Best Visa Credit Card 2025

What Is a Visa Credit Card?

Take out your credit card. Do you see a Visa logo on the card? That means it is the company Visa that makes sure that money is deducted from your card so that the place you are shopping at gets their payment. It is not Visa that has given you the credit card. It comes from a bank or credit card company that has been allowed by Visa to offer cards that use the company's network VisaNet.

This Is How Visa Works

Visa, like Mastercard, is a payment processor. The company makes sure that everyone involved in a transaction does what they are supposed to do and gets what they are supposed to get. When you pay for a product or service with your credit card, there are several parties involved:

• The merchant – This is the store or merchant you are buying from.
• The card issuer – The bank or credit card company that issued your card.
• The merchant’s bank – This is where the merchant’s bank account is located.

When you click “Pay” in an online store, for example, Visa’s job begins. Here’s what the company does:

1. It checks that you’re really you, by having you identify yourself, for example with a code.
2. Visa contacts the bank or company that issued your card to check if you have available credit to complete the purchase.
3. It also tries to determine if the seller is legitimate and not a fraudster.
4. It then makes sure that the card issuer sends the money to the seller’s bank account.
5. Finally, the card issuer is informed that the purchase went through so that it can be recorded on your credit card bill.

Of course, most of this happens digitally, and within milliseconds, on Visa’s own network, known as VisaNet.

Advantages of Visa Credit Cards

• Credit cards that are part of the Visa payment network can be used for purchases in stores and online at millions of merchants worldwide.
• Visa credit cards are known for their high security standards. They use advanced security technologies such as EMV chips to protect your card information. If your VISA card is misused, you can file a complaint with the card issuer.
• Many Visa credit cards offer rewards programs. You can earn points, cashback, miles or other benefits when you use your card.
• Many Visa credit cards offer great benefits for travelers. This can include access to airport lounges, free travel insurance, discounts on hotel stays, car rental insurance, bonus points when purchasing flights and other travel-related benefits.
• With a VISA credit card, you have money in hand in case a major unforeseen expense arises.

The Role of The Card Issuer

Let's use Bank Norwegian's credit card as an example. To get this card, you have to send your application to Bank Norwegian. It is the bank that decides whether you will get a card or not. It also decides how much credit your card has, and what the interest rate on any credit card debt should be.

The bank also decides how long the interest-free period you will get. On top of all this, it makes sure to send you an invoice once a month and makes sure that you pay at least the minimum amount you owe.

Visa has nothing to do with these decisions. Simply put, Visa's role is to make sure that your Bank Norwegian card works properly. Bank Norwegian pays a fee to Visa to be able to use VisaNet with its cards.

History

In 1958, the American Bank of America (BoA) established the BankAmericard credit card program. The system made it easier for banks to authorize payments from bank customers to merchants. The system initially included only banks in California, but soon spread to the rest of the United States. The growth did not stop there. During the 1970s, banks in a growing number of nations adopted BoA's system.

At first, the system was cumbersome by today's standards. Merchants and banks had to call each other every time a customer wanted to make a purchase on credit. The introduction of electronic, and eventually digital, transactions has made the job easier and the system more efficient. Today, billions of kroner are transferred at the speed of light every second on VisaNet.

Visa became the new name for the American (and, eventually, the international) banking cooperation in 1976. The name itself is an abbreviation for Visa International Service Association. In the 2000s, all the different Visa companies merged into one company: Visa Inc. The target was the stock exchange. The company's IPO, on March 18, 2008, was the world's largest to date. The company was valued at approximately 178 billion Norwegian kroner.

Today, it is estimated that there are more than 1.4 billion Visa cards in circulation worldwide and that more than 40 trillion kroner are used to pay for goods and services with the cards annually.

Contactless Payments With Visa

Visa is an innovative company. Among other things, it works to simplify the everyday lives of card users. The best example of this is probably contactless payments, known as tapping. In short, this means that you don't have to touch the payment terminal in the store you are shopping at. You just have to hold your card close to the terminal.

Mobile payments are another, contactless form of payment. Here you can use Apple Pay, Samsung Pay or Google Pay's wallets to pay with your phone. Watch payments are another variant offered by, among others, Garmin Pay.

None of these solutions would have been easy to use if it weren't for Visa teaming up with everyone who wants to make money transfers easier, both for customers and sellers. In Norway, banks such as DNB, Nordea and Sbanken use Visa's technology for contactless payments. Your bank or credit card supports tapping if it has a wireless symbol.

