Visa (V) 10-Q 21 Apr 17 2017 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 14, 2017
Entity Registrant Name	VISA INC.
Entity Central Index Key	1,403,161
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Mar. 31, 2017
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,017
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q2
Amendment Flag	false
Class A common stock
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		1,846,250,328
Class B common stock
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		245,513,385
Class C common stock
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		13,684,312

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 6,427	$ 5,619
Restricted cash—U.S. litigation escrow (Note 3)	1,029	1,027
Investment securities (Note 4):
Trading	78	71
Available-for-sale	1,417	3,248
Settlement receivable	3,350	1,467
Accounts receivable	1,081	1,041
Customer collateral (Note 7)	1,043	1,001
Current portion of client incentives	292	284
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	788	555
Total current assets	15,505	14,313
Investment securities, available-for-sale (Note 4)	2,882	3,931
Client incentives	486	448
Property, equipment and technology, net	2,133	2,150
Other assets	980	893
Intangible assets, net (Note 2 and Note 5)	26,416	27,234
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)	14,825	15,066
Total assets	63,227	64,035
Liabilities
Accounts payable	120	203
Settlement payable	2,879	2,084
Customer collateral (Note 7)	1,043	1,001
Accrued compensation and benefits	500	673
Client incentives	1,753	1,976
Accrued liabilities	1,167	1,128
Current maturities of long-term debt (Note 6)	1,748	0
Accrued litigation (Note 13)	996	981
Total current liabilities	10,206	8,046
Long-term debt (Note 6)	14,140	15,882
Deferred tax liabilities	5,731	4,808
Deferred purchase consideration (Note 2)	1,180	1,225
Other liabilities	1,187	1,162
Total liabilities	32,444	31,123
Equity
Treasury stock (Note 9)	0	(170)
Right to recover for covered losses (Note 3)	(77)	(34)
Additional paid-in capital	17,103	17,395
Accumulated income	9,140	10,462
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net:
Investment securities, available-for-sale	45	36
Defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans	(216)	(225)
Derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedges	(6)	(50)
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(803)	(219)
Total accumulated other comprehensive loss, net	(980)	(458)
Total equity	30,783	32,912
Total liabilities and equity	63,227	64,035
Series A Preferred Stock
Equity
Preferred stock	0	0
U.K.& I preferred stock
Equity
Preferred stock	2,397	2,516
Europe preferred stock
Equity
Preferred stock	3,200	3,201
Class A common stock
Equity
Common stock	0	0
Class B common stock
Equity
Common stock	0	0
Class C common stock
Equity
Common stock	$ 0	$ 0

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares shares in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2016
Preferred Stock
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares authorized	25		25
Preferred stock, shares issued	5		5
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	5		5
Series A Preferred Stock
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued	0		0
U.K.& I preferred stock
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued	2		2
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	2		2
Europe preferred stock
Preferred stock, par value	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued	3		3
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	3		3
Class A common stock
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares authorized	2,001,622		2,001,622
Common stock, shares issued	1,847		1,871
Common stock, shares outstanding	1,847	[1]	1,871
Class B common stock
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares authorized	622		622
Common stock, shares issued	245		245
Common stock, shares outstanding	245		245
Class C common stock
Common stock, par value	$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares authorized	1,097		1,097
Common stock, shares issued	14		17
Common stock, shares outstanding	14		17
[1]	Class A common stock shares outstanding exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016		Mar. 31, 2017		Mar. 31, 2016
Operating Revenues
Service revenues		$ 1,993	$ 1,699		$ 3,911		$ 3,344
Data processing revenues		1,843	1,473		3,735		2,952
International transaction revenues		1,469	1,045		2,958		2,076
Other revenues		203	198		406		396
Client incentives		(1,031)	(789)		(2,072)		(1,577)
Net operating revenues		4,477	3,626		8,938		7,191
Operating Expenses
Personnel		704	528		1,275		1,027
Marketing		193	186		411		380
Network and processing		150	126		295		254
Professional fees		83	66		163		138
Depreciation and amortization		131	121		277		241
General and administrative		406	164		592		320
Litigation provision (Note 13)		2	1		17		1
Total operating expenses		1,669	1,192		3,030		2,361
Operating income		2,808	2,434		5,908		4,830
Non-operating (Expense) Income
Interest expense		(135)	(132)		(275)		(161)
Other		29	139		48		411
Non-operating (expense) income		(106)	7		(227)		250
Income before income taxes		2,702	2,441		5,681		5,080
Income tax provision (Note 12)		2,272	734		3,181		1,432
Net income		$ 430	$ 1,707		$ 2,500		$ 3,648
Class A common stock
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.18	$ 0.71	[1]	$ 1.04	[1]	$ 1.51	[1]
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)		1,854	1,909		1,857		1,923
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.18	$ 0.71	[1]	$ 1.04	[1]	$ 1.51	[1]
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)	[2]	2,406	2,401		2,413		2,416
Class B common stock
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.30	$ 1.17	[1]	$ 1.71	[1]	$ 2.49	[1]
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)		245	245		245		245
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.29	$ 1.17	[1]	$ 1.71	[1]	$ 2.49	[1]
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)		245	245		245		245
Class C common stock
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.72	$ 2.85	[1]	$ 4.15	[1]	$ 6.05	[1]
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)		15	19		16		19
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)		$ 0.72	$ 2.84	[1]	$ 4.14	[1]	$ 6.04	[1]
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding (in shares)		15	19		16		19
[1]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Earnings per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
[2]	Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are calculated on an as-converted basis, and include incremental common stock equivalents, as calculated under the treasury stock method. The computation includes approximately 5 million common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, because their effect would be dilutive. The computation excludes 3 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 1 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMP

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income	$ 430	$ 1,707	$ 2,500	$ 3,648
Investment securities, available-for-sale:
Net unrealized gain	19	26	16	60
Income tax effect	(7)	(7)	(8)	(23)
Reclassification adjustment for net loss (gain) realized in net income	(1)	3	(1)	3
Income tax effect	0	1	0	1
Defined benefit pension and other postretirement plans:
Net unrealized actuarial (loss) gain and prior service credit	(5)	5	(5)	61
Income tax effect	2	(2)	2	(23)
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service credit realized in net income	15	2	21	(5)
Income tax effect	(7)	0	(9)	2
Derivative instruments classified as cash flow hedges:
Net unrealized (loss) gain	(49)	(54)	25	(38)
Income tax effect	11	11	4	6
Reclassification adjustment for net loss (gain) realized in net income	8	(37)	20	(85)
Income tax effect	(3)	11	(5)	25
Foreign currency translation adjustments	404	0	(584)	0
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	389	(47)	(522)	(22)
Comprehensive income	$ 819	$ 1,660	$ 1,978	$ 3,626

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Millions	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Operating Activities
Net income	$ 2,500	$ 3,648
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Client incentives	2,072	1,577
Fair value adjustment for the Visa Europe put option	0	(255)
Share-based compensation (Note 11)	116	97
Excess tax benefit for share-based compensation	0	(43)
Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets	277	241
Deferred income taxes	1,700	(29)
Right to recover for covered losses recorded in equity	(163)	0
Noncash Contribution Expense	192	0
Other	23	17
Change in operating assets and liabilities:
Settlement receivable	(1,946)	(6)
Accounts receivable	(40)	(97)
Client incentives	(2,306)	(1,912)
Other assets	(301)	(397)
Accounts payable	(83)	(34)
Settlement payable	883	(57)
Accrued and other liabilities	(35)	81
Accrued litigation (Note 14)	15	(12)
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,904	2,819
Investing Activities
Purchases of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets	(317)	(250)
Investment securities, available-for-sale:
Purchases	(1,083)	(17,437)
Proceeds from maturities and sales	3,972	15,860
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired	302	14
Purchases of / contributions to other investments	(2)	(9)
Proceeds / distributions from other investments	0	4
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	2,268	(1,846)
Financing Activities
Dividends paid (Note 9)	(795)	(676)
Proceeds from issuance of senior notes (Note 6)	0	15,971
Debt issuance costs (Note 6)	0	(96)
Payments from litigation escrow account—U.S. retrospective responsibility plan (Note 3 and Note 14)	0	11
Cash proceeds from issuance of common stock under employee equity plans	87	49
Restricted stock and performance-based shares settled in cash for taxes	(66)	(85)
Excess tax benefit for share-based compensation	0	43
Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities	(4,243)	11,452
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	(121)	0
Increase in cash and cash equivalents	808	12,425
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	5,619	3,518
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	6,427	15,943
Supplemental Disclosure
Income taxes paid, net of refunds	1,611	1,501
Interest payments on debt (Note 6)	244	0
Net unrealized gain on currency forward contracts	0	116
Accruals related to purchases of property, equipment, technology and intangible assets	37	38
Class A common stock
Financing Activities
Repurchase of class A common stock (Note 9)	$ (3,469)	$ (3,765)

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization. Visa Inc. ("Visa" or the "Company") is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, merchants, financial institutions, businesses, strategic partners and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. Visa and its wholly-owned consolidated subsidiaries, including Visa U.S.A. Inc. ("Visa U.S.A."), Visa International Service Association ("Visa International"), Visa Worldwide Pte. Limited, Visa Europe Limited ("Visa Europe"), Visa Canada Corporation, Inovant LLC and CyberSource Corporation ("CyberSource"), operate one of the world’s largest retail electronic payments networks — VisaNet — which facilitates authorization, clearing and settlement of payment transactions and enables us to provide our financial institution and merchant clients a wide range of products, platforms and value-added services. VisaNet also offers fraud protection for account holders and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for account holders on Visa products. In most cases, account holder and merchant relationships belong to, and are managed by, Visa's financial institution clients. Consolidation and basis of presentation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Visa and its consolidated entities and are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The Company consolidates its majority-owned and controlled entities, including variable interest entities ("VIEs") for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company’s investments in VIEs have not been material to its consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and, consequently, do not include all of the annual disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Reference should be made to the Visa Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2016 for additional disclosures, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Subsequently, the FASB also issued a series of amendments to the new revenue standard. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018, and expects to adopt the standard using the modified retrospective transition method. The Company expects that the new standard will primarily impact recognition timing for certain fixed incentives and price discounts provided to clients, and the classification of certain client incentives between contra revenues and operating expenses. The Company is still in the process of quantifying the full effect that ASU 2014-09 and all of its related subsequent updates will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payments, including the accounting for excess tax benefits and deficiencies, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification on the statement of cash flows related to excess tax benefits and employee taxes paid when an employer withholds shares for tax-withholding purposes. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance effective October 1, 2016. The adoption had the following impact on the consolidated financial statements: • The Company recorded excess tax benefits of $46 million in our provision for income taxes rather than as an increase to additional paid-in capital for the six months ended March 31, 2017 on a prospective basis. Therefore, the prior period presented has not been adjusted. • The Company excluded the excess tax benefits from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares in the computation of diluted earnings per share, which did not have a material impact on our diluted earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . • The Company elected to apply the presentation requirement for cash flows related to excess tax benefits prospectively, and thus, the prior period presented has not been adjusted. This adoption resulted in an increase to both net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in financing of $46 million for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, which requires that entities recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. The standard will be effective for Visa on October 1, 2018. However, the Company is considering early adoption of the standard on October 1, 2017. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, which requires that a statement of cash flows includes the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018. The adoption will impact the presentation of transactions related to the U.S. litigation escrow account on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, which simplifies the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating a previously required step. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2020. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, which requires that the service cost component of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit cost be presented in the same line item as other employee compensation costs, while the other components be presented separately as non-operating income (expense). Currently, all net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs are presented in Personnel on the Company's consolidated statement of operations. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Visa Europe

