The best visa card. Which card is better, Visa or MasterCard?

Modern life cannot be imagined without bank cards. With their help, goods and services are paid for, and other tasks are solved. Cards belong to payment systems. What it is? This question is asked by people who use bank cards. It represents a set of financial methods and instruments. In many countries, payment systems differ from each other. Each has features, which I will tell you about right now.

What is the role of the payment system

With the help of payment systems, people solve different problems:

make money transfers;
make calculations;
regulate obligations between participants in financial transactions.

Payment systems have many advantages:

transactions (online purchases, conversion, etc.) are carried out instantly;
commissions are low;
anonymity is guaranteed;
Withdrawals can be made to any bank account;
security is at a high level;
possibility of paying for telephony, Internet, housing and communal services.

These elements are connected to each other. Interaction is carried out according to established rules, which are enshrined in legal documents. All participants must comply with them.

Simply put, the payment system is a link that allows you to carry out financial transactions through banks. The payment system provides convenience for customers. Which? I'll tell you about this now.

Popular payment systems in the world

Which bank card should I choose? First, I’ll tell you that there are two types of payment systems: local and international. The latter includes MasterCard and Visa. Now we will look at the first two points and decide which plastic card is better.

American PS Visa

Visa is the world's leading dollar-based payment system. For this reason, conversion procedures are carried out through this currency. Why is Visa so popular all over the world? Because it is listed in 30 million organizations engaged in trade and providing services in more than 200 countries.

What additional features does Visa have? I will list only the main ones:

Visa payment system cards are accepted at more than 1,000,000 ATMs around the planet.
More than half of the money turnover of payment organizations in the world belongs to Visa.
20,000 - this is the number of institutions that are members of the system.

The advantages of the Visa payment system are obvious:

credit card allows you to access funds at any time anywhere in the world;
it is possible to conduct transactions on the Internet;
you can bring currency to any country;
money is debited from the card instantly without commission in any country.

Over the past 10 years, it has become clear to the naked eye how the market for servicing this payment system in Russia has developed. Each employee of most companies has a salary debit Visa card. Today it is difficult to imagine a store, restaurant or any other place of service where there would not be a terminal that accepts funds from this system for non-cash payments.

American PS MasterCard

MasterCard International is an international payment system that unites a huge number of financial institutions in more than 200 countries. What tasks does it perform? Let's focus on the main ones:

allows you to carry out settlement transactions for individuals and legal entities;
makes it possible to implement issuance programs - production of bank cards.

The number of people who use cards of this payment system increases every year. It is developing, its functionality is expanding, and this is largely thanks to Russia, because this country is promising for MasterCard. I was able to verify this by paying attention to the statistics. Thus, almost 40% of plastic cards in Russia come from this company. Soon we will see how this payment system will stand on par with Visa.

MasterCard owes its rapid development to Sberbank, Russian Standard and other well-known banks that cooperate with it. Only in 2013, the amount of settlements made in this system increased by 25 percent. Now this figure is much higher.

Russian PS "NSPK" - MIR map

NSPK is a relatively new payment system in Russia. It has positive characteristics:

convenience;
safety;
reliability;
availability.

National payment card system appeared in Russia in 2014. Owned by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, it is not dependent on companies from other countries. With its help you can carry out all the same settlement operations as with other systems. Cards are accepted anywhere in the country. With its help, you can withdraw cash, pay for purchases by bank transfer and perform other transactions.

Which card to choose for traveling abroad

To decide which card to choose for traveling abroad, you need to understand the conversion mechanism for purchases abroad. Let's consider only MasterCard, Visa, since MIR is not accepted in other countries. Therefore, I’ll tell you which card to pay abroad.

