Best Visa Credit Cards

You can easily apply for a Visa credit card on WalletHub. Simply compare offers based on the features you're looking for (e.g. rewards or 0% intro rates), check your credit score for free to make sure you have a good shot at getting approved, and submit your application. You’ll have the best Visa credit card for your needs in no time.

Of course, there’s little reason not to at least consider Mastercard, too. Getting the best possible card, not necessarily the best Visa, should be your main objective, after all.

Visa and Mastercard are the two largest card networks in the world, accepted in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. As card networks, Visa and Mastercard control where credit cards and debit cards can be used, as well as what secondary perks they offer – from $0 fraud liability guarantees to rental car insurance. Neither Visa nor Mastercard actually issues credit cards, unlike the two other leading card networks: American Express and Discover.

You should only worry about whether to get a Visa or Mastercard credit card if you’re torn between two offers. In other words, if two cards are identical in terms of rewards, rates and fees, then it’s appropriate to weigh the small differences that do exist between Mastercard and Visa.

For more information about how Visa and Mastercard stack up against one another, consult the table below. Make sure to also check out our editor’s picks for the best Visa and Mastercard credit cards.

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No, Visa is not a credit card. Visa is a payment card network that many credit cards are part of, along with debit cards, prepaid cards, gift cards and more. The Visa card network helps facilitate transactions between merchants and consumers through a virtual payment infrastructure. This infrastructure connects a card’s issuing bank on one end to the acquiring bank on the other.

Visa itself does not issue credit cards, however. Rather, Visa partners with banks and credit unions, and these financial institutions create credit cards to operate on Visa’s network. The banks and credit unions then offer their credit cards to consumers and small business owners.

Visa cards are among the most widely accepted credit cards in the world, so you usually don’t need to worry about card acceptance if you’re using one. Credit cards on the Visa network will always display the Visa logo.

You can check your credit card balance online, via mobile app, or by phone. The easiest ways to check your credit card balance are online and through the credit card company’s mobile app. Either of these methods will let you see the most up-to-date credit card balance when you check. Most major card issuers have mobile apps, which makes checking your balance a matter of pulling out your phone.

To check your credit card balance online, simply open a web browser and go to the card issuer's website. It should be listed on the back of your credit card. Sign in with your account information, or set up online access to your account (most bank websites have a login or signup box on the landing page). Once you log in, you’ll be able to check your current balance, see your most recent statements, make payments, schedule future payments, and more.

Checking your balance with an app is similar to checking it online, and it’s just as easy. Just search the card issuer’s name in your phone’s app store and download the official app. Most official card issuer apps are free. After it’s downloaded, log in with your credentials. You should be able to do most things on the app that you can do on the issuer’s website, but banking app features vary from issuer to issuer.

To check your credit card balance over the phone, call the customer service number on the back of your credit card. You’ll likely be asked to enter your card number and/or other personal information to verify your identity. Most card issuer customer service lines have an automated system for checking balances, so listen to the options menu and follow the prompts to check your latest balance.

It’s good practice to check your credit card balance regularly. Doing so can help you spot fraudulent charges and mistakes on your account. It’s also good to keep track of your balance to make sure you aren’t using too much of your available credit. Having a high credit utilization can hurt your credit score, which can hurt your chances of getting a credit card in the future.

The main Visa credit card phone numbers for customer support are (800) 847-2911 in the United States and Canada and (303) 967-1096 abroad. The Visa credit card phone number for hearing-impaired callers in the U.S. and Canada is (800) TDD-1213. All three Visa card phone lines are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

There are only a few reasons to call Visa customer support instead of your credit card’s issuer. Visa is able to answer questions regarding Visa benefits, for example. They offer “Travel and Emergency Assistance” that connects cardholders with medical, legal and transportation help. Plus, Visa can arrange for emergency cash delivery in the event of a lost or stolen card. They can help report the card lost or stolen, too. But it’s best to go directly to the card’s issuer for that. Visa support can help connect you with your issuer if you don’t know how to contact them.

Visa credit card phone numbers:

• Cardholders in the U.S. and Canada: (800) 847-2911.
• Cardholders outside of the U.S.: (303) 967-1096. Call collect via the local operator.
• Hearing impaired, U.S. and Canada: (800) TDD-1213.
• Hearing impaired, outside of U.S.: (512) 865-2002.
• Toll-free outside of the U.S. and Canada: A list of toll-free numbers for each country is available on the Visa website.

You should not call Visa customer support with card-specific questions. You should direct queries concerning applications, credit limits, billing disputes, etc., to the bank or credit union that issues the Visa credit card in question. Each has its own phone number, which you can find on the back of the card.

There are some differences between Mastercard and Visa. But these two major card networks are pretty equal in the categories that matter most to consumers: acceptance and secondary benefits.

Both Visa and Mastercard are accepted in more than two hundred countries. And it is very rare to find a location that will accept one but not the other. Furthermore, both Visa and Mastercard administer certain benefits programs, including rental car insurance and extended warranties. But individual card issuers decide what coverage cardholders receive.

So it doesn’t really matter whether you have a Visa or Mastercard in your wallet. As long as you have at least one of them and your card offers competitive terms, you’ll be in good shape. If you’d like to learn more about the similarities and differences between Visa and Mastercard, including how the best credit cards on each network compare, check out WalletHub’s complete Visa vs. Mastercard review.

To log in to your Visa credit card’s online account, you have to either visit the issuer’s website, or use its mobile app; Visa, as a card network, does not have a credit card login page.

