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Visa®When you look at a credit card and see the Visa® logo you might think that this is the company that issued your credit card. You’d be wrong. What the logo indicates is that the company issuing your credit card is using Visa’s® technological network. But this company doesn’t extend credit, issue credit cards, or set rates and fees for consumers. Instead, it enables financial institutions to supply those functions using digital currency in place of cash or checks. Visa’s® technology allows customers to access their checking accounts with debit cards, pay ahead of time by depositing money into pre-paid credit card accounts, or use standard credit cards to access credit lines offered through banking institutions. Interestingly, approximately 70% of U.S. Visa® transactions are prepaid and debit transactions. As you’ve learned if you use a credit card for online purchases, Visa® enables instant payment. While a Pay Pal transaction with a credit card sends funds to the merchant immediately, transactions done by electronic check can take several days to process. Naturally, merchants wait until they have money in hand before releasing electronic downloads or shipping merchandise. By accepting Visa® branded credit cards, merchants get their money faster, and thus consumers get their merchandise faster. |