Visa Credit Cards

In 1958, Bank of America in Fresno, California introduced the BankAmericard credit card. The original intent of the card was to simplify the financial processes of merchants. The BankAmericard was available only in California until 1965, when it was licensed in several other states. Bank of America relinquished control of the credit card program to the individual issuers in 1970, and fifteen countries were given licenses for the card in 1972. The various issuers of the BankAmericard came together under the name of Visa in 1975. Visa is a widely recognized name today and is the largest electronic payments network in the world, serving over 170 countries


Smart Cards
Visa Smart Cards contain electronic chips that store encrypted information. Smart Cards offer more security than credit or debit cards with magnetic strips. Identity thieves can copy the information from magnetic strips, but electronic chips are safe from this practice. When used in combination with a personalized identification number (PIN), Smart Cards offer a much higher level of security than the typical credit or debit card. Smart Cards can be used around the world. The South Pacific alone hosts more than 1,680,000 chip-enabled point-of-service payment terminals.

Verified by Visa
Verified by Visa, introduced in 2002, is another program that enhances the cardholder’s security. Online purchases require the use of a password in order to complete the transaction. This guards against unauthorised use of Visa credit and debit cards. Cardholders register their Verified by Visa password and can immediately have added protection when making purchases from Verified by Visa merchants.

Visa payWave
Visa cardholders can “Wave, pay, and go” with a Visa payWave card. PayWave is a contactless way to make payments, making merchant transactions quicker and more convenient. The payWave system uses Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology to transmit and receive transaction information. Instead of swiping a credit or debit card through a card reader and then entering a PIN, the user positions the payWave card in front of the payWave reader, and the transaction is complete. Several Asia Pacific countries have incorporated the use of payWave through contactless-enabled phones, PDA’s, and other USB devices.

Visa Travel Money
Visa Travel Money allows cardholders to have access to cash for expenses in foreign countries. Travel Money cards are available in various amounts. They are prepaid and are disposal after the cash amount is exhausted. Cardholders can purchase up to nine Travel Money cards at one time, giving themselves access to a larger amount of cash or allowing their traveling companions to use one or more of the cards. Visa Travel Money cards require the cardholder to enter a PIN with each transaction, increasing the security of the card.

Other Services
Visa offers credit and debit cards to businesses, corporations, and government institutions. Visa cards allow more detailed monitoring of financial transactions while providing a high level of security.

Visa Global Customer Assistance is available 24-four hours a day. Cardholders can call the toll-free number for instant access to ATM location information, travel and medical assistance, and to report lost or stolen cards.