What are the 4 biggest credit card companies?

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 is also the most widely used type of credit card. There isn’t a single credit card that’s most widely accepted, though. That’s because there are hundreds of Mastercard and Visa credit card offers available.… read full answer

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 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).
• Most Widely Used: Visa has the most credit cards in circulation (about 838 million). American Express has the highest purchase volume, at $15,904 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 network 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.

The most reliable credit card company is Mastercard. Although Mastercard does not issue any credit cards, they have a global network of millions of merchant locations in 210+ countries and territories, which means your Mastercard should reliably work wherever you try to use it.

You should also be able to reliably find a Mastercard credit card that suits your needs, whether you’re looking for cash back, travel rewards, a student card, a secured card or something else. You can apply for these cards through one of the network’s issuing partners, which include all of the biggest banks and credit unions.… read full answer

Popular Mastercard Credit Cards

The most reliable credit card issuer is Capital One, which offers a wide range of credit cards for people of all credit levels. Capital One ranks first in WalletHub’s credit card rewards program rankings and scores highly in terms of customer satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. You can compare Capital One rewards credit cards and read reviews for each on WalletHub.

The banks with the best credit cards are Capital One, Citibank, Bank of America and Discover. These top 10 credit card companies all have good credit card offers for people across the creditworthiness spectrum. However, most major banks offer at least one credit card that would be best for someone.

People have different opinions on the best credit card company for one reason or another. Customer service is important to some credit card users. Others are attracted to credit card companies with a particularly trustworthy reputation. But none of that matters as much as a card’s terms. The bank with the best credit card for you is whichever bank gives the best combination of rewards, interest rates and fees that you can get approved for. It doesn’t really matter which credit card company issues the card, so long as it serves you well.

Availability plays a big role, though. The credit card companies with the best overall credit card offers aren’t always the best credit card companies for everyone. If a bank’s or credit union’s credit cards all require good or excellent credit for approval, for example, it probably won’t seem like the best option to people with bad, limited or fair credit. Some credit card companies focus on those creditworthiness segments more than others, including a number of reputable new issuers.

All things considered, the best credit card company will depend on what you’re looking for and what type of credit card you can qualify for. If your priority is a card issuer’s customer service, overall reputation, or other defining qualities, check out WalletHub’s latest Credit Card Customer Satisfaction Study.