Both Visa and MasterCard are accepted all over the world. By the way, you can create cards from both payment systems and then link them to one account. What will happen in the end? Co-brandingmap, which may have a chip or magnetic stripe. It is convenient to use. In practice, its use looks like this. Let's assume you have a MasterCard - Golden Crown card. When paying for a purchase by bank transfer through a terminal that operates in the MasterCard network, the transaction will be carried out using this particular payment system. The commission will be transferred to her. If the terminal operates at Zolotaya Korona, the Center for Financial Technologies will receive the commission. In this case, the systems operate with one bank account.

Typically, such cards are not created between VISA and MasterCard and between one large payment system and one local local one (for example, Zolotaya Korona, which I just mentioned, MIR, UnionPay, etc.).

When staying abroad, the currency of the card for payment depends on the currency in which the bank makes settlements with the payment system. For Visa - dollars, for MasterCard - euros. It turns out that it is better to pay in Turkey (in its European part) with MasterCard cards, in the United States of America - Visa.

We figured out which card to take with us to Europe or America. But what to pay in China? Despite the fact that the payment systems I reviewed are international, using them in this country is not very convenient. China has its own local local payment system. It's called UnionPay. Before traveling to this country, it is better to apply for a card of this payment system or a co-branded MasterCard-UnionPay card from a Russian bank.

To understand what the conversion rate is when paying, consider the mechanism:

When making a payment abroad in the currency of the country, let’s say in a store, the servicing bank of this same retail outlet sends to the payment system to which the card belongs, data that a certain amount must be debited from its holder.
The payment system converts the local currency into the currency of settlement between it and the bank (issuer) where the card was issued to the buyer, and then issues an invoice in this currency.
What happens next depends on the issuer and the currency of the card. Conversion is carried out according to the bank's terms and conditions. This may be its rate or the Central Bank.

I note that the system conversion course does not have any additional fees. In a word, neither Visa nor Mastercard do any markups.

So what are they like? profitable travel cards? In my opinion, there is not much difference between the two. You just need to find out what the conversion rate is at the bank that issued your card. And, of course, pay attention to these parameters:

the price of card servicing should be affordable;
cashback - profitable;
the commission for withdrawing cash abroad is small.

Card for purchases in Russia (In Crimea)

Which card to pay in Crimea? MasterCard, Visa and MIR of all Russian banks operate in this republic. Only the first two payment systems may not work at all or function unstable. Therefore, it is better to apply for a “MIR” card for trips to Crimea.

Which card to pay in Russia in 2019? To do this, you need to be guided by the parameters for choosing a card abroad, which I gave above. Plus compare the opportunities that payment systems provide and the advantages they have. In principle, I don’t see much difference between Visa, MasterCard and MIR for payments within the country. By comparing the offers of banks, you can choose a suitable card that meets all the requirements.

When planning to issue a particular card, bank clients often ask: is Maestro a Visa or MasterCard, what are the differences between the card products of this or that international payment system, and which card is better to choose? We tried to answer all these questions.

Is the Maestro card a Visa or a MasterCard?

One of the most popular cards today is the inexpensive, practical and versatile plastic Maestro.

The Maestro payment system appeared in 1990. However, although it is independent, its activities are based on the international payment system MasterCard, which originated back in 1966 in the USA. Today, the Maestro card brand is one of the most popular and widespread in the world, so many banks offer plastics of this payment system in their card assortment.

The Maestro brand is just one of the products of the global payment system MasterCard, which is characterized by somewhat limited functionality, but at the same time such cards are full-fledged means of payment all over the world.

In addition to the Maestro brand, the international payment system MasterCard, headquartered in the United States, also represents other brands: Cirrus, Mondex, MasterCard, MasterCard Electronic.

Main characteristics of Maestro system cards:

the logos of the MasterCard and Maestro payment systems are very similar, but still differ in color scheme,
such cards are debit,
Maestro cards are most often used as salary cards, since they are inexpensive to use and ideal for everyday use,
these cards are often offered as part of social programs to pensioners, students and other citizens of the Russian Federation who receive social benefits,
the number of services offered within such a card product is very limited,
Unlike other Mastercard cards, Maestro plastic has a card number that is not printed, but extruded.

