Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net revenues increased by 15% overall, with Value Added Services and Solutions net revenue up 22% year-over-year on a non-GAAP currency-neutral basis [4][24] - Operating income rose by 15%, while net income and EPS increased by 8% and 11%, respectively, with EPS at $4.38, including a $0.10 contribution from share repurchases [24][25] - Worldwide gross dollar volume (GDV) grew by 9% year-over-year, with U.S. GDV increasing by 7% and international volume up by 10% [25][26] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Payment network net revenue increased by 10%, driven by domestic and cross-border transaction growth, while Value Added Services and Solutions net revenue increased by 22% [27][28] - Domestic assessments rose by 6%, and cross-border assessments increased by 16%, reflecting strong transaction processing [28] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Cross-border volume increased by 15% globally, indicating continued growth in both travel and non-travel related spending [25] - Contactless penetration in Q3 stood at 77% of all in-person switched purchase transactions, up 6 percentage points from the previous year [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on three strategic priorities: consumer payments, agentic commerce, and services, aiming to unlock long-term growth [6][18] - The company is expanding its acceptance footprint across underpenetrated verticals and enhancing its product offerings, including partnerships with various banks and retailers [6][7][10] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management noted a generally supportive macroeconomic environment with steady inflation and balanced labor markets, contributing to healthy consumer and business spending [4][30] - The company expects year-over-year net revenue growth to be at the high end of a low double digits range for Q4, with continued healthy consumer and business spending anticipated [31][32] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $3.3 billion worth of stock during the quarter, with an additional $1.2 billion repurchased through October 27, 2025 [25] - The company is actively pursuing M&A opportunities, focusing on strategic acquisitions that align with its growth objectives [68] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on U.S. payment volume growth and holiday spending outlook - Management indicated steady growth across affluent and mass market segments, with no significant evidence of trade-down behavior [36][37] Question: Sustainability of Value Added Services (VAS) growth - Management highlighted that VAS growth of 22% was supported by acquisitions and strong underlying demand for cybersecurity and data insights [41][46] Question: Evolution of agentic commerce and associated risks - Management discussed the complexities of agentic commerce, including legal and security considerations, and emphasized the importance of trust and safety in this evolving space [53][56] Question: New acceptance channels and M&A pipeline - Management acknowledged progress in underpenetrated verticals like rent payments and reiterated a strategy-led approach to M&A, focusing on services [63][68]

Financial Performance - Net revenues increased by 15% overall, with Value Added Services and Solutions net revenue up 22% year-over-year on a non-GAAP currency-neutral basis [4][24] - Operating expenses rose by 14%, with operating income also up by 15%, while net income and EPS increased by 8% and 11% respectively [24][30] - Worldwide gross dollar volume (GDV) grew by 9% year-over-year, with U.S. GDV up 7% and international volume increasing by 10% [25][26] Business Line Performance - Payment network net revenue increased by 10%, driven by domestic and cross-border transaction growth, while Value Added Services and Solutions saw a 22% increase [27][28] - Cross-border volume increased by 15% globally, reflecting growth in both travel and non-travel related spending [25][30] - Switch transactions grew by 10% year-over-year, with contactless penetration reaching 77% of all in-person switched purchase transactions [26][28] Market Performance - Domestic assessments were up 6%, while worldwide GDV grew by 9%, with cross-border assessments increasing by 16% [28] - The macroeconomic environment remains supportive, with balanced unemployment rates and wage growth outpacing inflation [30][31] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is focused on three strategic priorities: consumer payments, agentic commerce, and services, aiming to unlock long-term growth [7][18] - The company is expanding its acceptance footprint across underpenetrated verticals, such as rental payments and closed-loop payment networks [8][10] - The company is well-positioned to capture opportunities in agentic commerce and stablecoins, with a robust pipeline for M&A focused on services [13][68] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the future, citing strong fundamentals and a resilient business model [22][30] - The company expects continued healthy consumer and business spending, with net revenue growth projected at the high end of a low double digits range for Q4 [31][32] - There are ongoing geopolitical and economic uncertainties, but the company remains well-positioned for future opportunities [30][31] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $3.3 billion worth of stock during the quarter, with an additional $1.2 billion repurchased through late October [24] - The company is integrating Mastercard Move into leading core banking platforms to enhance disbursement and remittance capabilities [17][18] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on U.S. payment volume growth and holiday spending outlook - Management noted steady growth across affluent and mass market segments, with continued consumer spending trends [36][37] Question: Sustainability of Value Added Services growth - Management highlighted strong underlying drivers for VAS growth, including cybersecurity demand and new product launches [40][42] Question: Evolution of agentic commerce and associated risks - Management discussed the complexities of agentic commerce, including legal and security considerations, and emphasized the importance of trust in this evolving space [53][56] Question: Opening new acceptance channels and M&A pipeline - Management acknowledged progress in underpenetrated verticals like rent and reiterated a strategy-led approach to M&A, focusing on services [63][68]

