Visa vs. Mastercard: Is One Better Than the Other?
- Expertise: Credit cards, points and miles and credit card rewards programs
- Education: University of Texas at Austin
Robin Ratcliff is a managing editor at LendingTree, where she oversees all credit cards content.
Before joining LendingTree, she worked at CreditCards.com, where she developed and launched the site’s expert reviews and card ratings system. Robin loves explaining the ins and outs of credit card rewards programs and how to maximize cards. She is currently juggling Chase Ultimate Rewards® cards, collecting points for her next great adventure.
Robin earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
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When debating Visa vs. Mastercard, you’ll want to look into each network’s specific benefits if you feel strongly about choosing one over the other.
Visa and Mastercard both offer extremely similar benefits, and choosing one over the other won’t make a substantial difference. The major credit card features are managed and decided on by the issuer (e.g. Chase or Citibank). However, certain perks can be unique to one or the other, and this guide will go over the most noteworthy benefits.
If you feel strongly about one of these benefits, you can call your issuer and see if they can switch your network. While not always possible, this method has been known to work and is worth trying.
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Benefits comparison: Visa vs. Mastercard
On entry level cards, there is very little difference between Visa and Mastercard, as both provide a similar suite of basic features. However, Mastercard includes impressive special luxury offers on its World and World Elite level cards, which can be attractive for big spenders.
The table below gives a quick overview of the most important benefits on each card network.
Emergency services
| Visa | Mastercard | |
|---|---|---|
| Roadside dispatch | ||
| Lost or stolen card reporting | ||
| Travel and emergency assistance services | ||
| Emergency card replacement | ||
| Emergency cash advance |
Travel Benefits
Visa
- Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection: discounts and benefits at over 900 properties
- Visa Signature Concierge
- Rental car privileges
- Travel protections and emergency assistance
- Global Entry statement credit
- Priority Pass lounge access
- Sonoma County winery events
- Visa Signature offers and perks
- Cardholder inquiry Services
Mastercard
- Mastercard exclusive offers
- Priceless Experiences
- Priceless Golf
- Complimentary professional travel services
- Mastercard Hotel Stay Guarantee
- Lowest hotel rate guarantee
- Mastercard luxury hotel and resorts portfolio at 3,000+ global properties
- Free nights, car, RV, air
- Mastercard Airport Concierge®
Purchase protection and insurance
Visa
- Zero liability policy
- Extended warranty protection
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Trip cancellation / trip interruption reimbursement
- Airline incidental fees
- Travel accident insurance
- Baggage delay reimbursement
- Hotel theft protection
- Cell phone protection
- Emergency medical / dental
- Price protection
- Emergency evacuation
- Return protection
- Purchase security
Mastercard
- Mastercard ID theft protection
- Mastercard zero liability protection
- Cell phone protection
What are the benefits of Mastercard?
Credit cards on the Mastercard network break down into three tiers, with each one containing all of the benefits and perks of the tier below it. In ascending order of exclusivity, these include:
- Standard (doesn’t offer much that is especially noteworthy)
- World
- World Elite
Here are some of the common benefits:
All Mastercard levels offer some amount of purchase protection and insurance with their cards. World and World Elite Mastercard, however, offer the most. These services include:
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection, which alerts you if fraudulent activity is detected and assists you with resolution
- Cell phone protection up to $1,000 in yearly coverage
- Global Emergency Services, which offers emergency assistance anytime, anywhere in any language.
There are a number of other protections and insurance options included with Mastercard as well; view the full list here.
World Elite Mastercards also come with concierge services that can schedule restaurant reservations or event tickets, or help with purchasing hard-to-find items. This is similar to the concierge benefit of The Platinum Card® from American Express, except this one doesn’t come with a $695 annual fee.
For World Mastercard users without access to World Elite Concierge services, you’ll still be able to use the Mastercard Airport Concierge and the special Golf Concierge service through Priceless Golf.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
Mastercard World and World Elite members will have access to amenities and upgrades at 3,000-plus properties worldwide. Though these amenities will vary depending on the property, you could get things like complimentary daily breakfast, amenity credits up to $100 and other valuable perks.
World and World Elite card members have access to a number of luxury event deals. You’ll get special access to PGA Tour golf outings, access to Priceless Experiences (including film festivals and cooking lessons with private chefs) and more. For more information about ongoing World Elite promotions, check out their website.
What are the benefits of Visa cards?
On the whole, Visa offers significantly more benefits overall than Mastercard, though the overarching categories are the same. Visa also operates with a three-tier structure, ranging from standard Visa Traditional to Visa Signature to Visa Infinite. While the Visa Traditional provides a few more benefits than the standard Mastercard, the base level Visa network doesn’t offer anything extravagant.
Visa Signature and Infinite cards are where most of the network’s benefits come into play. The best among these include:
Visa offers tons of purchase protections and insurance options, even in their most basic tier. Features of Visa Signature and Visa Infinite cards include:
- Lost luggage reimbursement
- Trip delay, cancellation and interruption reimbursement
- Extended warranty protection
- Zero liability protection
For the full list, check out their website.
Visa Signature cardmembers can get special guest status at over 900 participating global hotels in the Visa Signature Luxury Hotel Collection. Through this program, you’ll have access to seven premium benefits. They are:
- Best available rate guarantee (temporarily unavailable)
- Automatic room upgrade upon arrival when available
- Complimentary in-room Wi-Fi when available
- Complimentary breakfast for two
- $25 USD food or beverage credit
- VIP guest status
- Late checkout upon request when available
Visa Signature and Visa Infinite card members have access to numerous travel benefits, such as Global Entry statement credits, Priority Pass lounge access, special Visa Signature offers and rental car privileges. Frequent travelers will want to take advantage of these excellent perks, discounts and special offers.
