WalletHub, Financial Company
@WalletHub
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit card networks. Visa credit cards can be used at 44 million merchant locations in more than 200 countries and territories. Mastercard credit cards are accepted at 37 million merchant locations in more than 210 countries and territories.
Mastercard is accepted in more countries than Visa, yet roughly 7 million more merchants worldwide take Visa. Both have a claim to the title of most widely accepted credit card as a result. Visa also is the most widely used type of credit card. It accounts for 53% of the cards in circulation.
There isn’t a single credit card that’s most widely accepted, however, because there are hundreds of Mastercard and Visa credit card offers available.
Most Widely Accepted Credit Cards:
- Most Widely Accepted Internationally: Mastercard (210+ countries and territories); Visa (200+).
- Most Widely Accepted in the U.S.: Visa and Mastercard are both accepted at more than 11 million U.S. merchant locations.
- Least Widely Accepted Internationally: American Express (160+ countries and territories); Discover (185+).
- Least Widely Accepted in the U.S.: American Express (10.1 million locations). This includes the 1.6 million U.S. merchants American Express added in 2017.
- Most Widely Used: Visa has the most credit cards in circulation (about 335 million). American Express has the highest purchase volume, at $14,745 per cardholder annually.
- Best Worldwide Credit Cards: Visa or Mastercard credit cards with no foreign transaction fee.
The difference between Visa and Mastercard acceptance is slight. Either should suit your needs almost anywhere in the world. But if you plan on traveling internationally, be sure your Mastercard or Visa credit card doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee. That will save you up to 3% on every purchase you make abroad.
Finally, it’s worth pointing out that store cards are the least widely accepted credit cards. They don’t belong to any of the four major card networks. So they can only be used at their affiliated retailers.
2020's Best Credit Cards
Thomas Friedman, Member
@ultralight11
Mastercard and Visa credit cards are accepted pretty much anywhere. American Express and Discover come close nowadays, but they're not ideal for travel.
People also ask
Which card network is more widely accepted, Visa or Mastercard?
There isn’t much of a difference between Mastercard and Visa when it comes to acceptance. Both card networks are accepted in more than 200 countries and territories. And almost every merchant that takes credit cards accepts both Visa and Mastercard.
But Mastercard does have a slight advantage over Visa in … read full answer
show lessWhere is a Discover card accepted internationally?
Discover is accepted in 185 countries and territories internationally. That includes India, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates and most other popular destinations for American business and vacation travelers. But just because a Discover card is accepted by at least some merchants in a given country does … read full answer
show lessWhere is American Express accepted?
American Express is accepted at 8.5 million merchant locations in the U.S. and in 160+ countries and territories abroad. Aside from the U.S., the countries where American Express is accepted most include Canada, Australia, the UK, India and Mexico.
Most major retailers in the U.S. accept American Express. And Amex … read full answer
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