VOL. XCIV, NO. 247

★ WIDE MOAT STOCKS COMPARISON ★

NO ADVICE

Stock Comparison

Mastercard Incorporated vs Visa Inc.

Compare moat strength, market structure, and segment coverage to understand how each company defends its edge.

Mastercard Incorporated

MA · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$490.3B
Gross margin (TTM)83.4%
Operating margin (TTM)59.2%
Net margin (TTM)45.7%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Mastercard Incorporated's moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View MA analysis

Visa Inc.

V · New York Stock Exchange

Market cap (USD)$639.3B
Gross margin (TTM)80.7%
Operating margin (TTM)59.2%
Net margin (TTM)50.2%
SectorFinancials
IndustryFinancial - Credit Services
CountryUS
Data as of2025-12-21
Moat score
77/ 100

Weighted average of segment moat scores, combining moat strength, durability, confidence, market structure, pricing power, and market share.

Full stock profile

Dive deeper into Visa Inc.'s moat claims, evidence, and risks.

View V analysis

Comparison highlights

  • Moat score: both at 77 / 100.
  • Segment focus: Mastercard Incorporated has 2 segments (61.5% in Payment Network); Visa Inc. has 4 segments (35.9% in Data processing revenue).
  • Primary market structure: Oligopoly vs Oligopoly. Pricing power: Moderate vs n/a.
  • Moat breadth: Mastercard Incorporated has 6 moat types across 3 domains; Visa Inc. has 7 across 4.

Primary market context

Mastercard Incorporated

Payment Network

Market

Four-party card payment network (switching, acceptance, and network-related services)

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, merchants, account holders

Role

Network operator (authorization, clearing, settlement) and rules/standards steward

Revenue share

61.5%

Visa Inc.

Data processing revenue

Market

Payment transaction processing (authorization, clearing and settlement) for VisaNet and related network access

Geography

Global

Customer

Issuers, acquirers, payment processors

Role

Network processor / switch (authorization, clearing, settlement)

Revenue share

35.9%

Side-by-side metrics

Mastercard Incorporated
Visa Inc.
Ticker / Exchange
MA - New York Stock Exchange
V - New York Stock Exchange
Market cap (USD)
$490.3B
$639.3B
Gross margin (TTM)
83.4%
80.7%
Operating margin (TTM)
59.2%
59.2%
Net margin (TTM)
45.7%
50.2%
Sector
Financials
Financials
Industry
Financial - Credit Services
Financial - Credit Services
HQ country
US
US
Primary segment
Payment Network
Data processing revenue
Market structure
Oligopoly
Oligopoly
Market share
29.7% (reported)
n/a
HHI estimate
n/a
n/a
Pricing power
Moderate
n/a
Moat score
77 / 100
77 / 100
Moat domains
Network, Demand, Legal
Network, Demand, Supply, Legal
Last update
2025-12-21
2025-12-21

Moat coverage

Shared moat types

Two Sided NetworkClearing SettlementBrand TrustData Workflow Lockin

Mastercard Incorporated strengths

Regulated Standards PipeData Network Effects

Visa Inc. strengths

Capex Knowhow ScaleCompliance AdvantageSuite Bundling

Segment mix

Mastercard Incorporated segments

Full profile >

Payment Network

Oligopoly

61.5%

Value-Added Services and Solutions

Competitive

38.5%

Visa Inc. segments

Full profile >

Service revenue

Oligopoly

31.5%

Data processing revenue

Oligopoly

35.9%

International transaction revenue

Oligopoly

25.4%

Other revenue

Competitive

7.3%

Want the full wide moat stocks list?

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Proven models entering the expansion stage with unit economics that work.

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Curation & Accuracy

This directory blends AI‑assisted discovery with human curation. Entries are reviewed, edited, and organized with the goal of expanding coverage and sharpening quality over time. Your feedback helps steer improvements (because no single human can capture everything all at once).

Details change. Pricing, features, and availability may be incomplete or out of date. Treat listings as a starting point and verify on the provider’s site before making decisions. If you spot an error or a gap, send a quick note and I’ll adjust.