Quarterly number of Mastercard issued credit cards in U.S. and worldwide 2006-2024

About one out of four of all Mastercard credit cards issued worldwide were found within the United States, as of the first quarter of 2024. The value inside the U.S. grew noticeably over the past few years. By mid-2023, the number of credit cards issued in the United States grew by more than 30 million when compared to the same period in 2022. Compared to Visa credit cards, Mastercard is issued relatively more often outside the U.S. than inside the country. 

Mastercard in the United States

A sizeable share of Americans use Mastercard credit cards regularly. Mastercard and Visa dominate the purchase card market, both in the United States and worldwide. Other leading credit card companies are Chase, American Express and Discovery.

Credit card market

One way that credit card companies earn money is by collecting a fee. These fees include interest on balances and transaction fees, both of which depend on the number of purchase transactions.