Financial Performance - Net revenues increased by 15% overall, with Value Added Services and Solutions net revenue up 22% year-over-year on a non-GAAP currency-neutral basis [4][24] - Operating income rose by 15%, while net income and EPS increased by 8% and 11%, respectively, with EPS at $4.38, including a $0.10 contribution from share repurchases [24][25] - Worldwide gross dollar volume (GDV) grew by 9% year-over-year, with U.S. GDV up 7% and international volume increasing by 10% [25][26] Business Line Performance - Payment network net revenue increased by 10%, driven by domestic and cross-border transaction growth, while Value Added Services and Solutions net revenue saw a 22% increase, with acquisitions contributing approximately 3 percentage points to this growth [26][27] - Domestic assessments rose by 6%, and cross-border assessments increased by 16%, reflecting strong demand in international markets [27] Market Performance - Cross-border volume increased by 15% globally, indicating continued growth in both travel and non-travel related spending [25][26] - Contactless penetration reached 77% of all in-person switched purchase transactions, up 6 percentage points from the previous year [25] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is focused on three strategic priorities: consumer payments, agentic commerce, and services, aiming to unlock long-term growth [6][12] - The company is expanding its acceptance footprint in underpenetrated verticals, such as rental payments, and has made significant partnerships to enhance its offerings [8][80] - The company is leveraging its extensive data and insights to drive innovations in security, consumer engagement, and market insights, positioning itself competitively against local payment networks [21][63] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the macroeconomic environment, noting healthy consumer and business spending, balanced labor markets, and steady inflation levels [4][30] - The company anticipates continued healthy consumer and business spending, with net revenue growth expected to be at the high end of a low double digits range for Q4 [31][32] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $3.3 billion worth of stock during the quarter, with an additional $1.2 billion repurchased through October 27, 2025 [25] - The company is actively pursuing M&A opportunities, focusing on strategic acquisitions that align with its growth objectives [82] Q&A Session Summary Question: Insights on U.S. payment volume growth and holiday spending outlook - Management noted steady growth across different consumer segments, with continued spending trends observed in October [44][45] Question: Drivers behind Value Added Services growth and sustainability - Management highlighted that cybersecurity demand and ongoing innovation in services are key drivers, with a strong portfolio mix supporting growth [56][60] Question: Evolution of agentic commerce and associated risks - Management discussed the complexities of agentic commerce, emphasizing the need for trust and security in transactions, and the company's role in certifying agents [68][72] Question: New acceptance channels and M&A pipeline - Management indicated progress in underpenetrated verticals like rent payments and reiterated a strategy-led approach to M&A, focusing on services [80][82] Question: Differentiation in agentic commerce and competitive landscape - Management outlined the company's unique position in agentic commerce, leveraging its extensive network and services to capture market share from local payment networks [88][89]

Core Insights - Mastercard is transitioning from a traditional payment processor to a data-driven technology platform, focusing on interoperability, digital identity, and agentic AI [3][4][10] - The company's value-added services, including cybersecurity and fraud prevention, saw a revenue growth of 23% in Q2 [4][6] - Mastercard is investing in "multi-rail" capabilities to accommodate various payment types and currencies, positioning itself as an "interoperability layer" [9][10] Financial Performance - Mastercard reported net revenue of $8.1 billion, a 17% increase year over year on a GAAP basis, and 16% growth on a currency-neutral basis [6] - Adjusted net income reached $3.8 billion, up 13%, with adjusted earnings per share of $4.15, an increase of 16% compared to the same period last year [6] - Total gross dollar volume (GDV) grew 9% year over year, reaching $2.6 trillion, with U.S. GDV increasing by 6% and international GDV rising by 10% [7] Strategic Developments - The launch of Mastercard Agent Pay, which utilizes conversational AI for secure payments, marks the company's entry into agentic AI [5][13] - Mastercard's strategic updates include renewing its exclusive co-brand agreement with American Airlines and launching new solutions under the "Mastercard Collection" and "Agent Pay" brands [12] - The company is rearchitecting itself as an overlay network that connects various payment methods while embedding compliance and fraud detection [10][11]