Dozens of different banks and credit unions issue credit cards on the Visa network. The same is true with credit cards on the Mastercard network. One thing that may confuse some people, however, is the fact that the other two major card networks – American Express and Discover – also issue their own credit cards. So, with those cards, the network’s website does happen to be where you’d log in for online account management.

The login process is pretty much the same for all Visa credit cards, although user ID and password requirements may vary by issuer. Some issuers also offer an app for mobile account management. Whether though a credit card issuer’s website or its mobile app, you will be able to view account information such as your payment due date, minimum amount due, posted and pending transactions, total credit limit, available credit, and more. You can also make payments, view past statements, redeem rewards, request a credit limit increase, chat with a customer service representative, etc. Just make sure to choose a secure password, and change it regularly.

The best Visa credit card for poor credit is the Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card because it has a $0 annual fee and gives 1 - 3% cash back on purchases. It is available to people with bad credit who place a refundable security deposit of at least $300.

Best Visa Credit Cards for Poor Credit

• Rewards: Bank of America® Customized Cash Rewards Secured Credit Card
• No Credit Check: OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card
• No Annual Fee: U.S. Bank Secured Visa® Card
• No Security Deposit: Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit
• Business: BBVA Compass Secured Visa® Business Credit Card
• High Limit: Applied Bank® Secured Visa® Gold Preferred® Credit Card

Each of these cards reports info to the credit bureaus monthly. That gives you the opportunity to turn a bad credit score into a fair, good or even excellent score. There are lots more Visa credit cards for bad credit available, too. So no matter how bad your score is, you should be able to find a card.

The key is to compare cards based on how much they charge in annual-, monthly- and one-time fees. And if you don’t need a credit card for borrowing purposes, don’t rule out secured cards. The deposit you have to place is refundable, unlike fees.

Of course, there’s no reason to rule out Mastercard credit cards for poor credit, either. There are lots of good options in that category, too, including the Capital One Platinum Secured Credit Card. You might also want to consider the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, which offers the best rewards among credit cards for people with bad credit.

Visa cards are accepted in more than 200 countries and territories. So you can use a Visa credit card pretty much everywhere that takes plastic around the world. Visa is not the most widely accepted card network, however. That distinction goes to Mastercard, which is accepted in more than 210 countries and territories. You can use a Visa card far more places internationally than a Discover or American Express card, though. 

One of the nice things about using a Visa card internationally is the fact that you’ll automatically get a low currency conversion rate. Foreign transaction fees are one thing to watch out for, though. Most Visa credit cards still charge them. And foreign fees can apply to any purchase processed internationally, whether you’re physically abroad or not. But there are hundreds of no foreign fee Visa cards to choose from, so you should have no problem finding an offer that meets your needs.

Here are some of the best Visa credit cards for international travel:

• Best Overall: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Best for Airline Miles: British Airways Credit Card
• Best for Hotel Points: Radisson Premier Visa Signature® Credit Card
• Best for Students: Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students
• Best for Business: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
• Best for Fair Credit: USAA® Rate Advantage Visa Platinum® Card
• Best for Limited Credit: Petal 2 Visa® Credit Card

One other thing you need to watch out for when using a Visa credit card internationally is called Dynamic Currency Conversion. That’s when a merchant offers to convert your purchase total to U.S. dollars as an excuse to use a high exchange rate and profit a bit more. But as long as you make sure the transaction is expressed in the local currency, there’s nothing to worry about.

When comparing Discover vs. Visa, you’ll find a lot to like from both camps, such as Discover’s lack of foreign transaction fees or Visa’s wide global acceptance. The main difference you’ll see is that Discover issues its own cards. In other words, it’s a credit card issuer in addition to being a card network. Visa is only a card network. Networks are mostly responsible for processing payments and setting the rules for where and how cards can be used. Issuers determine things like an individual card’s rates and rewards.

There are a number of different categories in which you can compare the two networks. Visa emerges as the winner in most.

Discover vs. Visa – U.S. Acceptance:

Discover is accepted at almost all U.S. merchants (10.4 million). But Visa just barely edges them out, with 10.7 million. There are 344.7 million Visa cards in circulation in the U.S., compared to Discover’s 51.4 million.

Discover vs. Visa – Foreign Acceptance:

Visa is accepted at virtually every merchant in the world who takes credit cards, in 200+ countries and territories. Discover is accepted in 190+ countries and territories, but many of those places only have a small number of merchants who will accept Discover. Discover does have the benefit of no foreign transaction fees on any of its cards, though, while Visa cards may have fees up to 3%.

Discover vs. Visa – Network and Issuer:

Discover is both a network and an issuer. Visa, on the other hand is just a network. So Discover has a lot more control over what rates and rewards each of its cards has.

Discover vs. Visa – Supplemental Benefits:

This is where Visa really shines. Their benefits include extended warranties, price protection, purchase protection, rental car insurance and travel insurance. Discover used to have most of these benefits, but they were discontinued.

Discover vs. Visa – Major Issuers:

Discover Bank issues nearly all of the cards on the Discover network. But lots of different banks and credit unions issue Visa cards, including Capital One, Chase, Citi, Bank of America, U.S. Bank, Barclays, Synchrony and USAA.

At the end of the day, you’ll want a Visa card with no foreign transaction fee if you’re headed abroad. But if you’re staying stateside, a Discover card will serve you just as well as a Visa.