Having figured out the answer to the question: is Maestro Mastercard or Visa, let’s consider other features of Maestro cards:

Persons over 14 years of age can apply for such a plastic card in most banks,
the card is not personal, i.e. the holder's name is not displayed on it,
the card number consists not of 16, but of 18 digits,
To authorize card transactions, you must enter a PIN code,
there is no CVC2/CVV security code on the back of the plastic; SecureCode is used to ensure payment security,
to pay for purchases online, you will have to use PayPal, but you will not need to enter a security code,
The Maestro card is more suitable for use within the country than abroad.

Maestro card holders note the following advantages: the ability to receive a card from the age of 14, free (in most cases) service, ease of registration.

This plastic card also has disadvantages: it cannot be used abroad, a commission is often charged for cash withdrawals in other regions, and it has reduced functions compared to Visa and MasterCard cards.

Differences between Visa, MasterCard and Maestro cards

Often those who want to get a bank card find it difficult to choose the plastic of one or another payment system. Indeed, which card is more convenient to use - Maestro or Visa, or maybe MasterCard.

Perhaps it is worth considering the differences between Visa, MasterCard, Maestro cards:

Visa cards belong to a separate payment system Visa, and Mastercard and Maestro – to the Mastercard payment system,
So far, Visa cards are more popular in the Russian Federation, in particular Visa Electron, an entry-level card similar to Maestro cards,
The logos of payment systems are also different: for Visa it is a text writing, and for MasterCard it is a graphic image, very similar to the Maestro logo,

Both Visa and MasterCard are international payment systems represented on all continents, their headquarters are located in the USA: the first is represented in 200 countries, and the second in 210,
experts believe that Visa has slightly greater global market coverage than its competitor, but this gap is rapidly closing every year, and both payment systems are almost equally leaders on the world stage,
Until recently, the cards of these payment systems differed in the principle of currency conversion during conversion operations, today conversion occurs according to the same principle,
It is believed that Visa is more common in countries where the circulation of the American dollar is more common, and MasterCard is where the euro is more common,
Unlike Visa and MasterCard Maestro cards, they are often issued and serviced free of charge, but the first two have much more features and bonuses.

To summarize, we note that the functional and inexpensive Maestro card is more suitable for everyday use within the country, while for paying for purchases in online stores and for use abroad (including when booking airline tickets, hotels, etc.) It is better to have a Visa or MasterCard of a higher category with you - Classic, Gold or Platinum.

Which bank card should I choose: Visa or MasterCard? What are their differences and which one is better and why? These questions have probably been asked more than once by every resident of our country, either who receives wages on a bank card, or who has issued or plans to issue one for use when traveling to other countries.

The question is very interesting, how interesting it is sometimes to listen or read and the answers to it, ranging from banal and amateurish reasoning to the political preferences of users. Conflicting recommendations on choosing a payment system can also be heard from employees of various banks (both from neutral recommendations and those “pushing” a card from one of the payment systems). Often the answers are not exhaustive in nature, since they do not explain the problem. And some advice is completely wrong.

So let's try to figure this issue out together! We won’t talk about the “level” of cards (Visa Electron/Maestro, Visa Classic/MasterCard Standard, Visa Gold/MasterCard Gold, etc.). Let's talk better about payment systems.

Payment systems

First of all, it should be noted that Visa and MasterCard have long been the two largest payment systems, the reliability of which no one has yet doubted. Comparing them by such indicators as market share, number of payment terminals, etc., you can find out that Visa is in the lead, but at the same time, you will not have problems with MasterCard abroad. I'm pretty sure you'll be hard-pressed to find an ATM or payment terminal that claims to support Visa but not MasterCard, and vice versa. So in their basic consumer properties they are exactly the same!

It is better to find official information about these payment systems on their official websites www.visa.com, www.mastercard.com, or in some knowledge base (for example, wikipedia).

