Here are the credit card networks and payment networks you need to know

• We’ve outlined some of the leading credit card companies, identified their credit card network market share, and explained what each brings to the table.
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Almost everyone knows the big four largest credit card networks: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.

But the list of credit card issuers and networks extends well beyond those three heavyweights, as there are dozens of other companies around the world that each have a piece of the pie.

Below, we’ve outlined each of these companies, identified their credit card network market share, and explained what each brings to the table.

Visa

Visa remains the king of the mountain in the card network industry. Visa posted $2.35 trillion in total payment volume (TPV) during its fiscal Q4 2020, including a 6% year-over-year (YoY) increase in US consumer spending for the month of November, mostly driven by online holiday transactions. In addition to credit and debit cards, Visa operates electronic funds transfer division Interlink.

MasterCard

MasterCard is no slouch, as it has secured the No. 2 spot among card networks. Mastercard posted $3.9 billion in net revenue in Q1 2019, up 9% YoY. Additionally, the card network counts  2.5 billion cards in circulation, and Mastercard-branded cards grew 224 million YoY.

American Express

American Express (Amex) remains a force among its peer card networks even though it doesn’t have the sheer numbers of Visa or MasterCard. At the start of 2021, Amex added new perks for its consumer and small business cardholders, offering a way for the card issuer to encourage spending and offset pandemic declines.

Discover

Discover remains in fourth place behind Visa, MasterCard, and Amex. Discover saw 10% year-over-year (YoY) growth in its total network volume (TNV) in Q4 2018, to hit $99 billion. 

Interlink

Interlink is the electronic funds transfer division of Visa and it operates primarily within the U.S. But unlike a standard Visa check card purchase, and Interlink purchase uses a PIN and can provide cash back from the merchant.

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STAR

STAR was one of the first networks to focus on PIN debit, and First Data bought the company in 2003. The company prides itself on its innovation, such as the first processing of an envelope-less deposit at an ATM and the first real-time direct electronic check debit.

Accel

The Accel interbank network links more than 400,000 ATMs throughout all 50 states, along with a few U.S. Air Force bases around the globe.

Interac

Interac is the primary Canadian debit card system and flourishes there because other traditional providers, such as Visa and MasterCard, hardly provide cards in the nation. There are over 59,000 automated teller machines that can be accessed through the Interac network in Canada, and over 450,000 merchant locations accepting Interac debit payments.

Visa ReadyLink

This service allows Visa cardholders to quickly add cash to their prepaid accounts. Retailers such as Safeway and 7-Eleven make ReadyLink available to customers.

PULSE

Discover owns PULSE, which operates an interbank network for more than 4,400 financial institutions and 380,000 ATMs in the U.S.  In 2019 PULSE, saw 11% YoY growth to reach $47.1 billion in volume. 

JCB

Japan Credit Bureau (JCB) established itself in the Japanese credit card market and its cards are even used in over 20 different countries. In 2019 JCB teamed up with Santander, through which the bank will handle JCB acceptance for merchants in Spain.