Visa vs Mastercard: BIN Ranges and Differences
Published: October 20, 2026 · By Marcus Hale, CC Market Analyst
Visa and Mastercard are the two largest card networks. Their BIN ranges, acceptance and card levels differ.
BIN ranges
Visa BINs start with 4. Mastercard BINs start with 51-55 or 2221-2720. Both are 16 digits (Visa can be 13).
| Brand | Prefix | Length |
|---|---|---|
| Visa | 4 | 13 or 16 |
| Mastercard | 51-55, 2221-2720 | 16 |
Acceptance
Visa has slightly wider global acceptance. Mastercard is strong online and in Europe. Both are accepted almost everywhere.
Card levels
Visa: Classic, Gold, Platinum, Signature, Infinite. Mastercard: Standard, Gold, Platinum, World, World Elite.
Prefix reference
Acceptance and interchange
Visa and Mastercard both operate global networks, but acceptance and interchange differ by country and merchant category. Visa historically has slightly wider acceptance in some regions, while Mastercard is strong in Europe and in online commerce. Interchange rates are set by each network and vary by card level, merchant category and region, so the cheapest network depends on the transaction.
Card level naming
The two networks name their tiers differently. Visa uses Classic, Gold, Platinum, Signature and Infinite. Mastercard uses Standard, Gold, Platinum, World and World Elite. The tiers matter because they correlate with credit limits and benefits, and some merchant routing rules treat them differently.
Which one should you support
For most merchants the answer is both. The cost of supporting both networks is low, and the coverage gain is significant. If you must choose one first, look at the card mix in your target market rather than at generic comparisons. The BIN ranges make it easy to detect the brand and apply the right rules.