Practical differences between Visa and Mastercard

You can often hear the following statement: “Visa is an American payment system. MasterCard is European.” Although this is not entirely true (Mastercard was also American, but at one time absorbed the European Eurocard).

Both payment systems have long become international. Just look at the full name of the payment systems - VISA International Service Association and MasterCard Worldwide.

Something else is much more important.

For the Visa payment system, the main currency is U.S. $. This means that transactions on cards of this payment system related to currency conversion will be carried out through the dollar. I will describe examples below.

For the MasterCard payment system, the main currency can be either U.S. $, so Euro. This is a very important feature! That is, transactions can take place either through the Euro or through the dollar.

In fact, this is the whole difference, but this is also all the possible nuances.

Correspondent accounts

Banks from different countries, concluding an agreement with a payment system and issuing cards under the Visa and MasterCard brands, open one or more correspondent accounts with correspondent banks.

Most often in Russia, accounts in Euros are used for mutual settlements in the MasterCard system. For Visa, no options, in US dollars.

The bank, purely theoretically, can open accounts for MasterCard for both the Euro and the American dollar, in this case MasterCard becomes as convenient as possible for the traveler, but this rarely happens - this means additional expenses on the part of the bank and a decrease in profitability for some operations. I have not studied this issue thoroughly, but I do not know of a single Russian bank that has both accounts open for MasterCard.

Therefore, we believe that Visa works with the US dollar, and MasterCard with the Euro.

Conversion

Conversion, in general, occurs if the currency in which you make the payment is different from the currency of your card account (your card account may be in rubles, US dollars or Euros).

Some conversions when paying abroad are carried out at the rates of the payment system, and some at the rate of your bank.

Conversion rates for Visa and MasterCard differ from each other, but not significantly. Specific dates can be found here:
Conversion rate in the Visa payment system
Conversion rate in the MasterCard payment system

You can find out the conversion rate of your bank by contacting it. Your bank may impose an additional percentage on conversion operations of payment systems, the so-called “Enter Bank Fee”. The amount of this percentage is determined only by the bank and in practice ranges from 0 to 5%!

That is, any of your conversion operations is not only a certain loss due to the payment system, but, sometimes, also a “contribution” to the welfare of your bank. Most often, an “Enter Bank Fee” value of over 1% can already be considered arrogance!

For example, as Sberbank employees told me, when working with Visa from Sberbank, they earn more than if someone uses their MasterCard. Until recently, the “Enter Bank Fee” for Visa at Sberbank was 0.65%.

Now let's see how this happens in practice in real life situations.

Conversion Examples

Let's take several different options and see how many conversions we will have when making payments in different countries.

All options are conditional, but most likely, realities may differ depending on the bank (see above about correspondent accounts).

Option 1

Ruble account. Payment for a hotel in France.

Visa: RUB-USD-EUR
MasterCard: RUB-EUR

As you can see, MasterCard is more profitable - one conversion.

Option 2

Euro account. Paying the bill at a restaurant in Italy.

Visa: EUR-USD-EUR
MasterCard: EUR

MasterCard is clearly more profitable - there is no conversion. But with Visa you will lose significantly in this option. There will be a double conversion here. Moreover, one conversion will be made by the payment system, and the second by your bank.

Option 3

Dollar account. Paying a bill at a store in Chicago.

Visa: USD
MasterCard: USD-EUR-USD

The situation is the other way around: Visa has no conversion, but with MasterCard you will lose some of your money due to double conversion.

Option 4

Ruble account. Payment for a hotel in Riga.

Visa: RUB-USD-EUR-LVL or RUB-USD-LVL
MasterCard: RUB-EUR-LVL

With MasterCard double conversion. But with Visa there may be two, but more likely three, conversions. The fact is that in Europe many transactions are carried out through the Euro, so triple conversion is possible.

