastercard?

Major credit cards are any cards that belong to one of the big four credit card networks: Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. That’s what stores mean by “we accept all major credit cards.” A major credit card will almost always show the logo of its network on the front. In some cases it’ll be on the back. If a card doesn’t have such a logo, it’s likely a ... read full answerstore card that can only be used at a specific retailer.

Some major credit cards can also be considered more “major” than others, depending on the issuer. The 15 largest credit card companies account for more than 75% of all outstanding balances. So a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover card from one of those companies, like Chase or Capital One, might fit the description of a major credit card best.

There are dozens of other banks and credit unions that issue credit cards, but their products are less popular. Major credit cards from the top issuers are the product of large-scale operations, after all. And they often provide perks to match, from better rates, rewards and fees to an easy-to-use website and free mobile app.

Here’s what you need to know about major credit cards:

• Major credit cards are those on the Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover networks.
• You can usually see the logo of your credit card network on the front of your card. Sometimes it is on the back. If there is no logo, you likely have a store card that only works at a specific retailer.
• Most U.S. merchants accept all major credit cards. But American Express lags behind the others by about 1 million locations.
• Visa and Mastercard are accepted virtually everywhere in the world. Discover cards work in 185 countries and territories. American Express cards work in 160+. Discover and Amex aren’t necessarily widely accepted in all the countries that take them, either.
• American Express and Discover issue credit cards, in addition to serving as card networks. Visa and Mastercard do not.
• Chase, Bank of America, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank are among the other major credit card issuers.

When picking a major credit card to use, it’s easy to narrow your search down. If you don’t plan to travel much, any network will do. But if you’re going to use your card abroad a lot, Visa and Mastercard are the safest bets.

By the way, it’s worth noting that Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover aren’t the world’s only major credit card networks. There’s also the likes of India’s RuPay and China’s UnionPay, for example.

American Express is often better than Visa and Mastercard for use in the U.S. by people with good or excellent credit who pay their bill in full monthly and redeem rewards for domestic travel or cash, depending on the Amex. But Visa and Mastercard are better than American Express when it comes to card acceptance and card variety.... read full answer

Credit cards on any of these card networks could deserve a spot in your wallet, though, depending on your creditworthiness and spending habits. As three of the four largest credit card networks in the United States, Visa, Mastercard and American Express are really quite similar.

Visa vs. Mastercard vs. American Express

As you can see, one big difference is that Amex is both a card issuer and a network, while Visa and Mastercard are strictly card networks. As a result, cardholders borrow money directly from American Express when they make purchases with an Amex-issued credit card, while people paying with Visa or Mastercard credit cards borrow money from a bank or a credit union. More than 300 different banks and credit unions issue credit cards on the Visa or Mastercard network. Cardholders also earn rewards directly from American Express, which is not the case with Visa or Mastercard.

Still, Visa and Mastercard are accepted by international merchants much more often than American Express. Amex credit card applicants also need good credit or better for approval, whereas applicants of any credit level can find a suitable Visa or Mastercard credit card.

Despite these differences, American Express, Visa, and Mastercard all offer similar basic benefits, like $0 fraud liability and emergency card replacement. More advanced perks are often available, too, but those usually depend on the network tier of your credit card rather than the network itself. Visa and Mastercard both have three levels of credit card benefits, while Amex doesn’t officially have tiers but generally offers better benefits for cards with higher annual fees.

Bottom Line

American Express can be better than Visa and Mastercard for cardholders who spend heavily, have good credit or better, plan to pay their monthly bills in full, and are able to justify paying any annual fees by earning more than enough in rewards. But an Amex probably shouldn’t be the only card in your wallet, especially if you like to travel internationally.

The main difference between Visa and Mastercard is that Mastercard is more widely accepted internationally, while Visa offers more standard credit card benefits. Most people won't notice any substantial difference between Visa and Mastercard because their services are largely on par. Visa and Mastercard are two of the largest payment networks in the world, but neither Visa nor Mastercard issues any cards. Banks and credit unions issue the cards, which are then used on the Visa or Mastercard network.... read full answer

Visa and Mastercard Differences by the Numbers

Both Visa and Mastercard ensure basic benefits with their credit cards, such as zero liability guarantees and lost card reporting. Additional perks may be available, depending on the credit card tier. Mastercard offers three benefit tiers with their cards: Standard, World, and World Elite. Likewise, Visa cards are split into Traditional, Signature, and Infinite.

Visa and Mastercard Basic Benefits Compared

On top of the standard benefits, World or World Elite Mastercard holders may get extra perks such as cell phone insurance and free hotel upgrades. On the other hand, people with a Visa Signature or Infinite card may enjoy special protections like lost luggage and trip delay reimbursement. However, having a top-tier Mastercard or Visa card won’t automatically give you access to all of these extra benefits, as that depends entirely on the credit card issuer.

Whether a card bears the Visa or Mastercard logo doesn’t make much of a difference in the end. The credit card issuer determines all the most important aspects of the card: interest rates, fees, and rewards. When picking a credit card, you should pay more attention to these features than the payment network.