Mastercard’s global ATM network, launched in 1982, is called Cirrus.
Cirrus connects participating financial institutions and allows cardholders to withdraw cash and perform other ATM transactions outside their own bank’s branch network. The network is identified by the Cirrus logo displayed on cards and cash machines.
The network was created during the growth of automated teller machines and international card use. It helped banks provide broader access to cash without building branches in every location where their customers traveled.
Cirrus is sometimes confused with PLUS, which is associated with Visa, or with regional ATM networks such as STAR and Pulse in the United States. A card can carry more than one network mark, depending on the issuer and the transactions it supports.