Cirrus (interbank network)

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Cirrus is a worldwide interbank network that provides cash to Mastercard cardholders. As a subsidiary of Mastercard, it connects all Mastercard's credit, debit, and prepaid cards, as well as ATM cards issued by various banks worldwide bearing the Mastercard/Maestro logo. Founded in 1982, Cirrus System, LLC was originally owned by Bank of Montreal, BayBanks Inc., First Interstate Bancorp, Mellon Bank, NBD Bancorp Inc., and Norwest Corp. Cirrus was acquired by Mastercard in 1987. Before the acquisition, Mastercard had about 9,500 ATMs in 11 countries, which was fewer than Visa; with the acquisition, Mastercard was able to increase their ATMs. By 2002, the Mastercard network of ATMs was almost the equivalent to Visa's in the US and had surpassed Visa globally. By default, Mastercard and Maestro cards are linked to the Cirrus network, but very often all three logotypes will be shown. Canadian, American and Saudi Arabian ATMs use this network alongside their local networks. Many banks have adopted...

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