Visa and Mastercard Have Both Reported. Which Payments Giant Is the Best Buy Now?

Both companies posted a 14% year-over-year revenue gain during the three-month period that ended June 30.

Mastercard's operating income has risen at a much faster clip in the past five years.

The best investment opportunity between these two stocks trades at a cheaper valuation.

When it comes to global commerce, few businesses are more significant than Visa (NYSE: V) and Mastercard (NYSE: MA) . Their scale is unmatched. Each company counts billions of cards in use around the world. They process trillions of dollars in volume each quarter. And they have nearly ubiquitous acceptance.

Both of these S&P 500 stocks reported financial results for the three-month period that ended June 30, giving investors a fresh look at these companies.

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Investors will undoubtedly find that it's difficult to complain about the numbers, and both Visa and Mastercard put up strong quarterly results.

Visa reported net revenue of $11.6 billion during its third quarter of fiscal 2026, which was 14% higher year over year. This was driven by a 10% jump in total payments volume (TPV). Cross-border volume was up 13%.