Visa is the world’s largest payments network by purchase transactions and operates under the ticker V.
Visa provides electronic payment network services connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and governments. It generally does not issue cards, extend credit, or set the interest rate on a cardholder’s account; those activities are typically handled by banks and other issuers.
The company traces its history to Bank of America’s BankAmericard, introduced in 1958. The Visa name was adopted internationally in the 1970s, and Visa became an independent public company in 2008.
Visa is often confused with a bank or card issuer because its logo appears on payment cards. Its business is primarily processing transactions and providing network infrastructure. The ticker V is a notable example of a short stock symbol associated with a major mega-cap company.