Visa Europe	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
European Activities [Abstract]
Visa Europe	Note 2—Visa Europe On June 21, 2016, the Company acquired 100% of the share capital of Visa Europe, a payments technology business. The acquisition positions Visa to create additional value through increased scale, efficiencies realized by the integration of both businesses, and benefits related to Visa Europe's transition from an association to a for-profit enterprise. At the closing of the transaction (the "Closing"), the Company: • paid up-front cash consideration of € 12.2 billion ( $13.9 billion ); • issued preferred stock of the Company convertible upon certain conditions into approximately 79 million shares of class A common stock of the Company, as described below, equivalent to a value of € 5.3 billion ( $6.1 billion ) at the closing stock price of $77.33 on June 21, 2016; and • agreed to pay an additional € 1.0 billion , plus 4% compound annual interest, on the third anniversary of the Closing. Preferred stock . In connection with the transaction, three new series of preferred stock of the Company were created: • series A convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share, which is generally designed to be economically equivalent to the Company’s class A common stock (the “class A equivalent preferred stock”); • series B convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “U.K.&I preferred stock”); and • series C convertible participating preferred stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Europe preferred stock”). The Company issued 2,480,466 shares of U.K.&I preferred stock to Visa Europe’s member financial institutions in the United Kingdom and Ireland entitled to receive preferred stock at the Closing, and 3,156,823 shares of Europe preferred stock to Visa Europe’s other member financial institutions entitled to receive preferred stock at the Closing. Under certain conditions described below, the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock is convertible into shares of class A common stock or class A equivalent preferred stock, at an initial conversion rate of 13.952 shares of class A common stock for each share of U.K.&I preferred stock and Europe preferred stock. The conversion rates may be reduced from time to time to offset certain liabilities, which may be incurred by the Company, Visa Europe or their affiliates as a result of certain existing and potential litigation relating to the setting of multilateral interchange fee rates in the Visa Europe territory, where, generally, the relevant claims (and resultant liabilities and losses) relate to the period before the Closing. See Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans . Updated purchase price allocation. Upon the Closing, total purchase consideration of $18.8 billion was allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on a preliminary valuation. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2017, based on additional information that became available, which impacted certain of the assumptions used, the Company updated the purchase price allocation. The following table summarizes the updated purchase price allocation: Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation Measurement Period Adjustments Updated Purchase Price Allocation (in millions) Current assets (1) $ 4,457 $ — $ 4,457 Non-current assets (2) 258 (46 ) 212 Current liabilities (3) (2,731 ) (39 ) (2,770 ) Non-current liabilities (2) (2,605 ) 618 (1,987 ) Tangible assets and liabilities $ (621 ) $ 533 $ (88 ) Intangible assets — customer relationships and reacquired rights (2) 16,137 (232 ) 15,905 Goodwill (4) 3,268 (301 ) 2,967 Fair value of net assets acquired $ 18,784 $ — $ 18,784 (1) Current assets are largely comprised of cash and cash equivalents and settlement receivable. (2) Intangible assets consist of customer relationships and reacquired rights, which have been valued as a single composite intangible asset as they are inextricably linked. These intangibles are considered indefinite-lived assets as the associated customer relationships have historically not experienced significant attrition, and the reacquired rights are based on the Framework Agreement, which has a perpetual term. Non-current assets and liabilities include deferred tax assets and liabilities that result in net deferred tax liabilities of $1.7 billion based on the updated valuation. In February 2017, the Company completed a legal entity reorganization, resulting in the elimination of most of these deferred tax assets and liabilities. See Note 12—Income Taxes . (3) Current liabilities assumed mainly include settlement payable, client incentives liabilities and accrued liabilities. (4) The excess of purchase consideration over net assets acquired was recorded as goodwill, which represents the value that is expected from increased scale and synergies as a result of the integration of both businesses. Actual and pro forma impact of acquisition. The following table presents unaudited supplemental pro forma information for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, as if the acquisition and related issuance of senior notes had occurred on October 1, 2014. The pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the Company's consolidated results of operations that would have been realized had the acquisition been completed on October 1, 2014, nor does it purport to project the future results of operations of the combined company or reflect any reorganizations, or cost or other operating synergies that may occur subsequent to the Closing. The actual results of operations of the combined company may differ significantly from the pro forma results presented here due to many factors. Consolidated Actual Results Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Results Consolidated Actual Results Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Results Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (in millions, except per share data) Net operating revenues $ 4,477 $ 3,935 $ 8,938 $ 7,899 Net income $ 430 $ 1,679 $ 2,500 $ 3,456 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.18 $ 0.68 $ 1.04 $ 1.39 The unaudited pro forma financial information for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 reflects the following material pro forma adjustments: • conversion of Visa Europe's historical results of operations from euro to U.S. dollar, and from International Financial Reporting Standards to U.S. GAAP; • elimination of transactions between Visa and Visa Europe upon consolidation, primarily related to annual license and various other fees paid by Visa Europe to Visa in accordance with the Framework Agreement; • an increase in non-operating expense for the six months ended March 31, 2016 for additional interest expense and amortization of debt issuance costs resulting from the issuance of the $16.0 billion senior notes; • exclusion of a $255 million gain related to the revaluation of the Visa Europe put option from the six months ended March 31, 2016 (1) ; and • elimination of acquisition-related costs incurred by Visa Europe. (1) For purposes of preparing this pro forma financial information, the fair value of the Visa Europe put option is presumed to have been reduced to zero prior to October 1, 2014. Therefore, the Company did not include any gains associated with a write-down in the fair value of the Visa Europe put option liability in the unaudited pro forma net income for the six months ended March 31, 2016. The pro forma results also reflect the applicable tax impact of the pro forma adjustments. The taxes associated with the adjustments reflect the statutory tax rate in effect during the respective periods.

U.S. and Europe Retrospective R

U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Retrospective Responsibility Plan [Abstract]
U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans	Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans U.S. Retrospective Responsibility Plan Under the terms of the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan, the Company maintains an escrow account from which settlements of, or judgments in, the U.S. covered litigation are paid. The escrow funds are held in money market investments along with interest income earned, less applicable taxes, and are classified as restricted cash on the consolidated balance sheets. The balance of the escrow account was $1.0 billion at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016. The Company did not make any payments to opt-out merchants from the litigation escrow account during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . See Note 13—Legal Matters . The accrual related to the covered litigation could be either higher or lower than the litigation escrow account balance. The Company did not record an additional accrual for the covered litigation during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . See Note 13—Legal Matters . Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plan Under the terms of the Europe retrospective responsibility plan, the Company is entitled to recover VE territory covered losses through a periodic adjustment to the class A common stock conversion rates applicable to the U.K.&I. and Europe preferred stock. VE territory covered losses are recorded in "right to recover for covered losses" within equity before the corresponding adjustment to the applicable conversion rate is effected. Adjustments to the conversion rate may be executed once in any six-month period unless a single, individual loss greater than € 20 million is incurred, in which case, the six-month limitation does not apply. When the adjustment to the conversion rate is made, the amount previously recorded in "right to recover for covered losses" as contra-equity is then recorded against the book value of the preferred stock within stockholders' equity. During the six months ended March 31, 2017 , the Company recovered $120 million of VE territory covered losses through adjustments to the class A common stock conversion rates applicable to the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock, from 13.952 at September 30, 2016 to 13.388 and 13.948 , respectively, at March 31, 2017 . The following table sets forth the activities related to VE territory covered losses in preferred stock and "right to recover for covered losses" within equity during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . VE territory covered losses incurred reflect settlements with merchants and additional legal costs. See Note 13—Legal Matters . Preferred Stock Right to Recover for Covered Losses U.K.&I Europe (in millions) Balance as of September 30, 2016 $ 2,516 $ 3,201 $ (34 ) VE territory covered losses incurred $ — $ — $ (163 ) Recovery through conversion rate adjustment (119 ) (1 ) 120 Balance as of March 31, 2017 $ 2,397 $ 3,200 $ (77 ) The following table sets forth the as-converted value of the preferred stock available to recover VE territory covered losses compared to the book value of preferred shares recorded in stockholders' equity within the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2017 . (1) March 31, 2017 As-Converted Value of Preferred Stock (2) Book Value of Preferred Stock (in millions) U.K.&I preferred stock $ 2,951 $ 2,397 Europe preferred stock 3,913 3,200 Total $ 6,864 $ 5,597 Less: Right to recover for covered losses (77 ) (77 ) Total recovery for covered losses available $ 6,787 $ 5,520 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted and book values are based on unrounded numbers. (2) The as-converted value of preferred stock is calculated as the product of: (a) 2 million and 3 million shares of the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock outstanding, respectively, as of March 31, 2017 ; (b) 13.388 and 13.948 , the class A common stock conversion rate applicable to the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock as of March 31, 2017 , respectively; and (c) $88.87 , Visa's class A common stock closing stock price as of March 31, 2017 .

Fair Value Measurements and Inv

Fair Value Measurements and Investments	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements and Investments	Note 4—Fair Value Measurements and Investments Fair Value Measurements Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs Considered as Level 1 Level 2 March 31, September 30, March 31, September 30, (in millions) Assets Cash equivalents and restricted cash: Money market funds $ 4,594 $ 4,537 U.S. government-sponsored debt securities $ 132 $ 196 Investment securities, trading: Equity securities 78 71 Investment securities, available-for-sale: U.S. government-sponsored debt securities 3,039 4,699 U.S. Treasury securities 1,102 2,178 Equity securities 78 53 Corporate debt securities 80 249 Prepaid and other current assets: Foreign exchange derivative instruments 52 50 Other assets: Foreign exchange derivative instruments — 6 Total $ 5,852 $ 6,839 $ 3,303 $ 5,200 Liabilities Accrued liabilities: Foreign exchange derivative instruments $ 83 $ 116 Other liabilities: Foreign exchange derivative instruments — 20 Total $ — $ — $ 83 $ 136 There were no transfers between Level 1 and Level 2 assets during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . Level 1 assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis. Money market funds, publicly-traded equity securities and U.S. Treasury securities are classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy, as fair value is based on quoted prices in active markets. Level 2 assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The fair value of U.S. government-sponsored debt securities and corporate debt securities, as provided by third-party pricing vendors, is based on quoted prices in active markets for similar, not identical, assets. The pricing data obtained from outside sources is reviewed internally for reasonableness, compared against benchmark quotes from independent pricing sources, then confirmed or revised accordingly. Foreign exchange derivative instruments are valued using inputs that are observable in the market or can be derived principally from or corroborated by observable market data. There were no substantive changes to the valuation techniques and related inputs used to measure fair value during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Non-recurring Basis Non-marketable equity investments and investments accounted for under the equity method . These investments are classified as Level 3 due to the absence of quoted market prices, the inherent lack of liquidity, and the fact that inputs used to measure fair value are unobservable and require management's judgment. When certain events or circumstances indicate that impairment may exist, the Company revalues the investments using various assumptions, including the financial metrics and ratios of comparable public companies. There were no significant impairments during the six months ended March 31, 2017 or 2016 . These investments totaled $49 million and $46 million at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016 , respectively, and are classified in other assets on the consolidated balance sheets. Non-financial assets and liabilities. Long-lived assets such as goodwill, indefinite-lived intangible assets, finite-lived intangible assets, and property, equipment and technology are considered non-financial assets. The Company does not have any non-financial liabilities measured at fair value on a non-recurring basis. Finite-lived intangible assets primarily consist of customer relationships, trade names and reseller relationships, all of which were obtained through acquisitions. If the Company were required to perform a quantitative assessment for impairment testing of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, the fair values would generally be estimated using an income approach. As the assumptions employed to measure these assets on a non-recurring basis are based on management's judgment using internal and external data, these fair value determinations are classified as Level 3 in the fair value hierarchy. The Company completed its annual impairment review of its indefinite-lived intangible assets and goodwill as of February 1, 2017, and concluded that there was no impairment. No recent events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment existed at March 31, 2017 . Other Fair Value Disclosures Long-term debt. Debt instruments are measured at amortized cost on the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2017 . The fair value of the debt instruments, as provided by third-party pricing vendors, is based on quoted prices in active markets for similar, not identical, assets. The pricing data obtained from outside sources is reviewed internally for reasonableness, compared against benchmark quotes from independent pricing sources, then confirmed or revised accordingly. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these instruments would be classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. The following table presents the carrying amount and estimated fair value of the Company’s debt in order of maturity: March 31, 2017 September 30, 2016 Carrying Amount Estimated Fair Value Carrying Amount Estimated Fair Value (in millions) 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 $ 1,748 $ 1,748 $ 1,746 $ 1,754 2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020 2,989 3,009 2,988 3,077 2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022 2,239 2,270 2,238 2,359 3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025 3,966 4,014 3,964 4,225 4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035 1,485 1,569 1,485 1,698 4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045 3,461 3,673 3,461 4,045 Total $ 15,888 $ 16,283 $ 15,882 $ 17,158 Other financial instruments not measured at fair value. The following financial instruments are not measured at fair value on the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheet at March 31, 2017 , but disclosure of their fair values is required: time deposits recorded in prepaid expenses and other current assets, settlement receivable and payable, commercial paper, and customer collateral. The estimated fair value of such instruments at March 31, 2017 approximates their carrying value due to their generally short maturities. If measured at fair value in the financial statements, these financial instruments would be classified as Level 2 in the fair value hierarchy. Investments Available-for-sale investment securities. The Company had $78 million in gross unrealized gains and $7 million in gross unrealized losses at March 31, 2017 . There were $55 million gross unrealized gains and no gross unrealized losses at September 30, 2016 . A majority of the Company's available-for-sale investment securities with stated maturities are due within one to two years.

Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Intangible Assets and Goodwill	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Intangible Assets and Goodwill	Note 5—Intangible Assets and Goodwill Goodwill and intangible assets at March 31, 2017 decreased from September 30, 2016 primarily due to measurement period adjustments as the Company updated the purchase price allocation during the second quarter of fiscal 2017. See Note 2—Visa Europe . Goodwill and intangible assets also decreased due to foreign currency translation, which is recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in the consolidated balance sheet. In February 2017, the Company acquired a business for a total purchase consideration net of cash received of approximately $302 million , paid primarily with cash on hand. Total purchase consideration has been allocated to the tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired, and to liabilities assumed based on their respective fair values on the acquisition date. Related finite-lived intangible assets recorded totaled $104 million with a weighted-average useful life of eight years. Goodwill of $181 million was recorded to reflect the excess purchase consideration over net assets acquired. The consolidated financial statements include the operating results of the acquired business from the date of acquisition. Pro forma information related to the acquisition has not been presented as the impact is not material to the Company's financial results.

Debt

Debt	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	Note 6—Debt The Company had outstanding debt as follows: March 31, 2017 September 30, 2016 Principal Amount Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs Carrying Amount Principal Amount Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs Carrying Amount Effective Interest Rate (in millions, except percentages) 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 (the "2017 Notes") $ 1,750 $ (2 ) $ 1,748 $ — $ — $ — 1.37 % Total current maturities of long-term debt 1,750 (2 ) 1,748 — — — 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 (the "2017 Notes") — — — 1,750 (4 ) 1,746 1.37 % 2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020 (the "2020 Notes") 3,000 (11 ) 2,989 3,000 (12 ) 2,988 2.30 % 2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022 (the "2022 Notes") 2,250 (11 ) 2,239 2,250 (12 ) 2,238 2.89 % 3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025 (the "2025 Notes") 4,000 (34 ) 3,966 4,000 (36 ) 3,964 3.26 % 4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035 (the "2035 Notes") 1,500 (15 ) 1,485 1,500 (15 ) 1,485 4.23 % 4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045 (the "2045 Notes") 3,500 (39 ) 3,461 3,500 (39 ) 3,461 4.37 % Total long-term debt 14,250 (110 ) 14,140 16,000 (118 ) 15,882 Total debt $ 16,000 $ (112 ) $ 15,888 $ 16,000 $ (118 ) $ 15,882 Senior Notes Interest expense for the senior notes was $125 million and $250 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively, as compared to $125 million and $149 million for the same periods in 2016 . The Company recognized interest expense as non-operating expense and paid $244 million in interest on the senior notes during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . Commercial Paper Program The Company maintains a commercial paper program to support its working capital requirements and for other general corporate purposes. During the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company repaid the $567 million of commercial paper that was issued in December 2016. As of March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016, the Company had no outstanding obligations under the program. Credit Facility Extension On January 27, 2017, the Company extended the term of the $4.0 billion credit facility that was entered into on January 27, 2016. The credit facility will now expire on January 27, 2022. No other terms were materially changed. A brief description of the material terms and conditions of the credit facility are described in the Company's Form 10-K, as filed with the SEC on November 15, 2016.

Settlement Guarantee Management

Settlement Guarantee Management	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Settlement Guarantee Management [Abstract]
Settlement Guarantee Management	Note 7—Settlement Guarantee Management The Company indemnifies its clients for settlement losses suffered due to failure of any other clients to fund its settlement obligations in accordance with the Visa Rules. This indemnification creates settlement risk for the Company due to the difference in timing between the date of a payment transaction and the date of subsequent settlement. The exposure to settlement losses through Visa's settlement indemnification is accounted for as a settlement risk guarantee. The Company’s settlement exposure is limited to the amount of unsettled Visa payment transactions at any point in time. The Company requires certain clients that do not meet its credit standards to post collateral to offset potential loss from their estimated unsettled transactions. The Company’s estimated maximum settlement exposure was $68.5 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2017 , compared to $67.8 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 . Of these amounts, $3.1 billion and $2.9 billion were covered by collateral at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016 , respectively. The Company maintained collateral as follows: March 31, September 30, (in millions) Cash equivalents (1) $ 1,324 $ 1,295 Pledged securities at market value 154 170 Letters of credit 1,477 1,311 Guarantees 1,369 1,418 Total $ 4,324 $ 4,194 (1) Cash collateral held by Visa Europe is not included on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as its clients retain beneficial ownership and the cash is only accessible to the Company in the event of default by the client on its settlement obligations. The total available collateral balances presented in the table above were greater than the settlement exposure covered by customer collateral held due to instances in which the available collateral exceeded the total settlement exposure for certain financial institutions at each date presented. The fair value of the settlement risk guarantee is estimated based on a proprietary probability-weighted model and was approximately $ 3 million and $2 million at March 31, 2017 and September 30, 2016 , respectively. These amounts are reflected in accrued liabilities on the Company's consolidated balance sheets. In the last week of March 2017, the Company experienced delays in the processing and settlement of $1.6 billion of volume in Europe. As a result of this delay, this volume was processed and settled in the first few days of April 2017 instead of in March 2017. The settlement receivable and payable amounts recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at March 31, 2017 are elevated because they include this unsettled activity. The balances in these accounts returned to historical levels in early April 2017 following the settlement of this activity.

Pension and Other Postretiremen

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits	Note 8—Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits The Company sponsors various qualified and non-qualified defined benefit pension and other postretirement benefit plans that provide for retirement and medical benefits for substantially all employees residing in the U.S. The Company also sponsors other pension benefit plans that provide benefits for internationally-based employees at certain non-U.S. locations. The components of net periodic benefit cost presented below include the U.S. pension plans and the non-U.S. plans, which represent Visa Europe funded and unfunded pension plans. Disclosures relating to other non-U.S. pension benefit plans are not included as they are immaterial, individually and in aggregate. In October 2015, the Company amended the U.S. qualified defined benefit pension plan and discontinued employer provided credits after December 31, 2015. Plan participants will continue to earn interest credits on existing balances at December 31, 2015. The Visa Europe pension plans had been closed to new entrants prior to the Visa Europe acquisition. U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits Pension Benefits Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Three Months Ended 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 (in millions) Service cost $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 1 Interest cost 9 10 — — 2 Expected return on assets (17 ) (18 ) — — (4 ) Amortization of: Prior service credit — — — (1 ) — Actuarial loss 4 2 — — 1 Curtailment gain — — — — — Settlement loss 11 — — — — Total net periodic benefit cost $ 7 $ (6 ) $ — $ (1 ) $ — U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits Pension Benefits Six Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 (in millions) Service cost $ — $ 13 $ — $ — $ 3 Interest cost 18 21 — — 5 Expected return on assets (35 ) (35 ) — — (8 ) Amortization of: Prior service credit — (1 ) (1 ) (2 ) — Actuarial loss 8 4 — — 1 Curtailment gain — (8 ) — — — Settlement loss 13 — — — — Total net periodic benefit cost $ 4 $ (6 ) $ (1 ) $ (2 ) $ 1

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	Note 9—Stockholders' Equity As-Converted Class A Common Stock. The number of shares of each series and class and the number of shares of class A common stock on an as-converted basis at March 31, 2017 , are as follows: (in millions, except conversion rates) Shares Outstanding Conversion Rate Into Class A Common Stock As-converted Class A Common Stock (1) U.K.&I preferred stock 2 13.3880 33 Europe preferred stock 3 13.9480 44 Class A common stock (2) 1,847 — 1,847 Class B common stock 245 1.6483 (3) 405 Class C common stock 14 4.0000 55 Total 2,384 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted class A common stock is calculated based on unrounded numbers. (2) Class A common stock shares outstanding exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017. (3) The class B to class A common stock conversion rate is presented on a rounded basis. Conversion calculations for dividend payments are based on a conversion rate rounded to the tenth decimal. During the three months ended March 31, 2017 , the newly-formed Visa Foundation received all Visa Inc. shares that were previously recorded as treasury stock. See Note 12—Income Taxes . Reduction in as-converted shares. During the six months ended March 31, 2017 , total as-converted class A common stock was reduced by 43 million shares at an average price of $83.64 per share. Of the 43 million shares, 41 million were repurchased in the open market using $3.5 billion of operating cash on hand. Additionally, the Company recovered $120 million of VE territory covered losses in accordance with the Europe retrospective responsibility plan. The recovery has the same economic effect on earnings per share as repurchasing the Company's class A common stock, because it reduces the U.K.&I. and Europe preferred stock conversion rates and consequently the as-converted class A common stock share count. See Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans . The following table presents share repurchases in the open market. (1) (in millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Shares repurchased in the open market (2) 18 41 Average repurchase price per share (3) $ 88.45 $ 83.59 Total cost $ 1,576 $ 3,469 (1) Shares repurchased in the open market reflect repurchases settled during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . These amounts include repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before September 30, 2016 for the six months, or December 31, 2016 for the three months, and exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017. (2) All shares repurchased in the open market have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares. (3) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Average repurchase price per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers. As of March 31, 2017 , the Company's July 2016 share repurchase program had remaining authorized funds of $2.3 billion for share repurchase. All share repurchase programs authorized prior to July 2016 have been completed. In April 2017, the Company's board of directors authorized an additional $5.0 billion share repurchase program. Under the terms of the Europe retrospective responsibility plan, the Company is entitled to recover VE territory covered losses through a periodic adjustment to the class A common stock conversion rates applicable to the U.K.&I. and Europe preferred stock. See Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans . The following table presents as-converted U.K.&I. and Europe preferred stock, after the Company recovered VE territory covered losses through a conversion rate adjustment, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . Three and Six Months Ended March 31, 2017 (in millions, except per share and conversion rate data) U.K.&I. Preferred Stock Europe Preferred Stock Reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock 1 — (1) Effective price per share (2) $ 85.01 $ 85.01 Recovery through conversion rate adjustment $ 119 $ 1 Conversion rate of preferred stock to class A common stock after adjustment 13.388 13.948 As-converted preferred stock after recovery 33 44 (1) The reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock was less than one million shares. (2) Effective price per share calculated using the volume-weighted average price of the Company's class A common stock over a pricing period in accordance with the Company's current certificates of designations for its series B and C convertible participating preferred stock. Dividends. In April 2017, the Company’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.165 per share of class A common stock (determined in the case of class B and C common stock and U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock on an as-converted basis). The cash dividend will be paid on June 6, 2017 , to all holders of record of the Company's common and preferred stock as of May 19, 2017 . The Company declared and paid $396 million and $795 million in dividends to holders of the Company's common stock during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 .

