Mastercard Incorporated is an American multinational financial services corporation in Purchase, New York, United States.[3] Its business is to process payments between the banks of merchants and the card issuing banks or credit unions of the purchasers who use the "Mastercard" brand debit and credit cards.
Mastercard, first known as Interbank/Master Charge,[4] was started by several California banks as a competitor to the BankAmericard by Bank of America, later the Visa credit card by Visa Inc. From 1966 to 1979, Mastercard was named "Interbank" and "Master Charge".
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