Which Fortune 500 company created the credit card network originally called BankAmericard?

Bank of America created BankAmericard, the credit card program that later became the Visa network.

BankAmericard was launched by Bank of America in Fresno, California, in 1958. It was among the earliest general-purpose credit cards designed to let customers make purchases at participating merchants and repay balances over time. The initial launch involved a large unsolicited mailing of cards, a strategy that became known as a “drop.”

The program expanded beyond Bank of America through licensing arrangements with other banks. In 1976, the participating organizations adopted the name Visa, creating a more internationally neutral brand. Visa later became an independent payment-technology company.

BankAmericard should not be confused with Mastercard’s predecessor, Master Charge. Both networks grew from early bank-card programs, but BankAmericard was the direct ancestor of Visa.