Thus, if you plan to use a bank card only for crediting your salary in rubles, withdrawing cash from an ATM and making non-cash payments within the country, do not worry about choosing a payment system. Doesn't matter! Choose a BANK with the best annual service rates, cash withdrawal fees, etc., overdraft options and other goodies!

If you plan most transactions that involve conversion in Europe, then you should use a MasterCard payment system card.

If you travel more to the Americas or Southeast Asian countries, then your choice is Visa.

Regional Advisor:

USA, Canada - Visa
Latin America - Visa
Australia - Visa
Thailand - Visa
Europe - MasterCard
Africa (not everywhere*) - MasterCard
Cuba** - MasterCard
* (from tourist reviews) - in Algeria there is not a single ATM that supports MasterCard!;
** (from tourist reviews) - when traveling to Cuba, it is advisable to have a card from a European bank or MasterCard; an American bank card may simply not be accepted, and the commission for converting dollars can reach 20%!

Be careful with your expenses. Don't forget about double and triple conversions. Your purchases may cost you much more than you planned.

Before traveling abroad, check with your bank about the availability and amount of the Enter Bank Fee. With a large Enter Bank Fee value, each conversion will cost you more. Plus, look at your bank's rate.

Recently, about 10 years ago, many hesitated, choosing between cash and non-cash payments. Now that all doubts have disappeared, many have questions regarding payment systems. Which card is better, Visa or MasterCard, and what is the difference between them? To understand the differences, you must first know the scope of each.

Visa company

Today, Visa is the leader in terms of the amount of plastic produced. More than 2 billion cards are used in 200 countries. Visa transactions are primarily carried out in dollars, which determines the degree of popularity among Americans. This is where the Visa is most used. It is least popular in Asia.

More than 20 million different organizations and institutions accept Visa for payment. The reasons for this popularity are the following advantages:

- You can manage your account online, anywhere there is internet, and around the clock;
- dollars are accepted in almost all civilized countries;
- Money is written off without commission, regardless of location;
- the largest number of countries accept Visa;
- There are one million Visa payment system ATMs around the world.

The history of cooperation between the corporation and Russian banks goes back almost 30 years, when Sberbank became Visa's first partner bank in Russia. Over the years, the scope of its services has expanded significantly. Most debit and salary cards are issued by Visa. You can pay with them everywhere: from a small retail outlet to a large supermarket.

Note: At first, the word “American” was used during release, but due to the unpopularity of the United States, it was decided to abandon the name. This is how the word Visa appeared, which referred to both the emerging corporation and the payment system.

MasterCard Company

Today, the second most popular card in Russia is MasterCard. At the very beginning, it was created in America as an alternative to the corporation, which later became known as Visa. Despite the fact that the head office is also located in America, in its homeland Mastercard is inferior to Visa.

For half a century, Visa and MasterCard have been considered competitors, whose priorities were initially very different. Now the most noticeable difference is the territorial division, otherwise the difference is almost invisible.

MasterCard is a large corporation that unites about 20 thousand financial institutions located in 210 countries. MasterCard is most popular in European countries, Brazil, and China.

The main activities of this payment system are:

opening accounts;
card issue worldwide;
online electronic payments;
servicing accounts of individuals and organizations.

The annual number of banking transactions made through the MasterCard payment system is constantly growing. Already now the figure is quite large - 25 billion such operations annually. In Russia, the share of all transactions carried out through MasterCard is 38 percent.

This figure significantly shows the growth of the influence of the MasterCard system on the Russian market over the past few years. All reputable banks, for example, Sberbank, cooperate with the corporation.

What is the difference between Visa and MasterCard

The two payment systems have been competing since the days when Visa was called Bank of America. 8 years later, MasterCard Corporation was created. Each has its own region: Visa is predominantly distributed in America, while MasterCard is widespread in Europe. It is believed that the former works more with dollar accounts, and the latter with euro and national currencies.

Please note: The division by currency is very arbitrary. Employees of any bank will help you open a dollar account for MasterCard, euro for Visa.

