Mastercard Incorporated (MA) vs Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)

Mastercard Incorporated is the world’s second-largest payment processor, handling nearly $11 trillion in payment volume during 2025. The company operates in more than 200 countries and territories and processes transactions in over 150 currencies worldwide.

Meta Platforms, Inc. is the world’s largest social media company, reaching nearly 4 billion monthly active users globally. Its core business, known as the Family of Apps, includes Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp. Users rely on these platforms for a wide range of activities, from staying connected with friends and following public figures to operating digital businesses at no cost. Meta monetizes its ecosystem by using customer data generated across its apps to sell advertising to digital marketers. Although the company has invested significantly in Reality Labs, that segment still represents only a small portion of Meta’s total revenue.