Visa credit/debit card financial network

Visa Inc. is a global leader in digital payments, facilitating electronic funds transfers throughout the world. Founded as BankAmericard by Bank of America in 1958, the brand eventually evolved into a global cooperative before becoming a publicly traded company. Visa does not issue cards, extend credit, or set rates for consumers; instead, it provides financial institutions with Visa-branded payment products that they use to offer credit, debit, prepaid, and cash access programs to their customers.

Today, Visa is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Its network, VisaNet, provides processing for more than 100 billion transactions each year. As a truly global entity, Visa operates in nearly every country and territory, with regional hubs managing local operations and legal compliance across different continents.