Mastercard
Mastercard Incorporated
Mastercard is one of the leading global payment networks: it runs the infrastructure that authorizes, clears and settles transactions between issuing banks, acquirers and merchants across more than 210 countries. In 2025 it recorded ~$10.6T in gross dollar volume (+9% in local currency) with ~3.7 billion Mastercard/Maestro cards in circulation. For the fintech and crypto ecosystem it is a key provider of network access and card-issuing programs (via BIN-sponsor banks and BaaS platforms). It is a publicly traded company on the NYSE (ticker MA).
Data & conditions
| Service type | Card issuing / BaaS |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Interchange share |
| Card networks | Mastercard |
| Card types | debit, credit, prepaid, virtual, physical |
| Customer type | Enterprise, Fintech, Platforms |
| Processed volume | $10.6T |
| Fund custody | Self-custody (funds in your control) |
| Supported countries | US, EEA, UK, APAC, LATAM, MENA, AFRICA · 210+ countries |
| OAM Italy registration | No |
| Segment | B2B |
| Funding / solidity | NYSE-listed (MA) since its May 2006 IPO. 2025: ~$10.6T gross dollar volume (+9% in local currency), ~3.7B Mastercard/Maestro cards in circulation, cross-border volumes +14%, operations in over 210 countries and territories. |
| MiCA / License status | Not disclosed |
Strengths
- Globally accepted payment network in over 210 countries with ~$10.6T GDV in 2025, with established security and reliability standards.
- Publicly traded, regulated company with large-scale adoption by banks and fintechs (~3.7B cards).
- Self-custody: funds stay in your wallet — the platform cannot touch them.
Weaknesses
- Does not issue cards directly to consumers: access goes through issuing banks and BaaS programs.
- Commercial terms (interchange, network fees) are not transparent to the end user.
- No notable sovereignty drawback documented.
Verdict
Score 4.8/5, outstanding profile. In its favour: globally accepted payment network in over 210 countries with ~$10.6T GDV in 2025, with established security and reliability standards. The trade-off to weigh: does not issue cards directly to consumers: access goes through issuing banks and BaaS programs.
On the Sovereignty lens the score is 5.0/5 (outstanding): the strength is fund control (5.0/5).
Promp's editorial rating based on real fees and net annual cost. Promp reviews third-party products independently.
"Sovereignty" rating: score computed on privacy/anonymity (30%), fund control (20%), censorship resistance (20%), trustless/auditability (20%) and costs (10%). Same data, different weights.
FAQ
Does Mastercard issue cards directly to individuals?
No. Mastercard is the network: cards are issued by banks or e-money institutions that use its rails. A user receives a Mastercard card from their own bank or fintech.
Does Mastercard custody user funds?
No. It is a payment network that routes and settles transactions; funds are held by the issuing banks and institutions participating in the network.
Sources
- Official service page Data verified on Jul 17, 2026
- investor.mastercard.com Data verified on Jul 17, 2026
- s25.q4cdn.com Data verified on Jul 17, 2026
- sec.gov Data verified on Jul 17, 2026
Update history
- Commercial-data re-verification (2nd pass): added 2025 GDV ~$10.6T (+9% local currency), ~3.7B Mastercard/Maestro cards in circulation, paesi_num 210, NYSE IPO 25/05/2006, founding year 1966, card_types and brand_color. Sources: SEC Form 10-K FY2025 and Q4 2025 supplemental operational performance data.