Visa’s “Everyone, Everywhere” Report Details Progress on Corporate Responsibility to Help People Thrive

August 10, 2017 /3BL Media/ - Visa published its 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report titled “Everyone, Everywhere,” which demonstrates how one of the largest payment networks in the world is operating as a responsible, ethical and sustainable company while fulfilling its mission: to connect the world through its innovative, reliable and secure digital payment network and help enable individuals, businesses and economies to thrive.

Organized in five theme areas, the report includes the following highlights:

• Transforming Commerce - To deliver innovative, reliable and secure ways to pay, Visa opened regional innovation centers, built new partnerships supporting Internet of Things and continued investing in smarter technologies to ensure payment security.
• Expanding Access - To work towards closing the global gap in access to the formal financial system, Visa and its partners have reached 162 million consumers cumulatively with first-time payment account access since 2015. This marks a major milestone toward the company’s goal of reaching 500 million people with first-time payment account access by 2020.
• Investing in Our People - To remain an employer of choice in the payments industry, Visa launched two Visa University physical campuses in addition to a global virtual campus to support employee development and learning. Visa also expanded the advancement of female employees by committing to the White House Equal Pay Pledge as well as Women Leadership Training to develop Visa’s senior female leaders.   
• Operating Responsibly - To operate as a sustainable company, Visa continued to pursue green building certification of its real estate portfolio, with 57 percent of global square footage achieving that status. In 2016, Visa also reduced greenhouse gas emissions per employee 13 percent over 2015 and 49 percent since its 2009 baseline.
• Strengthening Communities - To strengthen our global and local communities, Visa provided financial literacy programs in 42 markets globally, reaching more than 40 million people cumulatively in recenlt years.

As detailed in the report, Visa stands at the beginning of an exciting new chapter of digital commerce. Innovations in mobile technology and the Internet of Things are changing how people pay for things and how businesses operate. These technologies are opening access to people and places formerly excluded from mainstream financial services.

In the last year, Visa also grew its global footprint and welcomed Europe to the Visa Inc. family. Visa continues to apply its scale, resources and network across 200 countries to advance its vision of being the best way to pay and be paid for everyone, everywhere. 

Among many awards and recognition detailed in the report, Visa was named to the FTSE4Good Index and received its fifth consecutive recognition on the World’s Most Ethical Companies list by Ethisphere Institute.

Read more about how Visa is working to build a connected world and better future for everyone, everywhere in the 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report.

About Visa

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world’s most advanced processing networks — VisaNet — that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa’s innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/about-visa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.