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	Note 10—Earnings Per Share Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available to each class by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding and participating securities during the period. Net income is allocated to each class of common stock and participating securities based on its proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted-average number of shares of each class of common stock outstanding reflects changes in ownership over the periods presented. See Note 9—Stockholders' Equity . Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income available by the weighted-average number of shares of common stock outstanding, participating securities and, if dilutive, potential class A common stock equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive class A common stock equivalents may consist of: (1) shares of class A common stock issuable upon the conversion of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock and class B and C common stock based on the conversion rates in effect through the period, and (2) incremental shares of class A common stock calculated by applying the treasury stock method to the assumed exercise of employee stock options, the assumed purchase of stock under the Employee Stock Purchase Plan and the assumed vesting of unearned performance shares. The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 332 1,854 $ 0.18 $ 430 2,406 (3) $ 0.18 Class B common stock 73 245 $ 0.30 $ 72 245 $ 0.29 Class C common stock 10 15 $ 0.72 $ 10 15 $ 0.72 Participating securities (4) 15 Not presented Not presented $ 15 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 430 The following table presents earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 1,928 1,857 $ 1.04 $ 2,500 2,413 (3) $ 1.04 Class B common stock 420 245 $ 1.71 $ 419 245 $ 1.71 Class C common stock 65 16 $ 4.15 $ 65 16 $ 4.14 Participating securities (4) 87 Not presented Not presented $ 87 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 2,500 The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2016 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 1,360 1,909 $ 0.71 $ 1,707 2,401 (3) $ 0.71 Class B common stock 288 245 $ 1.17 $ 288 245 $ 1.17 Class C common stock 55 19 $ 2.85 $ 55 19 $ 2.84 Participating securities (4) 4 Not presented Not presented $ 4 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 1,707 The following table presents earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2016 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 2,910 1,923 $ 1.51 $ 3,648 2,416 (3) $ 1.51 Class B common stock 612 245 $ 2.49 $ 611 245 $ 2.49 Class C common stock 118 19 $ 6.05 $ 117 19 $ 6.04 Participating securities (4) 8 Not presented Not presented $ 8 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 3,648 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Earnings per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers. (2) Net income is allocated based on proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class B common stock used in the income allocation was 405 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 . The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class C common stock used in the income allocation was 58 million and 63 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively and 77 million and 78 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 , respectively. The weighted-average number of shares of preferred stock, included within participating securities, was 34 million of as-converted U.K.&I preferred stock and 44 million of as-converted Europe preferred stock for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . (3) Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are calculated on an as-converted basis, and include incremental common stock equivalents, as calculated under the treasury stock method. The computation includes approximately 5 million common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , because their effect would be dilutive. The computation excludes 3 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 1 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 , because their effect would have been anti-dilutive. (4) Participating securities include preferred stock outstanding and unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, such as the Company's U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and earned performance-based shares. Participating securities' income is allocated based on the weighted-average number of shares of as-converted stock.

Share-based Compensation

Share-based Compensation	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]
Share-based Compensation	Note 11—Share-based Compensation The Company granted the following equity awards to employees and non-employee directors under the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan during the six months ended March 31, 2017 : Granted Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Weighted-Average Exercise Price Non-qualified stock options 1,671,344 $ 13.90 $ 80.82 Restricted stock units ("RSUs") 3,122,624 $ 80.96 Performance-based shares (1) 634,651 $ 86.37 (1) Represents the maximum number of performance-based shares which could be earned. The Company’s non-qualified stock options and RSUs are equity awards with service-only conditions and are accordingly expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. The Company's performance-based shares are equity awards with service, market and performance conditions that are accounted for using the graded-vesting method. The Company recorded share-based compensation cost of $116 million for the six months ended March 31, 2017 , net of estimated forfeitures, which are adjusted as appropriate.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Note 12—Income Taxes In February 2017, the Company completed a reorganization of Visa Europe and certain other legal entities ("legal entity reorganization" or "reorganization") to align the Company's corporate structure to the geographic jurisdictions in which it conducts business operations. As a result of the reorganization, during the three months ended March 31, 2017, the Company recorded a non-recurring, non-cash income tax provision of $1.5 billion primarily related to the elimination of deferred tax balances originally recognized upon the acquisition of Visa Europe. Associated with this reorganization, the newly-formed Visa Foundation received all Visa Inc. shares held by Visa Europe, which were previously recorded as treasury stock. The effective income tax rates were 84% and 56% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively, and 30% and 28% for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 , respectively. The effective tax rate for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 differs from the effective tax rate in the same periods in the prior fiscal year primarily due to: • the aforementioned $1.5 billion non-recurring, non-cash income tax provision related to the legal entity reorganization recorded in the quarter ended March 31, 2017; • $71 million tax benefit related to Visa Foundation's receipt of Visa Inc. shares mentioned above; • $20 million and $46 million of excess tax benefits related to share-based payments recorded during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, respectively, as a result of early adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2016-09. See Note 1—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies ; • the restrictions on U.S. foreign tax credits that can be claimed for Visa Europe's foreign taxes prior to the aforesaid legal entity reorganization; and • the absence of the non-taxable $255 million revaluation of the Visa Europe put option recorded in the quarter ended December 31, 2015. During the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , the Company's gross unrecognized tax benefits increased by $23 million and $56 million , respectively. The Company's unrecognized tax benefits that would favorably impact the effective tax rate, if recognized, increased by $69 million and $97 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively. The increase in unrecognized tax benefits is primarily related to various tax positions across several jurisdictions. During the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, there were no significant changes in interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions. The Company’s tax filings are subject to examination by the U.S. federal, state and foreign taxing authorities. The timing and outcome of the final resolutions of the various ongoing income tax examinations are highly uncertain. It is not reasonably possible to estimate the increase or decrease in unrecognized tax benefits within the next twelve months.

Legal Matters

Legal Matters	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Legal Matters [Abstract]
Legal Matters	Note 13—Legal Matters The Company is party to various legal and regulatory proceedings. Some of these proceedings involve complex claims that are subject to substantial uncertainties and unascertainable damages. Accordingly, except as disclosed, the Company has not established reserves or ranges of possible loss related to these proceedings, as at this time in the proceedings, the matters do not relate to a probable loss and/or the amount or range of losses are not reasonably estimable. Although the Company believes that it has strong defenses for the litigation and regulatory proceedings described below, it could, in the future, incur judgments or fines or enter into settlements of claims that could have a material adverse effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows. From time to time, the Company may engage in settlement discussions or mediations with respect to one or more of its outstanding litigation matters, either on its own behalf or collectively with other parties. The litigation accrual is an estimate and is based on management’s understanding of its litigation profile, the specifics of each case, advice of counsel to the extent appropriate and management’s best estimate of incurred loss as of the balance sheet date. The following table summarizes the activity related to accrued litigation: Fiscal 2017 Fiscal 2016 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 981 $ 1,024 Provision for uncovered legal matters 17 1 Accrual of VE territory covered litigation 142 — Payments on legal matters (144 ) (12 ) Balance at March 31 $ 996 $ 1,013 Accrual Summary—U.S. Covered Litigation Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A. and Visa International are parties to certain legal proceedings that are covered by the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan, which the Company refers to as the U.S. covered litigation. See Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans . An accrual for the U.S. covered litigation and a charge to the litigation provision are recorded when loss is deemed to be probable and reasonably estimable. In making this determination, the Company evaluates available information, including but not limited to actions taken by the litigation committee. The total accrual related to the U.S. covered litigation could be either higher or lower than the escrow account balance. The following table summarizes the activity related to U.S. covered litigation: Fiscal 2017 Fiscal 2016 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 978 $ 1,023 Payments on U.S. covered litigation — (11 ) Balance at March 31 $ 978 $ 1,012 Accrual Summary—VE Territory Covered Litigation Visa Inc., Visa International and Visa Europe are parties to certain legal proceedings that are covered by the Europe retrospective responsibility plan. Unlike the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan, the Europe retrospective responsibility plan does not have an escrow account that is used to fund settlements or judgments. The Company is entitled to recover VE territory covered losses through a periodic adjustment to the conversion rates applicable to the U.K.&I preferred stock and Europe preferred stock. An accrual for the VE territory covered losses and a reduction to stockholders' equity will be recorded when the loss is deemed to be probable and reasonably estimable. See further discussion below under VE Territory Covered Litigation and Note 3—U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans . The following table summarizes the activity related to VE territory covered litigation: Fiscal 2017 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 2 Accrual for VE territory covered litigation 142 Payments on VE territory covered litigation (144 ) Balance at March 31 $ — Interchange Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) Putative Class Actions. On November 23, 2016, class plaintiffs that signed the 2012 Settlement Agreement filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking review of the Second Circuit’s decision that vacated the district court’s certification of the merchant class and reversed the approval of the settlement. The Supreme Court denied the petition on March 27, 2017. On November 30, 2016, the district court entered an order appointing interim counsel for two putative classes of plaintiffs, a “Damages Class” and an “Injunctive Relief Class.” Following the district court’s order, on February 8, 2017, plaintiffs purporting to act on behalf of the putative Damages Class sought leave to file an amended complaint and plaintiffs purporting to act on behalf of the putative Injunctive Relief Class filed a new class complaint, as described below. The plaintiffs that signed the 2012 Settlement Agreement, acting on behalf of the putative Damages Class, filed a motion requesting leave to file a Third Consolidated Amended Class Action Complaint. The complaint seeks money damages alleged to range in the tens of billions of dollars (subject to trebling), as well as attorneys' fees and injunctive relief, and names as defendants Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A., Visa International, MasterCard Incorporated and MasterCard International Incorporated, and certain U.S. financial institutions. The plaintiffs assert that the proposed complaint updates, among other things, claims for damages and accounts for industry developments. Defendants opposed the Damages Class plaintiffs’ motion on March 10, 2017. A new group of purported class plaintiffs, acting on behalf of the putative Injunctive Relief Class, filed a class action complaint seeking declaratory and injunctive relief, as well as attorneys’ fees. That complaint seeks, among other things, an injunction against: the setting of default interchange rates; certain Visa Rules relating to merchants, including the honor-all-cards rule; and various transaction fees, including the fixed acquirer network fee. The complaint names as defendants Visa Inc., Visa U.S.A., Visa International, MasterCard Incorporated and MasterCard International Incorporated, and certain U.S. financial institutions. Individual Merchant Actions. On February 8, 2017, the same day that the putative Damages Class plaintiffs sought leave to file an amended complaint and the putative Injunctive Relief Class plaintiffs filed a new class action complaint, certain other individual merchants filed motions in existing actions in MDL 1720 requesting leave to amend their complaints. Merchants requesting leave to amend assert, among other things, that their proposed complaints add claims for injunctive relief and update claims for damages. Defendants opposed the various merchants’ motions on March 10, 2017. In addition, on February 8, 2017, certain individual merchants filed a new action in federal court which was subsequently included in MDL 1720. A number of individual merchant actions previously filed have been settled and remain settled, but the settlement agreement with Wal-Mart Stores Inc. automatically terminated upon the exhaustion of appeals concerning the reversal of approval of the 2012 Settlement Agreement. The termination results in a decrease of the “settled” percentage of Visa-branded payment card sales volume of merchants who opted out of the 2012 Settlement Agreement. Consequently, as of the filing date, Visa has reached settlement agreements with individual merchants representing approximately 34% of the Visa-branded payment card sales volume of merchants who opted out of the 2012 Settlement Agreement. Unlike the matters above, all of which were filed in federal court or are pending in MDL 1720, one merchant filed a case on February 17, 2017, in Texas state court . The Texas merchant generally pursues claims on allegations similar to those raised in MDL 1720. Based on currently available information, the Company believes this matter may be covered by the U.S. retrospective responsibility plan. Consumer Interchange Litigation On December 9, 2016, the Second Circuit denied plaintiffs’ petition for rehearing. On March 9, 2017, plaintiffs filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court. VE Territory Covered Litigation U.K. Merchant Litigation Since July 2013, in excess of 150 Merchants (the capitalized term "Merchant," when used in this section, means a merchant together with subsidiary/affiliate companies who have issued claims jointly) have commenced proceedings against Visa Europe, Visa Inc. and Visa International relating to interchange rates in Europe, and seek damages for alleged anti-competitive conduct primarily in relation to U.K. domestic and/or Irish domestic and/or intra-EEA interchange fees for credit and debit cards. As of the date of this report, Visa Europe, Visa Inc. and Visa International have settled the claims asserted by 15 Merchants, leaving more than 130 Merchants with outstanding claims. The trial in relation to claims filed in 2013 by a number of Merchants began in November 2016. Of the 15 settling Merchants, three Merchants settled before the trial commenced and the remaining 12 settled during trial. The trial concluded in March 2017, and a decision is pending with respect to one remaining Merchant . In addition, over 30 additional Merchants have threatened to commence similar proceedings. Standstill agreements have been entered into with respect to some of those Merchants' claims. Other Litigation "Indirect Purchaser" Actions On January 12, 2017, the appeals court affirmed the trial court's order denying the objector's motion for attorneys' fees and costs. The objector subsequently agreed not to seek any further appeal. Canadian Competition Proceedings On March 8, 2017, Visa entered into an agreement in principle with merchant class plaintiffs to settle, on a national basis, the active class actions filed in Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta. The settlement remains subject to execution of a final settlement agreement and court approval. Data Pass Litigation On December 20, 2016, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the dismissal as to certain claims against Gamestop Corporation, Webloyalty.com, Inc. and Visa, vacated the dismissal as to certain claims against Webloyalty and Gamestop, and remanded the case to the district court for further proceedings on the remaining claims. U.S. ATM Access Fee Litigation On November 17, 2016, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered that the writs of certiorari be dismissed as improvidently granted. On February 13, 2017, plaintiffs in the National ATM Council action filed a renewed application for a preliminary injunction to prohibit Visa and MasterCard from continuing to enforce non-discrimination ATM access fee rules. The application is pending. Federal Trade Commission Notice Regarding EMV Chip Debit Cards. On November 22, 2016, the FTC's Bureau of Competition informed Visa that the Bureau had closed its investigation. EMV Chip Liability Shift On March 10, 2017, the plaintiffs filed a motion for class certification. On March 20, 2017, Visa and MasterCard filed a motion to transfer the action to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York, or, in the alternative, to stay the action. The motion is pending . Walmart Acceptance Agreement On February 27, 2017, the Court granted Walmart’s motion to dismiss Visa’s counterclaim for fraudulent inducement. Walmart’s claims and Visa’s remaining counterclaims remain pending. Broadway Grill On February 21, 2017, Visa filed a motion to stay the litigation pending the outcome of the federal class actions in MDL 1720. On March 20, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit granted Visa permission to appeal the district court’s order remanding the case to California state court. On April 5, 2017, plaintiff Nuts for Candy, a California merchant represented by the same counsel that represents Broadway Grill, filed a complaint in California state court containing allegations similar to those raised by Broadway Grill. Korea Fair Trade Commission Following complaints lodged by certain financial institutions in Korea, in November 2016, the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) initiated an investigation into certain pricing changes applicable to Visa financial institutions in Korea. Visa is cooperating with the KFTC. Ohio Attorney General Civil Investigative Demand On January 19, 2017, the State of Ohio Office of the Attorney General issued an investigative demand to Visa seeking documents and information focusing on Visa's rules related to the acceptance of Visa debit cards, as well as cardholder verification methods and the routing of Visa debit transactions. Visa is cooperating with the Attorney General.

