Visa was originally launched as BankAmericard.
Bank of America introduced BankAmericard in 1958 in Fresno, California. It was one of the first large-scale general-purpose credit-card programs, allowing participating merchants to accept a card issued by a bank rather than operating a private store card. The early launch was famously associated with a mass mailing of unsolicited cards, an experiment that helped reveal both the potential and risks of revolving credit.
The system expanded internationally through licensing arrangements. In 1976, the BankAmericard network adopted the name Visa, creating a more internationally neutral brand. Visa is a payment-network company rather than a conventional bank: it generally connects cardholders, merchants, and financial institutions and processes transactions, while member banks issue many Visa cards. A common mix-up is to confuse Visa with the issuing bank printed on a card.