by 
The Curious Bag
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While your credit card may have a MasterCard logo, the company does not actually lend any money. MasterCard acts more like a conduit that allows transactions to happen.
Misconceptions
Mastercard, along with Visa, are really "payment processors," essentially just a computer system that processes payments. MasterCard simply grants issuers permission to use their network. This is why you can have multiple Mastercards with different interest rates and restrictions.
Fun Fact
As of 2007, there were 914 million credit cards in circulation that used the MasterCard payment network, according to Motley Fool.
Benefits
MasterCard offers a host of rewards at some of the most popular retailers just for using a MasterCard brand credit card. Some prominent rewards: up to 10 percent off purchases at Hewlett Packard and up to 50 percent off some hotels.
Expert Insight
MasterCard is a real business you can invest in, and one of the best, reports Motley Fool. MasterCard has such a large market share and useful product that it can probably survive any economic situation.
Tips
Because issuers set their own terms and rates on a MasterCard, shop around for the best deal. Look for things, such as a long grace period and rewards, on top of the ones already provided by MasterCard.
Source:
CreditCards.com: How different are Visa, AmEx, MasterCard and Discover?; Karin Mueller
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