Whatco

Mastercard

Payments · United States

Mastercard runs a global payments network that links banks, merchants and cardholders, earning fees on each transaction and on services such as security and data.

What makes it different

It never issues cards or lends money.

175.5BTransactions switchedFY2025

Banks issue the cards; Mastercard earns fees for switching each payment and selling services around it.

How big it is

How big is Mastercard?

$32.8BNet revenueFY2025
$10.6TGross dollar volumeFY2025
39,800EmployeesFY2025
How it makes money FY2025

Fees on every payment, plus services.

  • Payment network$19.5B
  • Value-added services and solutions$13.3B
How the business works

Connect banks. Charge per payment.

  1. 1Banks, merchants, cardholders
  2. 2Each card payment
  3. 3Fees and added services

The more payments flow through the network, the more it earns.

Who owns it
  • The Vanguard Group8.6%
  • BlackRock7.7%
  • Mastercard Foundation7.4%

CEO: Michael Miebach

Who it competes with
VisaAmerican ExpressCChina UnionPayDDiscoverJJCB
Key moments
  1. 1966Banks form the Interbank Card Association
  2. 1968First links outside the U.S.: Mexico and Europe
  3. 1985Acquires the Cirrus ATM network
  4. 1991Launch of Maestro
  5. 2002Merges with Europay and becomes a share corporation
Sources

Every number on this page comes from Mastercard's own reports.

Full profile

The rest of the story is in the app.

What Mastercard tracks21 metrics
Gross dollar volume
Switched transactions
Debit and prepaid cards
Results, quarter by quarterwith a chart
Revenue
Profit
Margin
Where the money comes from2 regions
Asia Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa
Americas
The full timeline20 moments
2022
2024
2025
Mastercard vs Visaside by side
Revenue
Profit
People
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