Visa operates the NYSE-listed payment network whose shares trade under the ticker V and became one of the world's largest firms by market value.
Visa Inc. was created in 2007 when Visa's regional organizations were consolidated into one public company. Its initial public offering took place in March 2008 and raised about $17.9 billion, making it one of the largest U.S. IPOs at the time.
Visa generally does not issue cards directly to consumers. Banks and other financial institutions issue Visa-branded cards, while Visa operates the network that helps authorize, clear, and settle electronic payments.
Visa is often confused with a bank or a card issuer. Its business model is primarily based on payment-network services and transaction-related fees. Mastercard has a similar network model but is a separate company with the ticker MA.