Summary of Significant Accoun20

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation and basis of presentation	Consolidation and basis of presentation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Visa and its consolidated entities and are presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). The Company consolidates its majority-owned and controlled entities, including variable interest entities ("VIEs") for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. The Company’s investments in VIEs have not been material to its consolidated financial statements as of and for the periods presented. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions are eliminated in consolidation. The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements are presented in accordance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") requirements for Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and, consequently, do not include all of the annual disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. Reference should be made to the Visa Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2016 for additional disclosures, including a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include all normal recurring adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the Company's financial position, results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented.
Recently issued and adopted accounting pronouncements	Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements. In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2014-09, which requires an entity to recognize the amount of revenue to which it expects to be entitled for the transfer of goods or services to customers. The ASU will replace existing revenue recognition guidance in U.S. GAAP when it becomes effective. Subsequently, the FASB also issued a series of amendments to the new revenue standard. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018, and expects to adopt the standard using the modified retrospective transition method. The Company expects that the new standard will primarily impact recognition timing for certain fixed incentives and price discounts provided to clients, and the classification of certain client incentives between contra revenues and operating expenses. The Company is still in the process of quantifying the full effect that ASU 2014-09 and all of its related subsequent updates will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, which simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payments, including the accounting for excess tax benefits and deficiencies, forfeitures, and statutory tax withholding requirements, as well as classification on the statement of cash flows related to excess tax benefits and employee taxes paid when an employer withholds shares for tax-withholding purposes. The Company elected to early adopt this guidance effective October 1, 2016. The adoption had the following impact on the consolidated financial statements: • The Company recorded excess tax benefits of $46 million in our provision for income taxes rather than as an increase to additional paid-in capital for the six months ended March 31, 2017 on a prospective basis. Therefore, the prior period presented has not been adjusted. • The Company excluded the excess tax benefits from the assumed proceeds available to repurchase shares in the computation of diluted earnings per share, which did not have a material impact on our diluted earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . • The Company elected to apply the presentation requirement for cash flows related to excess tax benefits prospectively, and thus, the prior period presented has not been adjusted. This adoption resulted in an increase to both net cash provided by operating activities and net cash used in financing of $46 million for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-16, which requires that entities recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset, other than inventory, when the transfer occurs. The standard will be effective for Visa on October 1, 2018. However, the Company is considering early adoption of the standard on October 1, 2017. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, which requires that a statement of cash flows includes the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash or restricted cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018. The adoption will impact the presentation of transactions related to the U.S. litigation escrow account on the consolidated statements of cash flows. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, which simplifies the test for goodwill impairment by eliminating a previously required step. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2020. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, which requires that the service cost component of net periodic pension and postretirement benefit cost be presented in the same line item as other employee compensation costs, while the other components be presented separately as non-operating income (expense). Currently, all net periodic pension and postretirement benefit costs are presented in Personnel on the Company's consolidated statement of operations. The Company will adopt the standard effective October 1, 2018. The adoption is not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements.

Visa Europe (Tables)

Visa Europe (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
European Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of Purchase Price Allocation	The following table summarizes the updated purchase price allocation: Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation Measurement Period Adjustments Updated Purchase Price Allocation (in millions) Current assets (1) $ 4,457 $ — $ 4,457 Non-current assets (2) 258 (46 ) 212 Current liabilities (3) (2,731 ) (39 ) (2,770 ) Non-current liabilities (2) (2,605 ) 618 (1,987 ) Tangible assets and liabilities $ (621 ) $ 533 $ (88 ) Intangible assets — customer relationships and reacquired rights (2) 16,137 (232 ) 15,905 Goodwill (4) 3,268 (301 ) 2,967 Fair value of net assets acquired $ 18,784 $ — $ 18,784 (1) Current assets are largely comprised of cash and cash equivalents and settlement receivable. (2) Intangible assets consist of customer relationships and reacquired rights, which have been valued as a single composite intangible asset as they are inextricably linked. These intangibles are considered indefinite-lived assets as the associated customer relationships have historically not experienced significant attrition, and the reacquired rights are based on the Framework Agreement, which has a perpetual term. Non-current assets and liabilities include deferred tax assets and liabilities that result in net deferred tax liabilities of $1.7 billion based on the updated valuation. In February 2017, the Company completed a legal entity reorganization, resulting in the elimination of most of these deferred tax assets and liabilities. See Note 12—Income Taxes . (3) Current liabilities assumed mainly include settlement payable, client incentives liabilities and accrued liabilities. (4) The excess of purchase consideration over net assets acquired was recorded as goodwill, which represents the value that is expected from increased scale and synergies as a result of the integration of both businesses.
Schedule of Pro Forma Information	The following table presents unaudited supplemental pro forma information for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, as if the acquisition and related issuance of senior notes had occurred on October 1, 2014. The pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the Company's consolidated results of operations that would have been realized had the acquisition been completed on October 1, 2014, nor does it purport to project the future results of operations of the combined company or reflect any reorganizations, or cost or other operating synergies that may occur subsequent to the Closing. The actual results of operations of the combined company may differ significantly from the pro forma results presented here due to many factors. Consolidated Actual Results Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Results Consolidated Actual Results Unaudited Pro Forma Consolidated Results Three Months Ended March 31, Six Months Ended March 31, 2017 2016 2017 2016 (in millions, except per share data) Net operating revenues $ 4,477 $ 3,935 $ 8,938 $ 7,899 Net income $ 430 $ 1,679 $ 2,500 $ 3,456 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.18 $ 0.68 $ 1.04 $ 1.39

U.S. and Europe Retrospective22

U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Retrospective Responsibility Plan [Abstract]
Schedule of Activities Related to Territory Covered Losses and Right to Recover for Covered Losses	The following table sets forth the activities related to VE territory covered losses in preferred stock and "right to recover for covered losses" within equity during the six months ended March 31, 2017 . VE territory covered losses incurred reflect settlements with merchants and additional legal costs. See Note 13—Legal Matters . Preferred Stock Right to Recover for Covered Losses U.K.&I Europe (in millions) Balance as of September 30, 2016 $ 2,516 $ 3,201 $ (34 ) VE territory covered losses incurred $ — $ — $ (163 ) Recovery through conversion rate adjustment (119 ) (1 ) 120 Balance as of March 31, 2017 $ 2,397 $ 3,200 $ (77 )
Schedule of As-converted and Book Value of Preferred Stock Available to Recover Europe Covered Losses	The following table sets forth the as-converted value of the preferred stock available to recover VE territory covered losses compared to the book value of preferred shares recorded in stockholders' equity within the Company's unaudited consolidated balance sheet as of March 31, 2017 . (1) March 31, 2017 As-Converted Value of Preferred Stock (2) Book Value of Preferred Stock (in millions) U.K.&I preferred stock $ 2,951 $ 2,397 Europe preferred stock 3,913 3,200 Total $ 6,864 $ 5,597 Less: Right to recover for covered losses (77 ) (77 ) Total recovery for covered losses available $ 6,787 $ 5,520 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted and book values are based on unrounded numbers. (2) The as-converted value of preferred stock is calculated as the product of: (a) 2 million and 3 million shares of the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock outstanding, respectively, as of March 31, 2017 ; (b) 13.388 and 13.948 , the class A common stock conversion rate applicable to the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock as of March 31, 2017 , respectively; and (c) $88.87 , Visa's class A common stock closing stock price as of March 31, 2017 .