Thanks to the fact that Visa appeared earlier, it held its leading position for a long time. 15 years ago the corporation had more than half of all payment cards, but now the situation has changed: the difference between Visa or MasterCard has almost leveled out, although not completely. In any case, MasterCard is rapidly catching up with Visa in terms of the amount of plastic and the turnover that is carried out through it.

Now, in fact, there are 2 leaders on the market. Therefore, the question: which card is better, Visa or MasterCard, is difficult to answer. Let's try to determine the differences and similarities between them:

Reliability

Both payment systems are safe enough for use by individuals, legal entities, and federal structures.

Number of operations

Although Russian statistics on this indicator are kept irregularly, it can be roughly said that MasterCard is now slightly ahead of Visa.

Annual turnover

Visa Corporation has 4.8 trillion. American dollars around the world. In terms of the amount of money that passes through each corporation on the Russian market, Visa is also the leader. So far, MasterCard cannot come close to Visa in this indicator. Although, judging by the pace of development of MasterCard, this will become possible in the near future.

Payment instruments, their quantity and reliability. The visa was ahead for a long time, due to the fact that she is several years older. Now, with the help of intensive marketing efforts, MasterCard is almost equal to the leader in the listed parameters.

Owner reviews

Ordinary people who use both payment systems believe that there is no difference in the quality of service between them. According to statistics, there are more Visa terminals than MasterCard, but they serve not only their clients, but also MasterCard. Therefore, the consumer does not see the difference, as well as any additional inconveniences.

The functionality of the services is almost the same, so it is impossible to give clear preference to one. As mentioned above, the linking of payment systems to the dollar or euro is very conditional. Until recently, there was a common opinion that Visa was more reliable, so it was better to open deposits or receive salaries through it.

It is believed that after the release of co-branded cards World with MasterCard, the popularity of the latter began to grow. Several years ago, large Russian banks, which previously preferred to issue Visa payroll or debit cards to their clients, signed an agreement with MasterCard.

By the way: MasterCard has a more loyal attitude towards NSPK, 100 percent of the shares of which belong to the Central Bank of Russia.
NSPK is a national payment card system.

When traveling abroad, it is best to choose a payment system according to its geographical preference: Visa - for America, MasterCard - for Europe. This difference is not felt inside Russia.

How to determine “Visa” or “Mastercard”

The average person who has several cards at once often has a question regarding their affiliation with one or another payment system: how to determine whether you have Visa or MasterCard? The simplest way is to identify it by name. On the front side in the right (upper or lower) corner you can see the name of the payment system: Visa or MasterCard.

The second most difficult way: you can find out the affiliation by the card number. On the front side there are 16 or 18 digits that indicate the number. The first four indicate belonging to a particular payment system. An ordinary bank client just needs to look at the first number.

For Visa, the number begins with the number “4”, MasterCard - with the number “5”. The Maestro card number, a subsidiary of MasterCard, begins with the number “6”. Thus, MasterCard cards begin with “5” and “6”, and Visa cards begin with “four”.

Various levels

Visa and MasterCard bank cards have different levels, almost identical. Only the names and some functions of the plastic differ. Let's look at the features of each variety:

First level. It is used, as a rule, to receive wages, scholarships, pensions, and financial assistance. MasterCard calls cards of this level: Electronic, Maestro, Unembossed, Visa - Electron. The biggest advantage of such plastic: they are free of charge. There are cases where an annual fee is charged. Then it is minimal. There is one prohibition: you cannot purchase anything from online stores, there are several other restrictions.

Standard view

These are debit cards that are used to pay for online purchases. They make purchases when traveling abroad. Users of such cards have an account insurance feature. Visa issues Classic, MasterCard has a card of this level - MasterCard Standard. There is a service fee of about 500 rubles.

