Visa and Mastercard are currently the most commonly used credit cards. Generally speaking, Visa and Mastercard are very similar, but offer different functions for their customers and the banks.

 

In 2009, Mastercard was beaten by Visa by far in terms of cards in circulation. Visa has around 270 million credit cards and 380 million debit cards in circulation, while Mastercard has 203 million and 125 million respectively. Security against credit card fraud and theft is about the same for both credit cards, except for online transactions. Visa uses a password verification system that must be entered for every online purchase, while Mastercard requires a PIN number. Both systems have the same function, but a PIN number is considered more secure.

 

Visa and Mastercard both offer discounts on purchases, but the value of the discounted rate can vary. You need to find out in detail which brands offer discounts for each credit card and which is therefore worthwhile for each individual person.

Basically, both companies are the same and offer very similar functions. Buying Mastercard shares is currently considered a better buy than Visa shares, but both have great growth potential on the stock market.