When it comes to choosing a credit card, debit card or prepaid card, you usually have the option of a Visa or a Mastercard. These are the two major card-processing companies used in the UK, followed by American Express.<\/p>
Each Visa or Mastercard credit card<\/a> is independently issued by a bank or other provider that also offers a range of features and services to customers across their networks. Most banks and card providers don\u2019t give you a choice between Mastercard or Visa, so you\u2019ll probably find it more relevant to your decision-making process to focus on the features offered by a particular card and the provider in general.<\/p> Generally, there are very little differences between the two networks and you will rarely deal with Visa or Mastercard directly (it would usually be through your card provider). However, if you\u2019re trying to decide between these two options, here we compare Visa and Mastercard features side-by-side to see how they stack up.<\/p> Visa and Mastercard provide the technology and networks required for processing card payments. So if you buy an item with a Visa credit card<\/a>, for example, the transaction will be processed on Visa\u2019s network from the shop to the relevant bank or banks (including your own). Similarly, Mastercard credit card transactions are processed via the Mastercard payment network. These two companies are the largest card processors in the world, and their cards are accepted at millions of shops and other providers all over the globe. Generally, you will find most shops accept both Visa and Mastercard payments.<\/p>What are Visa and Mastercard?<\/h3>