Visa was founded in 1958 as BankAmericard before becoming Visa.
Bank of America launched BankAmericard in Fresno, California, in 1958. It was among the first general-purpose consumer credit-card programs. The card system expanded beyond Bank of America and was later reorganized as a network owned by participating financial institutions.
The name Visa was adopted in 1976. Visa does not generally lend money directly to cardholders or issue most cards itself. Instead, it operates a payment network connecting consumers, merchants, banks, and payment processors. Banks issue Visa-branded cards, and merchants accept transactions through the network.
That business model distinguishes Visa from banks and from card issuers such as American Express. Visa’s market value reflects expectations about payment volume, fees, and future growth. It is also different from a country’s currency or from a single physical card.