Card Network — Visa, Mastercard, and how payments route
Medium-length body copy of one or two sentences goes here to support the main headline. Do not make your text longer than this.
Card Network — Visa, Mastercard, and how payments route
Medium-length body copy of one or two sentences goes here to support the main headline. Do not make your text longer than this.
Card Network — Visa, Mastercard, and how payments route
Medium-length body copy of one or two sentences goes here to support the main headline. Do not make your text longer than this.
Table of contents
A card network is the global infrastructure that connects your bank, merchants, and payment terminals so card payments work almost anywhere. When you tap or pay online, the network carries the authorization message and sets the rules everyone follows.
What is a card network?
Card networks (also called card schemes) are organizations such as Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. They define how card numbers are formatted, how transactions are authorized and settled, and how disputes like chargebacks are handled. Your bank issues the card; the network provides the rails.
When you pay at a shop, the merchant's bank (acquirer) and your bank (issuer) communicate through the network in seconds. The network does not usually hold your money long term; it routes messages and guarantees rules so both sides trust the payment.
How card networks fit in a payment
Roles in a typical card purchase:
You present a card or mobile wallet at the POS.
Merchant accepts the brand shown on the door (for example, Mastercard).
Acquirer processes the payment for the merchant.
Card network passes the authorization between acquirer and issuer.
Issuer (your bank) approves or declines based on your balance and security checks such as SCA.
Settlement happens later in batches, but for you the important part is instant approve or decline.
Card network vs. bank vs. payment app
These layers are easy to mix up.
Card network: Shared rules and messaging (Mastercard, Visa).
Bank (issuer): Your account, your card, fraud monitoring, customer support.
Payment app / wallet: Stores your card for convenience; still rides the network when you pay.
SEPA is separate: it governs European bank transfers in euros, not card taps. You use both networks in daily life: cards for shops, SEPA for rent and salary.
bunq and Mastercard
bunq cards run on Mastercard, so you can pay wherever Mastercard is accepted worldwide. That includes contactless, online, and ATM use subject to your plan. Explore bunq Cards, Payments, and zero-fx for how bunq fits into global card acceptance.
Common questions
Does the card network set my fees?
Networks set interchange and scheme fees in the background, but what you see is mostly your bank's pricing (FX, ATM, plan fees). Check your bunq plan for what applies to you.
Why do some shops accept only one network?
Merchants choose which brands to accept based on contracts and customer demand. In Europe, Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted; always carry a backup when traveling to regions where one brand is rare.
Is a card network the same as SWIFT?
No. SWIFT is for international bank transfers. Card networks handle card authorizations. Different tools for different payment types.
Table of contents
A card network is the global infrastructure that connects your bank, merchants, and payment terminals so card payments work almost anywhere. When you tap or pay online, the network carries the authorization message and sets the rules everyone follows.
What is a card network?
Card networks (also called card schemes) are organizations such as Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. They define how card numbers are formatted, how transactions are authorized and settled, and how disputes like chargebacks are handled. Your bank issues the card; the network provides the rails.
When you pay at a shop, the merchant's bank (acquirer) and your bank (issuer) communicate through the network in seconds. The network does not usually hold your money long term; it routes messages and guarantees rules so both sides trust the payment.
How card networks fit in a payment
Roles in a typical card purchase:
You present a card or mobile wallet at the POS.
Merchant accepts the brand shown on the door (for example, Mastercard).
Acquirer processes the payment for the merchant.
Card network passes the authorization between acquirer and issuer.
Issuer (your bank) approves or declines based on your balance and security checks such as SCA.
Settlement happens later in batches, but for you the important part is instant approve or decline.
Card network vs. bank vs. payment app
These layers are easy to mix up.
Card network: Shared rules and messaging (Mastercard, Visa).
Bank (issuer): Your account, your card, fraud monitoring, customer support.
Payment app / wallet: Stores your card for convenience; still rides the network when you pay.
SEPA is separate: it governs European bank transfers in euros, not card taps. You use both networks in daily life: cards for shops, SEPA for rent and salary.
bunq and Mastercard
bunq cards run on Mastercard, so you can pay wherever Mastercard is accepted worldwide. That includes contactless, online, and ATM use subject to your plan. Explore bunq Cards, Payments, and zero-fx for how bunq fits into global card acceptance.
Common questions
Does the card network set my fees?
Networks set interchange and scheme fees in the background, but what you see is mostly your bank's pricing (FX, ATM, plan fees). Check your bunq plan for what applies to you.
Why do some shops accept only one network?
Merchants choose which brands to accept based on contracts and customer demand. In Europe, Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted; always carry a backup when traveling to regions where one brand is rare.
Is a card network the same as SWIFT?
No. SWIFT is for international bank transfers. Card networks handle card authorizations. Different tools for different payment types.
Table of contents
A card network is the global infrastructure that connects your bank, merchants, and payment terminals so card payments work almost anywhere. When you tap or pay online, the network carries the authorization message and sets the rules everyone follows.
What is a card network?
Card networks (also called card schemes) are organizations such as Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. They define how card numbers are formatted, how transactions are authorized and settled, and how disputes like chargebacks are handled. Your bank issues the card; the network provides the rails.
When you pay at a shop, the merchant's bank (acquirer) and your bank (issuer) communicate through the network in seconds. The network does not usually hold your money long term; it routes messages and guarantees rules so both sides trust the payment.
How card networks fit in a payment
Roles in a typical card purchase:
You present a card or mobile wallet at the POS.
Merchant accepts the brand shown on the door (for example, Mastercard).
Acquirer processes the payment for the merchant.
Card network passes the authorization between acquirer and issuer.
Issuer (your bank) approves or declines based on your balance and security checks such as SCA.
Settlement happens later in batches, but for you the important part is instant approve or decline.
Card network vs. bank vs. payment app
These layers are easy to mix up.
Card network: Shared rules and messaging (Mastercard, Visa).
Bank (issuer): Your account, your card, fraud monitoring, customer support.
Payment app / wallet: Stores your card for convenience; still rides the network when you pay.
SEPA is separate: it governs European bank transfers in euros, not card taps. You use both networks in daily life: cards for shops, SEPA for rent and salary.
bunq and Mastercard
bunq cards run on Mastercard, so you can pay wherever Mastercard is accepted worldwide. That includes contactless, online, and ATM use subject to your plan. Explore bunq Cards, Payments, and zero-fx for how bunq fits into global card acceptance.
Common questions
Does the card network set my fees?
Networks set interchange and scheme fees in the background, but what you see is mostly your bank's pricing (FX, ATM, plan fees). Check your bunq plan for what applies to you.
Why do some shops accept only one network?
Merchants choose which brands to accept based on contracts and customer demand. In Europe, Mastercard and Visa are widely accepted; always carry a backup when traveling to regions where one brand is rare.
Is a card network the same as SWIFT?
No. SWIFT is for international bank transfers. Card networks handle card authorizations. Different tools for different payment types.