Fair Value Measurements and I23

Fair Value Measurements and Investments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis	Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis Fair Value Measurements Using Inputs Considered as Level 1 Level 2 March 31, September 30, March 31, September 30, (in millions) Assets Cash equivalents and restricted cash: Money market funds $ 4,594 $ 4,537 U.S. government-sponsored debt securities $ 132 $ 196 Investment securities, trading: Equity securities 78 71 Investment securities, available-for-sale: U.S. government-sponsored debt securities 3,039 4,699 U.S. Treasury securities 1,102 2,178 Equity securities 78 53 Corporate debt securities 80 249 Prepaid and other current assets: Foreign exchange derivative instruments 52 50 Other assets: Foreign exchange derivative instruments — 6 Total $ 5,852 $ 6,839 $ 3,303 $ 5,200 Liabilities Accrued liabilities: Foreign exchange derivative instruments $ 83 $ 116 Other liabilities: Foreign exchange derivative instruments — 20 Total $ — $ — $ 83 $ 136
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments	The following table presents the carrying amount and estimated fair value of the Company’s debt in order of maturity: March 31, 2017 September 30, 2016 Carrying Amount Estimated Fair Value Carrying Amount Estimated Fair Value (in millions) 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 $ 1,748 $ 1,748 $ 1,746 $ 1,754 2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020 2,989 3,009 2,988 3,077 2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022 2,239 2,270 2,238 2,359 3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025 3,966 4,014 3,964 4,225 4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035 1,485 1,569 1,485 1,698 4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045 3,461 3,673 3,461 4,045 Total $ 15,888 $ 16,283 $ 15,882 $ 17,158

Debt (Tables)

Debt (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Debt	The Company had outstanding debt as follows: March 31, 2017 September 30, 2016 Principal Amount Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs Carrying Amount Principal Amount Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs Carrying Amount Effective Interest Rate (in millions, except percentages) 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 (the "2017 Notes") $ 1,750 $ (2 ) $ 1,748 $ — $ — $ — 1.37 % Total current maturities of long-term debt 1,750 (2 ) 1,748 — — — 1.20% Senior Notes due December 2017 (the "2017 Notes") — — — 1,750 (4 ) 1,746 1.37 % 2.20% Senior Notes due December 2020 (the "2020 Notes") 3,000 (11 ) 2,989 3,000 (12 ) 2,988 2.30 % 2.80% Senior Notes due December 2022 (the "2022 Notes") 2,250 (11 ) 2,239 2,250 (12 ) 2,238 2.89 % 3.15% Senior Notes due December 2025 (the "2025 Notes") 4,000 (34 ) 3,966 4,000 (36 ) 3,964 3.26 % 4.15% Senior Notes due December 2035 (the "2035 Notes") 1,500 (15 ) 1,485 1,500 (15 ) 1,485 4.23 % 4.30% Senior Notes due December 2045 (the "2045 Notes") 3,500 (39 ) 3,461 3,500 (39 ) 3,461 4.37 % Total long-term debt 14,250 (110 ) 14,140 16,000 (118 ) 15,882 Total debt $ 16,000 $ (112 ) $ 15,888 $ 16,000 $ (118 ) $ 15,882

Settlement Guarantee Manageme25

Settlement Guarantee Management (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Customer Collateral	The Company maintained collateral as follows: March 31, September 30, (in millions) Cash equivalents (1) $ 1,324 $ 1,295 Pledged securities at market value 154 170 Letters of credit 1,477 1,311 Guarantees 1,369 1,418 Total $ 4,324 $ 4,194
Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Schedule of Customer Collateral	(1) Cash collateral held by Visa Europe is not included on the Company's consolidated balance sheets as its clients retain beneficial ownership and the cash is only accessible to the Company in the event of default by the client on its settlement obligations.

Pension and Other Postretirem26

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures	U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits Pension Benefits Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Three Months Ended 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 (in millions) Service cost $ — $ — $ — $ — $ 1 Interest cost 9 10 — — 2 Expected return on assets (17 ) (18 ) — — (4 ) Amortization of: Prior service credit — — — (1 ) — Actuarial loss 4 2 — — 1 Curtailment gain — — — — — Settlement loss 11 — — — — Total net periodic benefit cost $ 7 $ (6 ) $ — $ (1 ) $ — U.S. Plans Non-U.S. Plans Pension Benefits Other Postretirement Benefits Pension Benefits Six Months Ended Six Months Ended Six Months Ended 2017 2016 2017 2016 2017 (in millions) Service cost $ — $ 13 $ — $ — $ 3 Interest cost 18 21 — — 5 Expected return on assets (35 ) (35 ) — — (8 ) Amortization of: Prior service credit — (1 ) (1 ) (2 ) — Actuarial loss 8 4 — — 1 Curtailment gain — (8 ) — — — Settlement loss 13 — — — — Total net periodic benefit cost $ 4 $ (6 ) $ (1 ) $ (2 ) $ 1

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Schedule of Stock by Class	The number of shares of each series and class and the number of shares of class A common stock on an as-converted basis at March 31, 2017 , are as follows: (in millions, except conversion rates) Shares Outstanding Conversion Rate Into Class A Common Stock As-converted Class A Common Stock (1) U.K.&I preferred stock 2 13.3880 33 Europe preferred stock 3 13.9480 44 Class A common stock (2) 1,847 — 1,847 Class B common stock 245 1.6483 (3) 405 Class C common stock 14 4.0000 55 Total 2,384 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted class A common stock is calculated based on unrounded numbers. (2) Class A common stock shares outstanding exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017. (3) The class B to class A common stock conversion rate is presented on a rounded basis. Conversion calculations for dividend payments are based on a conversion rate rounded to the tenth decimal.
Share Repurchase Program Disclosure	The following table presents share repurchases in the open market. (1) (in millions, except per share data) Three Months Ended Six Months Ended Shares repurchased in the open market (2) 18 41 Average repurchase price per share (3) $ 88.45 $ 83.59 Total cost $ 1,576 $ 3,469 (1) Shares repurchased in the open market reflect repurchases settled during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . These amounts include repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before September 30, 2016 for the six months, or December 31, 2016 for the three months, and exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017. (2) All shares repurchased in the open market have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares. (3) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Average repurchase price per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
Effect of VE Territory Covered Losses Recovery on the Company Repurchasing its Common Stock	The following table presents as-converted U.K.&I. and Europe preferred stock, after the Company recovered VE territory covered losses through a conversion rate adjustment, for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . Three and Six Months Ended March 31, 2017 (in millions, except per share and conversion rate data) U.K.&I. Preferred Stock Europe Preferred Stock Reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock 1 — (1) Effective price per share (2) $ 85.01 $ 85.01 Recovery through conversion rate adjustment $ 119 $ 1 Conversion rate of preferred stock to class A common stock after adjustment 13.388 13.948 As-converted preferred stock after recovery 33 44 (1) The reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock was less than one million shares. (2) Effective price per share calculated using the volume-weighted average price of the Company's class A common stock over a pricing period in accordance with the Company's current certificates of designations for its series B and C convertible participating preferred stock.

Earnings Per Share (Tables)

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2017 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 332 1,854 $ 0.18 $ 430 2,406 (3) $ 0.18 Class B common stock 73 245 $ 0.30 $ 72 245 $ 0.29 Class C common stock 10 15 $ 0.72 $ 10 15 $ 0.72 Participating securities (4) 15 Not presented Not presented $ 15 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 430 The following table presents earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2017 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 1,928 1,857 $ 1.04 $ 2,500 2,413 (3) $ 1.04 Class B common stock 420 245 $ 1.71 $ 419 245 $ 1.71 Class C common stock 65 16 $ 4.15 $ 65 16 $ 4.14 Participating securities (4) 87 Not presented Not presented $ 87 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 2,500 The following table presents earnings per share for the three months ended March 31, 2016 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 1,360 1,909 $ 0.71 $ 1,707 2,401 (3) $ 0.71 Class B common stock 288 245 $ 1.17 $ 288 245 $ 1.17 Class C common stock 55 19 $ 2.85 $ 55 19 $ 2.84 Participating securities (4) 4 Not presented Not presented $ 4 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 1,707 The following table presents earnings per share for the six months ended March 31, 2016 . (1) Basic Earnings Per Share Diluted Earnings Per Share (in millions, except per share data) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Income Allocation (A) (2) Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B) Earnings per Share = (A)/(B) Class A common stock $ 2,910 1,923 $ 1.51 $ 3,648 2,416 (3) $ 1.51 Class B common stock 612 245 $ 2.49 $ 611 245 $ 2.49 Class C common stock 118 19 $ 6.05 $ 117 19 $ 6.04 Participating securities (4) 8 Not presented Not presented $ 8 Not presented Not presented Net income $ 3,648 (1) Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Earnings per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers. (2) Net income is allocated based on proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class B common stock used in the income allocation was 405 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 . The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class C common stock used in the income allocation was 58 million and 63 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 , respectively and 77 million and 78 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 , respectively. The weighted-average number of shares of preferred stock, included within participating securities, was 34 million of as-converted U.K.&I preferred stock and 44 million of as-converted Europe preferred stock for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 . (3) Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are calculated on an as-converted basis, and include incremental common stock equivalents, as calculated under the treasury stock method. The computation includes approximately 5 million common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016 , because their effect would be dilutive. The computation excludes 3 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 1 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016 , because their effect would have been anti-dilutive. (4) Participating securities include preferred stock outstanding and unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, such as the Company's U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and earned performance-based shares. Participating securities' income is allocated based on the weighted-average number of shares of as-converted stock.

Share-based Compensation (Table

Share-based Compensation (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Share-based Compensation [Abstract]
Disclosure of Share-based Compensation Arrangements by Share-based Payment Award	The Company granted the following equity awards to employees and non-employee directors under the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan during the six months ended March 31, 2017 : Granted Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value Weighted-Average Exercise Price Non-qualified stock options 1,671,344 $ 13.90 $ 80.82 Restricted stock units ("RSUs") 3,122,624 $ 80.96 Performance-based shares (1) 634,651 $ 86.37 (1) Represents the maximum number of performance-based shares which could be earned.

Legal Matters (Tables)

Legal Matters (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Schedule of Loss Contingencies by Contingency	The following table summarizes the activity related to accrued litigation: Fiscal 2017 Fiscal 2016 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 981 $ 1,024 Provision for uncovered legal matters 17 1 Accrual of VE territory covered litigation 142 — Payments on legal matters (144 ) (12 ) Balance at March 31 $ 996 $ 1,013
U.S. Covered Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Schedule of Loss Contingencies by Contingency	The following table summarizes the activity related to U.S. covered litigation: Fiscal 2017 Fiscal 2016 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 978 $ 1,023 Payments on U.S. covered litigation — (11 ) Balance at March 31 $ 978 $ 1,012
VE Territory Covered Litigation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Schedule of Loss Contingencies by Contingency	The following table summarizes the activity related to VE territory covered litigation: Fiscal 2017 (in millions) Balance at October 1 $ 2 Accrual for VE territory covered litigation 142 Payments on VE territory covered litigation (144 ) Balance at March 31 $ —

Summary of Significant Accoun31

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)country	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)country	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption [Line Items]
Number of countries in which entity operates (more than) | country	200		200
Income tax provision (Note 12)	$ 2,272	$ 734	$ 3,181	$ 1,432
Increase to net cash provided by operating activities			2,904	2,819
Increase in net cash used in financing activities			(4,243)	$ 11,452
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption [Line Items]
Income tax provision (Note 12)	$ (20)		(46)
Increase to net cash provided by operating activities			(46)
Increase in net cash used in financing activities			$ (46)

Visa Europe (Details)

Visa Europe (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions, € in Billions	Jun. 21, 2016EUR (€)shares	Jun. 21, 2016USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / shares	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Jun. 21, 2016EUR (€)
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Additional cash consideration payable on the third anniversary of closing | $			$ 1,180	$ 1,225
Class A equivalent preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value			$ 0.0001
U.K.& I preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value			0.0001
Europe preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, par value			$ 0.0001
Visa Europe
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Share capital of Visa Europe acquired (percent)					100.00%
Up-front cash consideration	€ 12.2	$ 13,900
Shares issued or issuable at closing (shares) | shares	79,000,000	79,000,000
Consideration, preferred stock of the Company	€ 5.3	$ 6,100
Additional cash consideration payable on the third anniversary of closing | €					€ 1
Compound annual interest rate on additional consideration paid on third anniversary of closing (percent)					4.00%
Initial conversion rate of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock into Class A equivalent preferred stock					13.952
Visa Europe | U.K.& I preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares issued or issuable at closing (shares) | shares	2,480,466	2,480,466
Visa Europe | Europe preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares issued or issuable at closing (shares) | shares	3,156,823	3,156,823
Visa Europe | Class A common stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Closing stock price (in USD per share)		$ 77.33