Visa also provides its members with a suite of important emergency services. These include:
- Roadside dispatch
- Lost or stolen card reporting
- Emergency replacement
- Emergency cash disbursement
If you find yourself in a bind, your Visa card may be able to help.
Why is Visa better than Mastercard?
While both Visa and Mastercard are accepted virtually everywhere around the world, Visa cards offer slightly more benefits than Mastercard cards. Even with the most basic level Visa card, you’ll still have access to features like:
- Lost or stolen card reporting
- Emergency card replacement
- Emergency cash disbursement
- Roadside dispatch
- Zero liability
With Mastercard, at its most basic level, cardmembers will only get:
- Zero liability protection
- Access to Mastercard Global Service
- Mastercard ID Theft Protection
What standard benefits do both Visa and Mastercard provide?
There are certain benefits both Visa and Mastercard provide. Some of these exist due to federal regulations, while others have become industry standards that issuers expect the networks provide for their cardholders.
Zero liability protection
Both Visa and Mastercard provide protection against unauthorized charges. If your credit card is used to make unauthorized or fraudulent purchases, you can report it to your issuer and have the transactions reversed. In such a scenario, Visa or Mastercard will be the ones to cover the cost.
Global emergency services
Visa offers travel and emergency assistance services for Visa Infinite cardholders, which will provide help in an emergency from anywhere in the world. Mastercard provides Global Emergency Services for every card level available anytime, anywhere and in any language: This can help you replace a lost or stolen card, get you a cash advance and more.
Cell phone protection
Both Visa and Mastercard offer some type of cell phone protection to give their cardholders peace of mind. Visa Signature members can get cell phone protection each month they pay their wireless bill with their Visa card.
World Mastercard also offers cell phone protection with $1,000 in yearly coverage ($600 max per claim, two claims per year) — should your cell phone get stolen or need certain repairs — when you pay your phone bill with your World Mastercard.
How is Visa different from Mastercard?
Both Visa and Mastercard have different levels of card membership that offer different perks and benefits. Here is how these levels compare:
Visa Signature vs. Mastercard World
One step up from each network’s “standard” level, Visa Signature and Mastercard World have a lot to offer. While both of these offer benefits for purchase protection and insurance, travel benefits and emergency services, Visa Signature offers significantly more of them to their cardholders.
Visa Signature members have access to features like roadside dispatch, extended warranties, a Global Entry statement credit and more. Mastercard still has some additional offerings, but not nearly as many.
Visa Infinite vs. Mastercard World Elite
The highest levels of Visa and Mastercard are similar to the level below, encompassing all the previous level’s benefits and building on them. For example, with Mastercard World Elite, cardmembers get access to the World Elite Concierge, Priceless Cities, and enhanced offers and experiences.
Visa Infinite has all the same benefits as Visa Signature, though Infinite benefits are slightly enhanced. For example, both offer trip delay reimbursement — but while Visa Signature offers members $300 after a 12 or more hour delay, and Visa Infinite offers members $500 after a six or more-hour delay.
Brief statistics on Mastercard vs. Visa
Both Visa and Mastercard credit cards are generally accepted by the same merchants, anywhere you go. Therefore, any real choice between the two networks should only come down to which of their benefits you prefer.
| Visa | Mastercard | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Global acceptance | 56.7 million | 47.7 million | |
| Places accepted | (Visa) More than 200 countries and territories More than 210 countries and territories (Mastercard) | ||
| Visa vs. Mastercard market share | 60% | 30% | |
| Tiers |
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Visa vs. Mastercard vs. other issuers
Visa and Mastercard aren’t the only issuers out there. While not quite as widely as accepted, Discover and American Express are still noteworthy networks that offer great customer benefits.
American Express vs. Visa vs. Mastercard
American Express is accepted at 99% of places that take credit cards in the U.S. However, you may occasionally encounter a merchant that accepts Visa, Discover and Mastercard but not American Express. That’s because American Express charges a slightly higher transaction fee to merchants than the other networks, so some merchants don’t take Amex as a result.
American Express can be used at 54.6 million merchants worldwide, which is less than the 56.7 million that take Visa.
That said, American Express offers competitive benefits to Visa and Mastercards, including numerous travel perks, purchase protections and insurance, emergency services and more.
Discover vs. Visa vs. Mastercard
While 99% of places in the U.S. that take credit cards accept Discover, its international acceptance is much more limited (that said, its international presence is growing). Discover has the third highest acceptance rate in the U.S. behind Visa and Mastercard, so it’s not a bad choice if you plan to mainly use your card domestically.
However, Discover has far fewer benefits across its cards than Visa, Mastercard and American Express, so whether or not you choose a Discover card will likely depend on the specific credit card you pick.
To see rates & fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please click here.
Frequently asked questions
Visa and Mastercard have equal global acceptance.
Mastercard is a publicly traded company as of 2006.
Both Visa and Mastercard are publicly traded companies.
Visa is a publicly traded company.
Yes, Visa is an American company that has expanded internationally.
Yes, American Express is an American financial company.
American Express is a publicly traded company.
Deciding whether Visa or Mastercard is better depends on which network’s benefits you prefer, as they have about equal global acceptance. On the whole, Visa offers its cardmembers more benefits than Mastercard.
There are four major card networks in the U.S.: Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express.
American Express is a publicly traded financial company that primarily issues credit cards.
American Express is a publicly traded company.
Yes, American Express is a financial institution that primarily issues credit cards.