Visa Inc. — the American company, rendering services of carrying out of payment operations. Is a basis of the association with the same name. Visa International Service Association — leading payment system of the world. The annual trade turnover on cards Visa makes 2,5 billion dollars. Cards Visa are accepted for payment in shops more than 150 countries of the world. The organisation plays the central role in working out of innovative payment products and technologies which are used by 21 thousand financial organisations — members of payment system and holders of their cards.
History Visa has begun in 1958 when Bank of America has manufactured sine-white-gold card BankAmericard. Then for their support had been founded the separate organisation «BankAmericard Service Corporation» in which all operations with cards «BankAmericard» have concentrated and which has started to sell licences for card issuance to other banks. Last should adhere to standards and rules of the circulation with cards. In 1976 this structure has received a name «Visa». Under the status it there was an association banks became which members. In October, 2007 as the separate legal body corporation Visa Inc is founded., and Visa U.S.A., Visa International, Visa Canada and Inovant became direct or indirect subsidiaries of a company. Visa Europe did not become branch, and remains in the property and copes the European financial centres — members of association.
In due course credit cards Visa were widely adopted all over the world. In 1980 and 1990 Visa has offered clients the first elite cards, has created the first global system of cash dispenses, has developed new smart cards and the prepaid cards. Types of manufactured cards:
Visa Electron the Most simple kind of cards. Has no convex elements that limits possibility of use of this kind of cards in the terminals based on removal of a print from a card (mechanical copying, without connection to a database). As a rule, the minimum limits on operations and the minimum warranties are established.
VISA VIRTUAL CARD analogue Visa Electron, but without physical issue of a card. Actually, this granting to the holder only card requisites (number, action date, etc.) Which can be used for payment through the Internet. Card issue is made cheaper, but security decreases. Usually are prepaid at the moment of issue and do not provide replenishment possibility. Can be anonymous that sometimes causes difficulties at processing in payment systems with obligatory verification of a name of the holder.
Visa Classic a card with a standard set of functions.
Visa Gold has additional securities of solvency of the holder.
Visa Platinum an elite card which usually grants possibility to the holder to receive additional services, discounts, the insurance.
Visa initiated creation u-commerce, or world (universal) commerce — possibility to attend to commerce worldwide, at any time and any method.
