Visa is the payment network founded in 1958 as BankAmericard that later became a global company named Visa.
Bank of America launched BankAmericard in California in 1958. The program expanded through licensed banks, creating a network that could be used across different financial institutions rather than only at one bank.
The name Visa was adopted in 1976 as the organization developed an international identity. Visa Inc. became a public company in 2008 after its initial public offering, one of the largest IPOs in United States history at that time.
Visa generally does not lend money directly to cardholders in the way an issuing bank does. It operates a payment network connecting merchants, acquiring institutions, and card issuers. Mastercard follows a similar network model, but it is a separate company with a different origin.