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    Payment Networks
    Payment networks manage communications between acquiring financial institutions and issuing financial institutions. They also develop industry standards, support their brands, and establish fees for acquiring institutions. 
Some payment networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, and UnionPay International, are trade
      associations that do not issue cards. Issuers are members of these associations, and they
      issue cards under license from the association.
Other networks, such as Discover
 and American Express
, issue their own cards. Before you
      process cards from these companies, you must sign agreements with them.