Businessweek

platform for U.S. domestic transactions. U.S. issuers can choose to enable Interlink as a PIN network on a Visa debit card, and U.S. merchants can choose Interlink as a PIN-always point of sale acceptance option. Additionally, Interlink can remain as a routing alternative on both Visa and non-Visa branded debit cards. The company’s clients in the Asia Pacific, or AP, Latin America and Caribbean, or LAC, and Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, or CEMEA, can use the Visa Electron debit platform, which requires all transactions initiated from the card to be authorized electronically. It is primarily used by issuers offering payment programs to higher-risk client segments or in countries where electronic authorization is less prevalent. Prepaid: The company’s prepaid product platform enables issuers to offer products that access a pre-funded amount, allowing cardholders to enjoy the convenience and security of a payment card in lieu of cash or checks. The company’s prepaid platform includes general purpose reloadable, gift, travel, youth, payroll, money transfer, corporate incentive, insurance reimbursement and government benefits cards. Cash Access: The company’s clients can provide global cash access to their cardholders by issuing products accepted at Visa and PLUS branded ATMs. Most Visa and Visa Electron branded cards offer cash access at ATMs, as well as at branches of its participating financial institution clients. The PLUS brand may also be included on issuers' non-Visa branded cards to offer international cash access as a complement to domestic cash access services. Commercial The company’s commercial product platforms enable small businesses, medium and large companies, and government organizations to streamline payment processes, manage total spend, access information reporting, and automate their supply chain. Small Businesses: The company provides tools and resources to small business owners to help them securely manage payments and receivables through its debit, credit and acceptance solutions. Visa Business Electron is an electronic authorization platform used in various countries outside North America. Large and Medium Companies: The Visa Corporate platform offers payment options for business-to-business and employee travel and entertainment charges, including cash advances, providing detailed transaction data, as well as information and expense management tools. The Visa Purchasing platform provides card and non-card electronic payment products that allow companies to procure goods and services, while streamlining resource- and paper-intensive purchase order and invoice processing. Through Syncada, its joint venture with U.S. Bank, the company markets an integrated invoice processing, payment and financing platform for financial institutions to offer to their corporate and government commercial clients worldwide. Government Organizations: The company also offers government organizations unique information- and expense-management tools, employee-fraud and misuse-management tools and strategic sourcing tools for their card programs. In certain countries, the company offers specialized commercial products for specific government-sponsored programs, typically targeting agriculture, small-business, freight or construction loan programs. Competition The company’s Interlink and Visa Electron brands compete with Maestro, owned by MasterCard, and various regional and country-specific debit network brands including STAR, NYCE, and PULSE in the United States, EFTPOS in Australia, NETS in Singapore, and Interac in Canada. PayPal, Google and Isis also compete with Visa directly in some cases. The company’s competitors include American Express, Discover, JCB, and Diners Club.