Mastercard Inc. is a global payments company that operates a network connecting consumers, banks, merchants, and other businesses. It traces its roots to 1966, when a group of banks formed the Interbank Card Association to compete in the growing credit card market. The group introduced Master Charge: The Interbank Card in 1969, which was renamed Mastercard about a decade later. In 2025, about 3.4 billion Mastercard-branded cards were in circulation worldwide.
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