Most Widely Accepted Credit Cards (2024)

Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit cards, as both types can be used at 35+ million locations in 200+ countries and territories. If you're looking for a card to use abroad, our pick for the best credit card for international travel is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa Card because of its bonus rewards.

Mastercard is accepted in more countries than Visa, yet roughly 7 million more merchants worldwide take Visa. Both have a claim to the title of most widely accepted credit card as a result. Visa is also the most widely used type of credit card. There isn’t a single credit card that’s most widely accepted, though. That’s because there are hundreds of Mastercard and Visa credit card offers available.

Most Widely Accepted Credit Cards:

• Most Widely Accepted Internationally:Mastercard (210+ countries and territories); Visa (200+).
• Most Widely Accepted in the U.S.:Visa and Mastercard are both accepted at almost 11 million U.S. merchant locations.
• Least Widely Accepted Internationally:American Express (160+ countries and territories); Discover (200+).
• Least Widely Accepted in the U.S.:American Express and Discover (10.6 million locations).
• Most Widely Used:Visa has the most credit cards in circulation (about 838 million). American Express has thehighest purchase volume, at $15,904 per cardholder annually.
• Best Worldwide Credit Cards:Visa or Mastercard credit cards with no foreign transaction fee.

The difference between Visa and Mastercard acceptance is slight. Either network should suit your needs almost anywhere in the world. But if you plan on traveling internationally, be sure your Mastercard or Visa credit card doesn’t charge aforeign transaction fee. That will save you up to 3% on every purchase you make abroad.

Finally, it’s worth pointing out thatstore cardsare the least widely accepted credit cards. They don’t belong to any of the four major card networks. So, they can only be used at their affiliated retailers.