Mastercard vs Visa:Which is more popular by branded search?
In August 2026, Visa had more branded searches than Mastercard among credit cards worldwide. Visa was estimated to have 160K branded searches compared to Mastercard’s 22.2K, and held a 0.89% Share of Search versus Mastercard’s 0.12%. These are worldwide searches for English-language branded terms.
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Which is more popular in search, Mastercard or Visa?
Compare the credit cards operators run on. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.
Share of Search by month for Visa, Mastercard. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of search table
| Month | Capital One | American Express | Discover | Barclaycard | Visa | Mastercard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 61.8% | 27.8% | 7.1% | 2% | 1.1% | 0.15% |
| Nov 2025 | 57.5% | 31.4% | 8% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.11% |
| Dec 2025 | 57.4% | 31.4% | 8% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.14% |
| Jan 2026 | 58.1% | 32% | 6.7% | 1.9% | 1.2% | 0.14% |
| Feb 2026 | 57.5% | 31.4% | 8% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.14% |
| Mar 2026 | 61.5% | 27.7% | 8% | 1.7% | 0.94% | 0.15% |
| Apr 2026 | 61.5% | 27.7% | 8% | 1.7% | 0.94% | 0.12% |
| May 2026 | 56.5% | 30.9% | 9.6% | 1.9% | 0.99% | 0.14% |
| Jun 2026 | 56.8% | 31.1% | 9% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.17% |
| Jul 2026 | 56.8% | 31.1% | 9% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 0.17% |
| Aug 2026 | 62.2% | 28% | 7.1% | 1.7% | 0.89% | 0.12% |
| Sep 2026 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
How has the Mastercard and Visa comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Visa was ahead of Mastercard in every measured month of the 11 months ending August 2026.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Mastercard’s estimated Share of Search among credit cards worldwide moved from 0.15% to 0.12%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 27.1K to 22.2K.
- Across the 11 months ending August 2026, Visa’s estimated Share of Search among credit cards worldwide moved from 1.1% to 0.89%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 196K to 160K.
How did search popularity change for credit cards worldwide in August 2026?
2 changes
Estimated monthly branded searches for Visa worldwide fell 18.4% over 11 measured months, from 196K to 160K in August 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Mastercard worldwide fell 18.1% over 11 measured months, from 27.1K to 22.2K in August 2026.
How each brand is measured
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Mastercard’s and Visa’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Mastercard
1 branded search term
- mastercard credit card
Visa
2 branded search terms
- visa card
- visa credit card
Put your own brand in this comparison
Brandwave tracks your branded demand next to the rival you actually watch, with your campaigns, spend and outcomes on the same timeline.