2 different Visa Credit Cards for travel or 1 Visa 1 MasterCard?

I just have two Visa cards, but from two complete different banks.

I have two different Visa cards, one from Chase and one from Vanguard. I don’t have a MasterCard anymore and I’m not going to get one. I have plenty of credit. I also have an American Express I take.

There was a time, like 30 years ago, where there were places that only took Mastercard (NS comes to mind), but I have used Visa exclusively for the last 20 years without issue.

I have an AA Mastercard issued by Barclays that I use for all my purchases to earn miles. I also have Visa cards and an Amex, but barely use them. There have been cases during my travels when one wasn't accepted but another was.

I take two physical Visa credit cards. One BAC Premium Rewards (as primary) and a Fidelity credit card. Both are no fees and are in my Apple wallet.
In the past I have taken a third Visa card, also from BAC.
I think it’s more important to take commonly accepted cards from different financial institutions than being concerned about Visa vs Mastercard.

I travel with two different Visa credit cards, because Visa is most widely accepted. It’s fine to have one Visa and one MC. The thought behind carrying two cards: if one card is stolen/lost and needs to be cancelled, you can use the second card. This is why they should be separate accounts. And don’t carry them in the same place at the same time.

Do you already have another credit card besides the two you have? If not, you really don’t need to get another one. Mastercard and Visa are basically accepted at the same places.

I will mention that I have occasionally had my Chase-issued credit card rejected from online transactions that use 3D secure. It has happened once or twice each trip when attempting to buy tickets online. When it has happened, I have pulled out a Citibank-issued credit card and it has always worked.

I usually use Apple Wallet for transactions and recently had 2 different Visa cards rejected when I was purchasing a transit pass in Bucharest. I then tried a MasterCard and it was accepted.

I have never had that happen before so I don’t know what the issue was. I do have excellent credit so I’m sure that was not it. Regardless, I always have at least 3-5 cards available to me when traveling (via Apple Wallet) just as a precaution.

I try to carry 2 Visa cards and one MasterCard - at least two of them will have no foreign transaction fees. In addition my partner carries several as well. They all have high enough limits to make us feel a bit confident about handling emergencies. We can also move large amounts of money instantly to the Capital One 360 Checking account to access with their Debit card.

Thank you everyone! My second credit card is Discover, so I'll get another Visa per the comments provided!

My 2 visas from different providers will not work online for sbb purchases. It is likely the 3DS issue, but even with several calls to each provider, I could not get it set up🤨.
Sure hoping that it works smoothly with in-person purchases when I get to Sw in a few days!

Don't try to use Discover, just have different cards from different banks. I've had a card rejected for no apparent reason and I hand over another one and it's fine. Don't try to reason why.

I take a VISA card from Chase bank to use for everything. It’s in my Apple wallet so I rarely have to pull out the actual card. I take a Capital One card and the card from the airline I am flying as backup. I also take my bank’s debit card for easy withdrawal of cash at an ATM. These cards are from different banks and don’t have transaction fees. I think having different banks is more important than having both VISA and MasterCard. Don’t expect to use a Discover card in Europe. When charging, always pay in local currency not US dollars. Be prepared to leave tips in cash or coins. I get €500 in €20 or smaller bills from my bank before leaving for Europe so I do not need to worry about finding an ATM upon arrival. For a trip to Switzerland I would get 500 Swiss francs and I would take the Euros leftover from my 2025 trip to Europe. Also carry some US dollars - I take about $200 in a mixture of bills, including several $20s and $1s for tips in the US. I use a coin purse with a zipper, not a wallet, because coins are needed in Europe for tips, toilets and at the laundromats. I carry the main charge card, a day’s worth of cash, and the coins in the coin purse in my day bag. Everything else including my passport, Global Entry card, drivers license, medical insurance card, debit card, extra credit cards and extra cash is in my money belt at all times except when I have to show the passport at the airport and at passport control upon arriving and at the hotel checkin. Money belts are crucial. Don’t rely solely on a zippered cross body bag. If you’re traveling with a partner each person should carry their own extra credit cards, extra cash and passport in their money belt.

Good heavens, one doesn't really need cash anywhere in Switzerland. I'd personally hate to weigh myself down with Swiss francs. 50 CHF should be plenty for anyone. You won't be leaving cash tips.

Two different banks, that's the important thing. And for each travel partner as well.

No Amex, no Discover. Keep it simple.