Empowering People, Economies and Businesses
For thousands of years, the way we have exchanged goods and services has shaped the lives of people and the societies in which they have lived.
Every evolution in the way we pay - from barter to cash and from paper to electronic payments - has helped to stimulate economic growth, spur business innovation, increase efficiency and improve the quality of life for millions of people.
Visa has been a driver behind the modern evolution of payment. Fifty years ago, Visa's vision was to offer individuals and businesses a better alternative to cash and checks. Visa's founder, Dee Hock, believed "digital money" could transform currencies and commerce, dismantling economic barriers and transcending national borders by freeing people and businesses to buy and sell with ease and security.
Visa's vision has come of age in the 21st century. Today, we are the universal currency of life, connecting hundreds of millions of people, governments and businesses in more than 170 countries. Together, they use our credit, debit and prepaid products and services to safely and reliably exchange goods and services.
As we move toward an increasingly interconnected world, we have an opportunity to extend the value of Visa to new users of our products, to drive convenient and efficient global commerce and to accelerate economic growth.