Elite

Premium cards (Mastercard Gold, Visa Gold, Platinum and Infinite) offer several convenient features. In addition, holders of such cards have additional bonuses in the form of favorable loans or discounts on goods. This level corresponds to the price you need to pay for service: 3-5 thousand rubles annually.

Interesting: Each of the payment systems has cards for young people, the elderly, and travel, but this is just a marketing ploy. In fact, they can fall into one of three main levels.

For Russia, you can issue any of the above cards, the difference is not noticeable. The level is selected according to capabilities and needs. When going abroad, you need to choose: for Europe MasterCard is more convenient, for America - Visa.

Advantages and disadvantages of VISA card

Visa is a transcontinental American corporation that provides payment transaction services. The company was founded in 1958 and today its activities cover almost all countries of the world. The main currency of the system is US dollars. Therefore, when going abroad with a Visa card, the client should know that when paying with it at retail outlets where the euro is valid, he will be charged a certain percentage for currency conversion.

An additional commission is also charged when cashing out a VISA card from Sberbank at ATMs in Europe. Typically this is 2%.

At the moment, Sberbank of Russia produces two types of Visa plastic products - debit and credit.

Debit cards:

Classic standard;
Classic with big bonuses;
Classic with individual design;
Youth;
Aeroflot (Classic, Gold and Signature);
“Give Life” (classical, gold and platinum);
Instant.

Credit cards Visa presented in the same options as debit:

Classic,
Golden,
Premium,
Aeroflot (Classic, Gold, Signature),
“Give Life” (classic and gold).

Advantages of Visa payment products:

High degree of protection,
Versatility (can be used everywhere),
Possibility to use the card abroad.

The downside is that the card is focused more on US dollars than Euros. When cashing it out in EU countries, the user is charged an additional tax. And this applies to cashing out not only credit cards. And we remember that they are provided for non-cash payments. So, when withdrawing money from a credit card through a Sberbank cash machine, the commission is 3% (at least 390 rubles), and when cashing out through any other - 4% (at least 490 rubles). Cashing out a Sberbank Visa debit card at your “native” ATM without%, and abroad - 2%.

Advantages and disadvantages of the Mastercard card

Mastercard is a universal payment system first presented in the United States in 1966. Currently operating in 210 countries around the world. The main advantage of cards of this type is the ability to use them abroad almost everywhere. At the same time, there is no conversion fee for using the card in the EU.

This year, Sberbank will present the following debit and credit cards of the MasterCard payment type:

Mastercard Classic;
Mastercard Gold;
Mastercard Signature
Card with big bonuses;
Mastercard with individual design;
Youth;
Aeroflot (standard, gold and platinum);
“Give Life” (Classic and Gold);
Instant.

The payment type has the same advantages as a Visa, plus priority (no fees) use in the EU.

What is better Visa or Mastercard in Russia?

So, we found out that to travel to Europe, you should apply for a Mastercard payment card. But in America Visa comes in handy. But what about in Russia? What plastic should I order?

In fact, experts answer this question like this: It is beneficial to use any type of payment system in Russia if the card itself is issued by a Russian bank. Cash withdrawal at local ATMs without interest (for debit ones). And withdrawing money from loans at an acceptable interest rate without additional conversion fees.

And another question: Mastercard Gold or Visa Gold: which is better?

When applying for premium cards, many clients ask the question: which is better Mastercard Gold or Visa Gold?

There is no significant difference between them if the holder will use it only on the territory of Russia (and issued it in Russia, accordingly). If the consumer is planning a trip to Europe, then it is better for him to give preference to Mastercard gold plastic, which is more focused on the euro. This way he will avoid additional fees for currency conversion when cashing out the card or using it in stores.
If the client makes frequent trips to the USA, then it is preferable to issue a Visa payment system card, the main currency of which is the US dollar.

Conclusion

You should issue several cards of different payment types and use them upon request. In Europe - Mastercard. And in America - Visa. On the territory of Russia, it is very profitable to have plastic from the national payment system MIR, especially since its issuance and maintenance are free.