Visa Europe - Purchase Price Al

Visa Europe - Purchase Price Allocation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Jun. 21, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Feb. 28, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)			$ 14,825	$ 181	$ 15,066
Net deferred tax liabilities		$ 1,700
Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Total purchase consideration		18,800
Current assets	[1]	4,457
Non-current assets	[2]	212
Current liabilities	[3]	(2,770)
Non-current liabilities	[4]	(1,987)
Tangible assets and liabilities		(88)
Intangible assets — customer relationships and reacquired rights	[5]	15,905
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)	[4]	2,967
Fair value of net assets acquired		18,784
Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation | Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets	[1]	4,457
Non-current assets	[2]	258
Current liabilities	[3]	(2,731)
Non-current liabilities	[4]	(2,605)
Tangible assets and liabilities		(621)
Intangible assets — customer relationships and reacquired rights	[5]	16,137
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)	[4]	3,268
Fair value of net assets acquired		18,784
Measurement Period Adjustments | Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets	[1]	0
Non-current assets	[2]	(46)
Current liabilities	[3]	(39)
Non-current liabilities	[4]	618
Tangible assets and liabilities		533
Intangible assets — customer relationships and reacquired rights	[5]	(232)
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)	[4]	(301)
Fair value of net assets acquired		$ 0
[1]	Current assets are largely comprised of cash and cash equivalents and settlement receivable.
[2]	Intangible assets consist of customer relationships and reacquired rights, which have been valued as a single composite intangible asset as they are inextricably linked. These intangibles are considered indefinite-lived assets as the associated customer relationships have historically not experienced significant attrition, and the reacquired rights are based on the Framework Agreement, which has a perpetual term. Non-current assets and liabilities include deferred tax assets and liabilities that result in net deferred tax liabilities of $1.7 billion based on the updated valuation.
[3]	Current liabilities assumed mainly include settlement payable, client incentives liabilities and accrued liabilities.
[4]	The excess of purchase consideration over net assets acquired was recorded as goodwill, which represents the value that is expected from increased scale and synergies as a result of the integration of both businesses.
[5]	.

Visa Europe - Pro Forma Informa

Visa Europe - Pro Forma Information (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 4,477,000,000	$ 3,626,000,000	$ 8,938,000,000	$ 7,191,000,000
Net income	$ 430,000,000	1,707,000,000	$ 2,500,000,000	3,648,000,000
Fair value of the Visa Europe put option liability					$ 0
Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net operating revenues		3,935,000,000		7,899,000,000
Net income		$ 1,679,000,000		$ 3,456,000,000
Diluted earnings per share (in USD per share)		$ 0.68		$ 1.39
Senior Notes | Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Debt issued		$ 16,000,000,000		$ 16,000,000,000
Visa Europe put option
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revaluation of the Visa Europe put option				$ (255,000,000)

U.S. and Europe Retrospective35

U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans (Details) $ / shares in Units, € in Millions, shares in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2017EUR (€)	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)shares
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Escrow account	$ 1,029,000,000		$ 1,029,000,000	$ 1,027,000,000
VE territory covered loss, maximum amount of loss to allow adjustment of conversion rate during six-month period | €		€ 20
Right to recover for covered losses	$ 77,000,000		77,000,000	$ 34,000,000
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment			$ (120,000,000)
Preferred stock, conversion ratio				13.952
Closing stock price | $ / shares	$ 88.87		$ 88.87
U.K.& I preferred stock
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment	$ 119,000,000		$ 119,000,000
Preferred stock, conversion ratio	13.3880		13.3880
Preferred stock, shares outstanding | shares	2		2	2
Europe preferred stock
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents Items [Line Items]
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment	$ 1,000,000		$ 1,000,000
Preferred stock, conversion ratio	13.9480		13.9480
Preferred stock, shares outstanding | shares	3		3	3

U.S. and Europe Retrospective36

U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans - Preferred Stock Rollforward (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017
Preferred Stock and Right to Recover for Covered Losses [Roll Forward]
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment		$ 120,000,000
Right to recover for covered losses, beginning		34,000,000
VE territory covered losses incurred		(163,000,000)
Right to recover for covered losses, ending	$ 77,000,000	77,000,000
U.K.& I preferred stock
Preferred Stock and Right to Recover for Covered Losses [Roll Forward]
Preferred stock, beginning		2,516,000,000
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment	(119,000,000)	(119,000,000)
Preferred stock, ending	2,397,000,000	2,397,000,000
Europe preferred stock
Preferred Stock and Right to Recover for Covered Losses [Roll Forward]
Preferred stock, beginning		3,201,000,000
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment	(1,000,000)	(1,000,000)
Preferred stock, ending	$ 3,200,000,000	$ 3,200,000,000

U.S. and Europe Retrospective37

U.S. and Europe Retrospective Responsibility Plans - Preferred Stock (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions		Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)shares	Jun. 21, 2016
Class of Stock [Line Items]
As-converted value of preferred stock	[1],[2]	$ 6,864
Book value of preferred stock	[1]	5,597
Right to recover for covered losses		(77)	$ (34)
Total recovery for covered losses available, as converted	[1],[2]	6,787
Total recovery for covered losses available, book value	[1]	$ 5,520
Preferred stock, conversion ratio			13.952
Closing stock price | $ / shares		$ 88.87
U.K.& I preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
As-converted value of preferred stock	[1],[2]	$ 2,951
Preferred stock		$ 2,397	$ 2,516
Preferred stock, shares outstanding | shares		2	2
Preferred stock, conversion ratio		13.3880
Europe preferred stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
As-converted value of preferred stock	[1],[2]	$ 3,913
Preferred stock		$ 3,200	$ 3,201
Preferred stock, shares outstanding | shares		3	3
Preferred stock, conversion ratio		13.9480
Visa Europe
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Initial conversion rate of U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock into Class A equivalent preferred stock				13.952
[1]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted and book values are based on unrounded numbers.
[2]	The as-converted value of preferred stock is calculated as the product of: (a) 2 million and 3 million shares of the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock outstanding, respectively, as of March 31, 2017; (b)13.388 and 13.948, the class A common stock conversion rate applicable to the U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock as of March 31, 2017, respectively; and (c) $88.87, Visa's class A common stock closing stock price as of March 31, 2017.

Fair Value Measurements and I38

Fair Value Measurements and Investments - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($)	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Non-marketable equity investments	$ 49,000,000	$ 46,000,000
Carrying amount, current	1,748,000,000	0
Carrying amount, noncurrent	14,140,000,000	15,882,000,000
Long-term Debt	14,140,000,000	15,882,000,000
Available-for-sale securities, gross unrealized gains	78,000,000	55,000,000
Available-for-sale securities, gross unrealized losses	$ 7,000,000	0
Minimum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale investment securities, stated maturities	1 year
Maximum
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Available-for-sale investment securities, stated maturities	2 years
Senior Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	$ 15,888,000,000	15,882,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	16,283,000,000	17,158,000,000
Senior Notes | 2017 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, current	1,748,000,000	0
Carrying amount, noncurrent	0	1,746,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	1,748,000,000	1,754,000,000
Senior Notes | 2020 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, noncurrent	2,989,000,000	2,988,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	3,009,000,000	3,077,000,000
Senior Notes | 2022 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, noncurrent	2,239,000,000	2,238,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	2,270,000,000	2,359,000,000
Senior Notes | 2025 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, noncurrent	3,966,000,000	3,964,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	4,014,000,000	4,225,000,000
Senior Notes | 2035 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, noncurrent	1,485,000,000	1,485,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	1,569,000,000	1,698,000,000
Senior Notes | 2045 Notes
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Carrying amount, noncurrent	3,461,000,000	3,461,000,000
Long-term Debt, Fair Value	$ 3,673,000,000	$ 4,045,000,000

Assets and Liabilities Measured

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Investment securities:
Trading	$ 78	$ 71
Accrued liabilities
Fair Value, Assets, Level 1 to Level 2 Transfers, Amount	0
Level 1 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Prepaid and other current assets:
Fair value, total assets	5,852	6,839
Accrued liabilities
Fair value, total liabilities	0	0
Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Prepaid and other current assets:
Fair value, total assets	3,303	5,200
Accrued liabilities
Fair value, total liabilities	83	136
Foreign exchange derivative instruments | Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Accrued liabilities
Foreign exchange derivative instruments	83	116
Other liabilities	0	20
Money market funds | Level 1 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash equivalents and restricted cash:	4,594	4,537
Equity securities | Level 1 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Investment securities:
Trading	78	71
Available-for-sale securities	78	53
U.S. Treasury securities | Level 1 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Investment securities:
Available-for-sale securities	1,102	2,178
U.S. government-sponsored debt securities | Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Cash equivalents and restricted cash:	132	196
Investment securities:
Available-for-sale securities	3,039	4,699
Corporate debt securities | Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Investment securities:
Available-for-sale securities	80	249
Foreign exchange derivative instruments | Level 2 | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring
Prepaid and other current assets:
Prepaid and other current assets:	52	50
Other assets	$ 0	$ 6

Intangible Assets and Goodwill

Intangible Assets and Goodwill (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Feb. 28, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Payments to Acquire Businesses, Net of Cash Acquired		$ 302	$ 14
Finite-lived Intangible Assets Acquired	$ 104
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Assets, Weighted Average Useful Life	8 years
Goodwill (Note 2 and Note 5)	$ 14,825	$ 14,825		$ 181	$ 15,066

Debt - Debt (Details)

Debt - Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount, current	$ 1,750	$ 0
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, current	(2)	0
Carrying Amount, current	1,748	0
Principal Amount, noncurrent	14,250	16,000
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(110)	(118)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	14,140	15,882
Total debt, principal	16,000	16,000
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs	(112)	(118)
Carrying Amount	$ 15,888	15,882
Senior Notes | 2017 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	1.20%
Principal Amount, current	$ 1,750	0
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, current	(2)	0
Carrying Amount, current	1,748	0
Principal Amount, noncurrent	0	1,750
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	0	(4)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 0	1,746
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	1.37%
Senior Notes | 2020 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	2.20%
Principal Amount, noncurrent	$ 3,000	3,000
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(11)	(12)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 2,989	2,988
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	2.30%
Senior Notes | 2022 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	2.80%
Principal Amount, noncurrent	$ 2,250	2,250
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(11)	(12)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 2,239	2,238
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	2.89%
Senior Notes | 2025 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	3.15%
Principal Amount, noncurrent	$ 4,000	4,000
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(34)	(36)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 3,966	3,964
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	3.26%
Senior Notes | 2035 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	4.15%
Principal Amount, noncurrent	$ 1,500	1,500
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(15)	(15)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 1,485	1,485
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	4.23%
Senior Notes | 2045 Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Stated interest rate (percent)	4.30%
Principal Amount, noncurrent	$ 3,500	3,500
Unamortized Discounts and Debt Issuance Costs, noncurrent	(39)	(39)
Carrying Amount, noncurrent	$ 3,461	$ 3,461
Effective Interest Rate (percent)	4.37%

Debt - Narrative (Details)

Debt - Narrative (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Jan. 27, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest payments on debt (Note 6)			$ 244,000,000	$ 0
Short-term Debt	$ 1,750,000,000		1,750,000,000			$ 0
Carrying Amount, current	1,748,000,000		1,748,000,000			0
Credit Facility Expiring January 27, 2022
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity					$ 4,000,000,000
Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest expense	125,000,000	$ 125,000,000	$ 250,000,000	$ 149,000,000
Commercial Paper
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Repayments of commercial paper	$ 567,000,000
Carrying Amount, current						$ 0

Settlement Guarantee Manageme43

Settlement Guarantee Management - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016
Settlement Guarantee Management [Abstract]
Estimated Maximum Settlement Exposure	$ 68,500	$ 67,800
Covered settlement exposure	3,100		$ 2,900
Estimated probability-weighted value of the guarantee	$ 3		$ 2

Collateral (Detail)

