Is MasterCard better than Visa or vice versa? What about American Express, Diners Club, etc?
In the U.S., almost any establishment that takes MasterCard takes Visa, and vice versa. If you’re going to be doing all your spending in the U.S., you may not want (or need) both cards. In Europe, things are a bit different. In some countries, the Visa and MasterCard networks have been merged and ALL merchants who take one take the other. This is notably the case in France. (But sometimes the merchant isn’t aware of this until you point out the M-C logo on his sticker in the window.) On the other hand, the cash advance networks have NOT been merged. Again, in France, almost any bank or cash machine (if you have a 4-digit PIN) can give you a cash advance on Visa (Carte Bleue), but only a few banks (Credit Agricole, Credit Mutuel, and all Post Offices) and cash machines can give you a M-C cash advance. Also, for various reasons, a given card may not work on the day you most need it. And in many countries (e.g. Italy), the networks have not merged. Thus, it is most prudent to have both. A
