Not a single person in today’s time is unknown because, in some ways, he has given his information of identity to the authorities. Visas and Maestro cards also contain the personal information of individuals to avoid unnecessary troubles.
Key Takeaways
- Visa is a global payment network, while Maestro is a debit card service by Mastercard.
- Visa offers credit, debit, and prepaid cards, while Maestro primarily provides debit cards.
- Visa is more widely accepted worldwide, while Maestro has a stronger presence in Europe.
Visa vs Maestro
Visa is a credit and debit card brand accepted in over 200 countries and territories worldwide. Maestro is a debit card brand owned by Mastercard. It is widely accepted in over 100 countries and territories and can be used to make purchases at any merchant that accepts Maestro cards.
The polity grants Visa cards to people so they can leave their territory to enter another country or stay there for a time given by the polity. Without Visa, a person has to face a lot of trouble in another country.
Maestro Card is owned by MasterCard, which is an American company. The associate banks provide a maestro card to the users, and this card is related to the user’s savings account.
Comparison Table
Parameters Of Comparison | Visa | Maestro |
---|---|---|
Launched | Visas were launched in western Europe during the 1st world war. | Maestro card was introduced quite later in the year 1991 in the US. |
Type | Both debit and credit cards are provided by Visa Inc. | Maestro card is a debit card provided by MasterCard enterprises. |
Usage | Visa includes such information of a person that helps him to travel country to country. | Maestro cards include the banking information of a person that helps to make transactions worldwide. |
Facilities | The facilities provided by visas are similar to both debit and credit cards. | The facility provided by a Maestro card is just like a debit card. |
Manufacturer | The company Visa Inc. located in Foster City, Californian makes Visa cards. | The company is known as MasterCard Inc. situated in the USA make Maestro card. |
What is Visa?
A visa is a card that is attached to a passport. This is an essential part when it comes to travelling to other countries. Without Visa, a person would not be accepted in a foreign country by authorities.
There are multiple types of Visa cards, such as students Visa, Tourist Visas, transit and work visas, etc. The availability of visiting a country depends on the Visa, whether you can travel to a country once or twice or sometimes multiple visits.
Particular countries require medical screening or interviews before providing a Visa. Visas are the most essential travel documents.
What is Maestro?
A service that is known as global debit card service known as MasterCard Enterprises owns the Maestro card. Maestro card also gives the benefits of prepaid cards. One can also call it a Maestro debit card.
The difference between a Maestro card and a prepaid card is just that a prepaid card doesn’t require a person to have a bank account. They are used to withdraw money by swiping through these machines.
In Maestro cards, the EMV chip stores the user’s information. Sometimes the magnetic stripes are also used to store the information.
So when the card is swiped, the information is sent to the bank to get affirmative authorization from the issuing bank. If the information is broken, the transaction will be cancelled immediately.
Main Differences Between Visa and Maestro
- A Visa card came in handy almost a century ago, in 1993, when Maestro cards were introduced.
- By owning a visa card, a person can travel to the desired country, while the maestro card helps him to withdraw money from his account.