American Express (AMEX), Optima, and VISA are all major credit card companies that rival Mastercard. American Express is a multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in New York City. Optima is a brand of credit cards issued by the US Bank National Association. VISA is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments around the world. All three of these companies offer competitive services to Mastercard, providing customers with a variety of payment options.