Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. is an American multinational financial services corporation that operates a global electronic payments network and licenses the Visa brand to payment products.

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VisaNet: Visa’s global network processes payment-card transactions among financial institutions and merchants. It is the infrastructure through which Visa routes transactions and exchanges payment messages.
Visa debit card: A Visa debit card accesses funds from a linked deposit account and uses Visa’s payment network. Debit cards are a major product category carrying the Visa brand.
Mastercard: Mastercard Incorporated is a global payments technology company that operates a card-payment network and licenses its brand. It is Visa’s closest global network competitor, with a similar four-party model.
BankAmericard: BankAmericard was a bank credit-card program launched by Bank of America in 1958 and later renamed Visa. It was the card program from which Visa’s brand and network developed.
Payment authorization: Payment authorization is the process of approving or declining a transaction before funds are transferred. Visa routes authorization requests between merchants’ banks and card issuers.
Visa credit card: A Visa credit card lets its holder borrow from an issuer for purchases processed on Visa’s network. Visa licenses its brand and network to credit-card products issued by financial institutions.
American Express: American Express is a financial services company known for payment cards and a network that often combines issuing and acquiring roles. Its more integrated model differs from Visa’s role as a network whose cards are issued by partners.
Dee Hock: Dee Hock was an American banker who founded the organization that became Visa and led its early development. He helped turn BankAmericard into a cooperative network owned by participating financial institutions.
Payment clearing: Payment clearing reconciles transaction records and calculates obligations between payment-system participants. After authorization, Visa helps exchange transaction data used to determine what institutions owe.
Visa prepaid card: A Visa prepaid card enables payments from value loaded onto the card or its associated account. Prepaid products extend Visa acceptance without requiring conventional revolving credit.