Collateral (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Mar. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash equivalents(1)	$ 1,324	$ 1,295
Pledged securities at market value	154	170
Letters of credit	1,477	1,311
Guarantees	1,369	1,418
Total	$ 4,324	$ 4,194

Components of Net Periodic Bene

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Pension Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	$ 0		$ 0	$ 13
Interest cost	9	$ 10	18	21
Expected return on assets	(17)	(18)	(35)	(35)
Amortization of:
Prior service credit	0		0	(1)
Actuarial loss	4	2	8	4
Curtailment gain	0	0	0	(8)
Settlement loss	11	0	13	0
Total net periodic benefit cost	7	(6)	4	(6)
Other Postretirement Benefits
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	0	0	0	0
Interest cost	0	0	0	0
Expected return on assets	0	0	0	0
Amortization of:
Prior service credit	0	(1)	(1)	(2)
Actuarial loss	0	0	0	0
Curtailment gain	0	0	0	0
Settlement loss	0	0	0	0
Total net periodic benefit cost	0	$ (1)	(1)	$ (2)
Foreign Pension Plan
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Service cost	1		3
Interest cost	2		5
Expected return on assets	(4)		(8)
Amortization of:
Prior service credit	0		0
Actuarial loss	1		1
Curtailment gain	0		0
Settlement loss	0		0
Total net periodic benefit cost	$ 0		$ 1

Stockholders' Equity - Number o

Stockholders' Equity - Number of Shares of Class A Common Shares Outstanding on an As-Converted Basis (Detail)		Mar. 31, 2017shares		Sep. 30, 2016shares
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Preferred stock, conversion ratio				13.952
As-converted Class A Common Stock		2,384,000,000
U.K.& I preferred stock
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding		2,000,000		2,000,000
Preferred stock, conversion ratio		13.3880
As-converted Class A Common Stock	[1]	33,000,000
Europe preferred stock
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares outstanding		3,000,000		3,000,000
Preferred stock, conversion ratio		13.9480
As-converted Class A Common Stock	[1]	44,000,000
Class A common stock
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding		1,847,000,000	[2]	1,871,000,000
As-converted Class A Common Stock	[1],[2]	1,847,000,000
Class B common stock
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding		245,000,000		245,000,000
Common stock, conversion rate into Class A Common Stock	[3]	1.6483
As-converted Class A Common Stock	[1]	405,000,000
Class C common stock
Schedule of Common Stock as Converted [Line Items]
Common stock, shares outstanding		14,000,000		17,000,000
Common stock, conversion rate into Class A Common Stock		4
As-converted Class A Common Stock	[1]	55,000,000
[1]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted class A common stock is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
[2]	Class A common stock shares outstanding exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017.
[3]	The class B to class A common stock conversion rate is presented on a rounded basis. Conversion calculations for dividend payments are based on a conversion rate rounded to the tenth decimal.

Stockholders' Equity - Share Re

Stockholders' Equity - Share Repurchases in the Open Market (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	[2]	Mar. 31, 2017
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Shares repurchased in the open market	18	[1]	41
Average repurchase price per share	$ 88.45	[3]	$ 83.59
Total cost	$ 1,576		$ 3,469
[1]	All shares repurchased in the open market have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares.
[2]	Shares repurchased in the open market reflect repurchases settled during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017. These amounts include repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before September 30, 2016 for the six months, or December 31, 2016 for the three months, and exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017.
[3]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Average repurchase price per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers.

Stockholders' Equity - Addition

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017	Apr. 20, 2017	Jan. 31, 2017
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Shares	18	[1],[2]	41
Stock Repurchased and Retired During Period, Value	$ 1,576,000,000	[2]	$ 3,469,000,000
Stock Repurchase Remaining Authorized Amount	2,300,000,000		2,300,000,000
Dividends, Cash	$ 396,000,000		795,000,000
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment			$ (120,000,000)
Class A common stock
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]
Reduction in As-converted Stock, Shares			43
Reduction in As-converted Stock, Average Price Per Share			$ 83.64
Dividends Payable, Amount Per Share					$ 0.165
Subsequent Event
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount				$ 5,000,000,000
[1]	All shares repurchased in the open market have been retired and constitute authorized but unissued shares.
[2]	Shares repurchased in the open market reflect repurchases settled during the three and six months ended March 31, 2017. These amounts include repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before September 30, 2016 for the six months, or December 31, 2016 for the three months, and exclude repurchases traded but not yet settled on or before March 31, 2017.

Stockholders' Equity Effect of

Stockholders' Equity Effect of VE Territory Covered Losses Recovery on the Company Repurchasing its Common Stock (Details)		3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 30, 2016
Conversion of Stock [Line Items]
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment | $			$ (120,000,000)
Conversion rate of preferred stock to class A common stock after adjustment				13.952
As-converted preferred stock after recovery		2,384,000,000	2,384,000,000
U.K.& I preferred stock
Conversion of Stock [Line Items]
Reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock		1,000,000	1,000,000
Effective price per share (in USD per share) | $ / shares	[1]	$ 85.01	$ 85.01
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment | $		$ 119,000,000	$ 119,000,000
Conversion rate of preferred stock to class A common stock after adjustment		13.3880	13.3880
As-converted preferred stock after recovery	[2]	33,000,000	33,000,000
Europe preferred stock
Conversion of Stock [Line Items]
Reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock	[3]	0	0
Effective price per share (in USD per share) | $ / shares	[1]	$ 85.01	$ 85.01
Recovery through conversion rate adjustment | $		$ 1,000,000	$ 1,000,000
Conversion rate of preferred stock to class A common stock after adjustment		13.9480	13.9480
As-converted preferred stock after recovery	[2]	44,000,000	44,000,000
[1]	Effective price per share calculated using the volume-weighted average price of the Company's class A common stock over a pricing period in accordance with the Company's current certificates of designations for its series B and C convertible participating preferred stock.
[2]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. As-converted class A common stock is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
[3]	The reduction in equivalent number of shares of class A common stock was less than one million shares.

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016		Mar. 31, 2017		Mar. 31, 2016
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Net income	[1]	$ 430	$ 1,707		$ 2,500		$ 3,648
Class A common stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 332	$ 1,360		$ 1,928		$ 2,910
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)		1,854	1,909		1,857		1,923
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.18	$ 0.71	[2]	$ 1.04	[2]	$ 1.51	[2]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 430	$ 1,707		$ 2,500		$ 3,648
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)	[3]	2,406	2,401		2,413		2,416
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.18	$ 0.71	[2]	$ 1.04	[2]	$ 1.51	[2]
Class B common stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 73	$ 288		$ 420		$ 612
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)		245	245		245		245
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.30	$ 1.17	[2]	$ 1.71	[2]	$ 2.49	[2]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 72	$ 288		$ 419		$ 611
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)		245	245		245		245
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.29	$ 1.17	[2]	$ 1.71	[2]	$ 2.49	[2]
Class C common stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 10	$ 55		$ 65		$ 118
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)		15	19		16		19
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.72	$ 2.85	[2]	$ 4.15	[2]	$ 6.05	[2]
Income Allocation (A)	[1]	$ 10	$ 55		$ 65		$ 117
Weighted- Average Shares Outstanding (B)		15	19		16		19
Earnings per Share (A)/(B)		$ 0.72	$ 2.84	[2]	$ 4.14	[2]	$ 6.04	[2]
Participating securities
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Income Allocation (A)	[1],[4]	$ 15	$ 4		$ 87		$ 8
Income Allocation (A)	[1],[4]	$ 15	$ 4		$ 87		$ 8
[1]	Net income is allocated based on proportional ownership on an as-converted basis. The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class B common stock used in the income allocation was 405 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. The weighted-average number of shares of as-converted class C common stock used in the income allocation was 58 million and 63 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017, respectively and 77 million and 78 million for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, respectively. The weighted-average number of shares of preferred stock, included within participating securities, was 34 million of as-converted U.K.&I preferred stock and 44 million of as-converted Europe preferred stock for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017.
[2]	Figures in the table may not recalculate exactly due to rounding. Earnings per share is calculated based on unrounded numbers.
[3]	Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding are calculated on an as-converted basis, and include incremental common stock equivalents, as calculated under the treasury stock method. The computation includes approximately 5 million common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 2016, because their effect would be dilutive. The computation excludes 3 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2017 and 1 million of common stock equivalents for the three and six months ended March 31, 2016, because their effect would have been anti-dilutive.
[4]	Participating securities include preferred stock outstanding and unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, such as the Company's U.K.&I and Europe preferred stock, restricted stock awards, restricted stock units and earned performance-based shares. Participating securities' income is allocated based on the weighted-average number of shares of as-converted stock.

Basic and Diluted Earnings Pe51

Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share - Additional Information (Detail) - shares shares in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Common stock equivalents included in the computation of diluted shares outstanding	5	5	5	5
Common stock equivalents excluded from computation of average dilutive shares outstanding	3	1	3	1
Class B common stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Weighted-average as-converted common stock used in income allocation	405	405	405	405
Class C common stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Weighted-average as-converted common stock used in income allocation	58	77	63	78
U.K.& I preferred stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Weighted-average as-converted common stock used in income allocation	34
Europe preferred stock
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted, by Common Class [Line Items]
Weighted-average as-converted common stock used in income allocation	44		44

Share-based Compensation - Awar

Share-based Compensation - Awards Granted to Company Employees and Non-employee Directors Under the 2007 Equity Incentive Compensation Plan (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Millions		6 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based Compensation		$ 116	$ 97
Non-qualified stock options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted		1,671,344
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value		$ 13.90
Weighted-Average Exercise Price		$ 80.82
Restricted stock units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted		3,122,624
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value		$ 80.96
Performance-bases shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Granted	[1]	634,651
Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value	[1]	$ 86.37
[1]	Represents the maximum number of performance-based shares which could be earned.

Income Taxes - Additional Infor

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2016
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 2,272	$ 734	$ 3,181	$ 1,432
Income tax expense (benefit), charitable contributions	$ (71)
Effective income tax rate reconciliation, percent	84.00%	30.00%	56.00%	28.00%
Revaluation of the Visa Europe put option		$ 255
Increase in unrecognized tax benefits	$ 23		$ 56
Effective income tax rate reconciliation Unrecognized Tax Benefits that would Favorably Impact Effective Tax Rate	69		97
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit)	(20)		$ (46)
Visa Europe
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 1,500

Accrued Litigation for Both Cov

Accrued Litigation for Both Covered and Non-Covered Litigation (Detail) $ in Millions	Feb. 17, 2017case_filed	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)merchant	Mar. 31, 2017USD ($)merchant	Mar. 31, 2016USD ($)	Apr. 20, 2017	Nov. 30, 2016plaintiff_class
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period			$ 981	$ 1,024
Balance at end of period		$ 996	$ 996	1,013
Case filed in Texas state court | case_filed	1
U.K. Merchant Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Number of plaintiffs | merchant			150
Number of claims settled | merchant			15
Number of claims pending trial decision | merchant		1
Number of claims settled before trial | merchant			3
Number of claims settled during trial | merchant			12
Merchants with outstanding claims | merchant		130	130
Threatened Litigation | U.K. Merchant Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Number of plaintiffs | merchant			30
Unsettled
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Provision for uncovered legal matters			$ 17	1
Settled Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments on litigation matters			(144)	(12)
U.S. Covered Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period			978	1,023
Balance at end of period		$ 978	978	1,012
U.S. Covered Litigation | Settled Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments on litigation matters			0	(11)
VE Territory Covered Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period			2
Provision for uncovered legal matters			142	$ 0
Balance at end of period		$ 0	0
VE Territory Covered Litigation | Settled Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Payments on litigation matters			$ (144)
Interchange Multidistrict Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Number of putative classes of plaintiffs | plaintiff_class						2
Subsequent Event | Interchange Multidistrict Litigation
Loss Contingency Accrual [Roll Forward]
Merchants with settlement agreements (percent)					34.00%