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How do credit card companies make money?
There are two kinds. Together, Visa, American Express and Mastercard took in $120 billion in their latest years and kept $49.3 billion in profit, $41.09 of every $100.
From each company's latest Form 10-K. Page updated November 8, 2026.
There are two kinds. Visa and Mastercard run the payment network and earn a small fee on every swipe, but they don't lend money. American Express runs a network and also issues cards, so it also earns card fees and interest from members.
| Company | Revenue | Net profit | Kept per $100 | Biggest line |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visa | $45.9B | $23.5B | $51.20 | Processing fees |
| American Express | $41.3B | $10.8B | $26.23 | U.S. consumer cards |
| Mastercard | $32.8B | $15.0B | $45.65 | Payment network |
Where each company's money comes from.
American Express
How American Express makes money
MastercardSources: Visa Form 10-K, American Express Form 10-K, Mastercard Form 10-K on SEC EDGAR.