Best Visa Credit Cards

You will need a credit score of 700 or higher to get the best Visa credit cards. A good credit score is recommended, though there is no minimum credit score requirement for Visa cards overall. You can get a Visa credit card with a bad credit score or no credit score at all.

The Visa credit card network does not actually set credit score requirements for any Visa cards. Credit scores and other prerequisites for approval are the responsibility of the banks and credit unions that issue Visa credit cards in the United States.

Credit Score Needed for Notable Visa Credit Cards

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Excellent
• Chase Freedom Unlimited®: Good
• Upgrade Visa® Card with Cash Rewards: Fair
• Petal® 2 Visa® Credit Card: Limited History
• OpenSky® Secured Visa® Credit Card: Bad
• Credit One Bank® Platinum Visa® for Rebuilding Credit: Bad (Unsecured)

You can check your credit score for free to be sure you’ll have high odds of being approved for a Visa credit card before you apply. Once you have your credit score, you can then search for appropriate Visa credit card offers online to get a better idea about which cards best fit your needs.

Visa and Mastercard are the two largest card networks in the world, accepted in more than 200 countries and territories. 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 if you’re torn between two offers. In other words, if two cards have identical rewards, rates and fees, then it’s appropriate to weigh the small differences that exist between Mastercard and Visa.

For more information about how Visa and Mastercard compare, 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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Getting a Visa card costs as little as $0, depending on the type of Visa card you get. Visa gift cards often have a one-time fee of $2.95 to $6.95 at the time of purchase, based on the gift card’s value, whereas most Visa debit cards and credit cards cost nothing to get. Some Visa credit cards charge an annual fee for the privilege of owning the card, though, and the checking account a debit card is tied to may have monthly maintenance fees.

Costs Associated with Getting a Visa Card

It’s important to note that if you get a Visa card, there may be additional transaction-based fees. For example, if you complete a balance transfer or take out a cash advance with a Visa credit card, you will likely pay either a flat fee or a percentage of the transaction amount, whichever is higher.

Bear in mind that Visa is a payment processing network and doesn’t decide the fees, interest rates or rewards associated with specific cards. Instead, Visa partners with banks and credit unions, and each sets its own card terms, ultimately determining how much a Visa card could cost you.

The easiest credit cards to get approved for with no credit or bad credit are secured credit cards. These cards have annual fees as low as $0 and report monthly to the 3 major credit bureaus. Some even give rewards of 1% or more. To help people with no credit or bad credit maximize their odds of approval for a credit card, WalletHub’s editors compared the approval requirements for more than 1,500 credit card offers, along with their fees, rates and rewards.

Easiest Credit Cards to Get Approved For

This content is not provided or commissioned by any issuer. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of an issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by an issuer. Please keep in mind that while some offers may come from WalletHub advertising partners, sponsorship status played no role in card selection. 

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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.