Visa or MasterCard? American Express or Diners Club?
21 April 2008
Credit cards can come from many different credit providers, but the companies dedicated to transactions are relatively few. The biggest names are Visa, MasterCard, American express and Diners Club, which provide varying levels of service to their customers.
Visa and MasterCard are the major players for the average credit card user, available for use at the widest number of locations worldwide. They charge a minimal transaction fee to merchants, allowing for a reasonably standard level of price increase to make up for the additional charge. As many credit cards are offered in both Visa or MasterCard varieties with otherwise identical features, the difference will usually only be noticeable in premium credit cards. Visa and MasterCard do offer different rewards in their reward programs, but these will often differ more by who supports them rather than the type of products and services on offer. If you choose either Visa or MasterCard you can be assured easy access to credit from many locations worldwide.
American Express and Diners Club specialise in premium credit cards, which has unfortunately lead to a somewhat higher transaction fee for merchants, often meaning many businesses that support these cards will charge you additionally for use of an AMEX or Diners Club credit card. The reward programs of these providers are legendary, but American Express would probably be more considered the more prestigious. Fees, interest rates and requirements of new customers are almost uniformly higher than Visa or MasterCard, but the rewards of American Express credit cards often far outstrip those of other credit providers.
Please visit our credit card types page for more information on the various types of credit cards.
November Credit Card Offers
You don't need be an Aussie customer
Life's better with more zeros
Ongoing low interest rates
featured credit card issuer
