http://www.dinersclubnewsroom.com/anniversary.cfmThe world changed 55 years ago when Frank McNamara created the first multi-use charge card—the Diners Club Card. In 1950, a world without cash was inconceivable. Today, an economic universe without plastic is just as inconceivable. From New York to Bangkok, for business or leisure, the phrase "charge it" is now a universal occurrence, playing a key role in how consumers pay for goods and services.
The legendary story of how it all started:
In 1949, Frank McNamara schedules a business meal at a New York restaurant called Major’s Cabin Grill. Prior to dinner, he changes suits. After dinner, the waiter presents the bill. Frank reaches for his wallet . . . and realizes that he has left it in his other suit. McNamara finesses the situation, but that night he has a thought, "Why should people be limited to spending what they are carrying in cash, instead of being able to spend what they can afford?" In February 1950, McNamara and his partner, Ralph Schneider, return to Major’s Cabin Grill and order dinner. When the bill came, McNamara presents a small, cardboard card—a Diners Club Card—and signs for the purchase. In the credit card industry, this event is still known as the First Supper.
People soon grasped the "charge it" concept and began using the Diners Club Card. Merchants realized it was good business to offer people an alternative form of payment. The concept caught fire. By 1952, the Card was accepted at thousands of merchants who appreciated the buying power of the individuals who carried and used the new payment tool.
The Diners Club Card soon became a cultural icon. Hollywood cashed in on the charge craze with the 1962 release of The Man From The Diners Club, starring Danny Kaye and Telly Savales. The Ideal Toy Corporation followed suit with a board game—the Diners Club game. The idea quickly expanded outside the United States. Diners Club became the first international charge card in 1952 with franchises in Canada, France and Cuba.....