Institute for International Research

MasterCard Worldwide advances global commerce by providing a critical economic link between financial institutions, businesses, cardholders and merchants worldwide.  As a franchisor, processor and advisor, MasterCard develops and markets payment solutions, processes approximately 14 billion payments each year, and provides industry-leading analysis and consulting services to financial institution customers and merchants.  Through its family of brands, including MasterCard®, Maestro® and Cirrus®, MasterCard Worldwide serves consumers and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories.

Visa operates the world's largest retail electronic payments network and is one of the most recognized global financial services brands. Visa facilitates global commerce through the transfer of value and information among financial institutions, merchants, consumers, businesses and government entities.
We offer a range of branded payment product platforms, which our financial institution clients use to develop and offer credit, charge, deferred debit, prepaid and cash access programs to cardholders.   Visa's global transaction and information processing network, VisaNet, supports these payment platforms and delivers value-added services, including fraud and risk management, dispute resolution, rewards and other business-enhancing applications.
Visa's card platforms provide consumers, businesses, merchants and government entities with a secure, convenient and reliable way to pay and be paid in 170 countries and territories.  Our family of global payment brands, including Visa, Visa Electron, Plus and Interlink, enjoy unsurpassed acceptance at 28 million merchant outlets and 1 million ATMs across the world.