MBNA Corporation was a prominent bank holding company and the parent of MBNA America Bank, N.A., specializing in credit card lending, particularly affinity credit cards marketed through partnerships with over 5,000 organizations worldwide. Founded as a leader in the credit card industry, it grew to become the largest independent credit card issuer globally, offering a range of financial products including consumer loans, deposit services, insurance, and international operations through subsidiaries like MBNA Europe Limited and MBNA Canada Bank. The company was headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, and focused on innovative lending practices, securitizing a significant portion of its loan receivables to manage its $94.6 billion in managed loans as of 2004, with the majority being credit card loans.

MBNA Corporation expanded its community involvement through entities like the MBNA Community Development Corporation (formed in 1995) and the MBNA Foundation, supporting low- and moderate-income initiatives, including financing for schools and small business loans. It also engaged in mortgage and secured consumer lending via MBNA America (Delaware), N.A., a national bank chartered in 2000. The company's growth was marked by its S&P 500 listing under ticker KRB and strong institutional ownership.

In 2005, Bank of America announced its acquisition of MBNA for approximately $35 billion in an all-stock deal, which closed in 2006, integrating MBNA's operations and making Bank of America one of the largest credit card issuers in the U.S. with $143 billion in managed balances and 40 million accounts. Post-acquisition, the MBNA brand continued in some markets, such as the UK where it was later sold to Lloyds Banking Group in 2011 for $2.4 billion, but the corporation itself ceased independent operations and is now part of Bank of America.