Which bank has the best credit cards?

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.

New credit card companies do not launch very often, but the rate has increased in recent years due to the technological advancements behind the fintech boom.

The newest credit card company is Brex, which launched in late 2018. Brex is a San-Francisco-based credit card startup that offers business credit cards and financial services tailored to technology companies. Similarly, ... read full answerPetal debuted its cash back credit card for people with limited or no credit in 2016. That same year, Green Dot (better known for its prepaid debit card products) launched its first credit cards. And another newcomer, Deserve, began issuing credit cards for students and customers with limited credit in 2014.

Several larger companies already established in other areas – of business and the world – have also entered the U.S. credit card market in recent years. Goldman Sachs, the major investment bank, began issuing credit cards in August 2019, for example. And Barclays, which has been issuing cards in the U.K. since 1996, crossed into the U.S. credit card market in 2004.

However, Capital One is the last of the current major credit card companies to have launched, entering the market in 1995. Before that, Discover launched its first credit card in 1986 (though it didn’t become a stand-alone company until a 2007 spinoff from Morgan Stanley).

When new credit card companies launch, they’re always associated with at least one big existing company – either one of the four card networks or, in the case of store credit cards, a major retailer. The four major card networks are Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.

Finally, it’s worth noting that new credit card companies entering the market moving forward may have a difficult time gaining a foothold in the ultra-competitive credit card landscape. Eight of the largest credit card issuers combined have nearly 80% of the market share.

One of the easiest unsecured cards to get approved for is the Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit. You can get approved for it even with bad credit. This card offers a $300 starting spending limit. And you can use it wherever Visa is accepted.

Easiest Unsecured Credit Cards to Get Approved For

The easiest unsecured credit cards to get generally work best for minor emergencies. You will only receive a small amount of spending power, after all.... read full answer

Unsecured credit cards for people with bad credit also tend to be very expensive, charging lots of fees and high interest rates. So, if you don’t need a small emergency loan, the best course of action is to improve your credit inexpensively with a secured card. Secured cards are cheaper than unsecured cards, build credit just as effectively, and offer the closest thing you’ll find to guaranteed approval.

To learn more, check out WalletHub's complete list of the year’s easiest credit cards to get approved for​.