Visa became the first payment-network company to surpass a $500 billion market capitalization.
Visa operates a global electronic payments network connecting consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and governments. It generally does not issue cards or lend money directly; banks and other institutions issue Visa-branded cards, while Visa processes transactions across its network.
The modern company grew from Bank of America’s BankAmericard program, launched in 1958. Visa became the corporate name in 1976, and Visa Inc. went public in 2008 after the restructuring of Visa’s regional associations.
Visa’s market value reflects expectations about transaction volume, international payments, pricing, and future earnings. It is therefore different from the total value of payments processed. Mastercard is the closest major rival, but its separate corporate history and market capitalization mean it is not the answer to this question.