Visa was originally established in 1958 by Bank of America.
Bank of America launched the BankAmericard program in Fresno, California, introducing a general-purpose credit card that could be used beyond a single store. The program later expanded nationally and internationally through licensing arrangements.
In 1976, BankAmericard was renamed Visa. The new name supported a global identity rather than tying the card network to one bank or country. Visa Inc. later became an independent publicly traded company.
Visa is often confused with a bank because its cards carry the Visa logo. Visa generally operates the payment network connecting cardholders, merchants, and financial institutions; banks typically issue the cards and extend credit. Mastercard follows a similar network model.