Credit card networks and issuers are often confused but serve different roles. Networks — such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover — handle the processing of transactions, connecting merchants and banks. Issuers, on the other hand, are the banks or financial institutions (like Chase, Citi, or Capital One) that provide the actual cards, set terms, and manage customer accounts. For example, you might have a Chase Sapphire Preferred card, which is issued by Chase but runs on the Visa network. Understanding this distinction is useful when choosing a card, as benefits may come from either the issuer (e.g., sign-up bonuses, account services) or the network (e.g., global acceptance, fraud protections).