The Difference Between Visa Debit Cards and Visa Credit Cards

There are both debit cards and credit cards that are linked to the Visa network. There are some significant differences between these two types of cards. Here are the most important ones:

A Visa debit card is linked to a bank account, and you normally need to have sufficient funds in your account to be able to make purchases with the card. When you pay with a Visa debit card, the money is withdrawn from your account immediately. A Visa credit card, on the other hand, is linked to a credit limit that functions as a flexible loan from a credit company. You can use the credit card up to the credit limit you have, and what you have borrowed must be paid back at a later date. In short, you use your own money when you shop with a Visa debit card, while using a Visa credit card is in practice taking out a loan.

While a Visa credit card gives you debt (even if you have not used the credit), you avoid this by using a Visa debit card. This can be important if you are going to apply for other loans, such as a mortgage.

Overall, Visa credit cards come with several advantages compared to most debit cards. You can often get good insurance, cashback, discounts and other benefits when you pay with a Visa credit card.

While Visa credit cards come with high interest rates if you don't pay what you owe on time, you avoid this with a Visa debit card, unless you have an arrangement where you can overdraw your account. 

Why Choose A Visa Credit Card?

Many people wonder whether they should choose a Visa or Mastercard card. There are many good cards of both types and the short answer is that it doesn't matter which you choose. Both Visa and Mastercard are available at millions of locations worldwide and the features are the same. When choosing a credit card, you should rather focus on the benefits and terms that come with the different cards.

Free Travel Insurance With Visa Credit Card

Many Visa credit cards offer free travel insurance when you pay at least 50% of your travel expenses with the credit card in question. Travel expenses include transportation expenses (car, bus, plane, boat, train, rental car, etc.) and accommodation expenses. It is common for travel insurance with a credit card to cover the following:

• Delays or cancellations: If your trip is delayed or canceled due to unforeseen circumstances such as weather conditions, illness or other reasons, the travel insurance that comes with the credit card can compensate for lost expenses or alternative transportation.
• Luggage: If your luggage is delayed or stolen during your trip, travel insurance can provide compensation for lost or damaged belongings.
• Travel illness: If you become ill, injured or have an accident during your trip, travel insurance usually covers medical expenses, medical treatment, hospitalization and possible repatriation if necessary.

Please note, however, that what is exactly covered may vary from provider to provider. Therefore, check the terms and conditions that apply to your credit card.

Lowest Credit Interest Rate On Visa

An interest-free period, also known as an interest-free payment period, is a specific number of days during which you are not charged interest for purchases you have made with your credit card. The interest-free period is usually 30 or 60 days. Some credit cards have longer interest-free periods. If you pay the entire outstanding amount before the interest-free period expires, you will not be charged interest or fees. The interest-free period only applies to purchases made online or via a terminal. Cash withdrawals and balance transfers may be charged interest from the moment they are made.

Of the major nationwide credit cards, the Sbanken Visa credit card currently has the lowest effective interest rate of 20.69%. The Sbanken Visa credit card also gives you travel and cancellation insurance, mobile payment and the option to pay with Vipps.

The interest rate on credit cards varies widely, ranging from about 17% to over 50%. It is most common for the interest rate to be between 20% and 30%, and most credit cards have an interest rate of around 25-26%.

Free Visa Credit Card

When choosing a credit card, you should choose a card with as few fees as possible. Even if the occasional fee is low, it adds up to a lot of money over time. A recommended card is Bank Norwegian Visa. This credit card is free and there are no fees for cash withdrawals in Norway or abroad. The card also comes with several good insurance policies, an extensive benefits program and up to 45 days of interest-free payment deferral.

Save Thousands of Kroner With A Visa Credit Card

If you use your credit cards smartly, you can save thousands of kroner a year by taking advantage of discounts, cashback and bonuses that come with the cards. Here are some popular credit cards that give you particularly good cashback benefits and can potentially save you thousands of kroner a year:

• Bank Norwegian Visa gives you 0.5% cashback on all purchases, as well as travel insurance and grocery insurance included.
• Trumf Visa credit card gives you access to an extensive benefits program. You get discounts at SPAR, MENY, KIWI, Joker, Nærbutikken, CC-Mat and Jacob’s. You also get exclusive offers with Trumf Netthandel on travel and online shopping.