The earliest institutions that issued credit cards were not banks, but some department stores, restaurants, entertainment industries and gasoline companies. In order to attract customers, sell goods and expand turnover, some shops and restaurants in the United States selectively give customers a credit chip similar to a metal badge in a certain range, which later evolved into a card made of plastic as proof of customers' purchase and consumption, and used the credit chip to buy goods in our firm or company or gas station and launch credit sales services. Customers can buy goods on credit in these chip shops and their semicolons, and pay on time. This is the prototype of credit card.

1950, American businessman Frank McNamara entertained guests in new york. After supper, he found that he had forgotten his wallet. Fortunately, the hotel allowed him to keep accounts. From this, McNamara came up with the idea of designing a card that can not only prove identity but also have payment function. So he and his business partners founded the Diners Club, the predecessor of Diners Credit Card Company, in new york, and issued the first plastic credit card in the century-Diners Card.

From 65438 to 0952, Franklin National Bank of California, as a financial institution, first entered the field of credit card issuance, which opened the curtain for banks to issue credit cards. 1959, Bank of America issued American bank cards in California. Since then, many banks have joined the ranks of card-issuing banks. In the 1960s, credit cards were widely welcomed by all walks of life and developed rapidly, not only in the United States, but also in Britain, Japan, Canada and European countries. Since 1970s, Hongkong, Taiwan Province, Singapore, Malaysian and other developing countries and regions have also started to issue credit cards.

At present, there are mainly two international organizations, VISA International and MasterCard International, as well as three professional credit card companies, American Express, Diners Club and JCB Japan International Credit Card Company (JCB).