What Was the First Brand of Credit Card?

If you said Diner's Club you're 100% right! Anything else is just absurd. Diner's Club was started in 1950 as a means for salesman to be able to conduct client lunches and not have to shuffle for cash. The first Diner's Club Cards were introduced by Frank McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Casey Taylor. They were given to 200 of McNamara's associates and accepted at 14 New York City restaurants.

As the first branded credit card, Diners Club didn't actually extend credit to its cardholders. The cards were issued to society's upper echelon and monthly balances were expected to be paid in full. Before long, however, two more credit card companies entered the scence and forced Diners Club to become more than just a means of paying for client lunches. American Express and Carte Blanche quickly penetrated this unchartered market with cards of their own. To compete Diners Club expanded internationally.

Today Diners Club is co-branded with MasterCard. It's rare that someone will show you their new Diners Club Card. It's either MasterCard, Visa, American Express or Discover. It's important to know how it all started though. Credit must be paid where credit is issued. Thank you Diners Club for issuing the first brand of credit card that increased the number of ways that we can finance life!

For more credit card info. and online applications visit Credit Card Details.com.