You know, as opposed to “Major”, e.g., “May I see your driver’s license and a major credit card, please?” “We Accept All Major Credit Cards”, etc.
So, I’m just wondering if they exist.
Those would be gas, and department store cards, ones that can only be used at the originating business.
Yes. Minor credit cards are ones not backed by the major finacial institutions like CitiCorp, MBNA, Discover or Bankone. I got a card from Elder-Beermans that is backed by Federated, which is still (I believe) considered a minor card. That is, until they go brankrupt and get bought up by those vultures . . . :eek:
“Major” seems to depend rather on where you are. A few years ago, at the end of a very expensive meal in Venice, I pulled out my wallet, containing Visa, MasterCard and Switch (Maestro) cards, only to discover that the only cards the restaurant accepted where… wait for it… American Express and JCB. 
American Express… well, fair enough, although in the UK you won’t get too far with an Amex card in a lot of places, but JCB? Where I come from, this is a JCB.
I should point out that this was Venice, Italy, not Venice, California. Oh, and “were”, not “where”. :o
What about Diner’s Club? I worked for Kinko’s for 4 years and only saw one guy who actually used one. While cashing out my drawer, I was confused as to what it was. Apparently it was “the card” in its prime, but is now very obscure, only accepted by a few locations.
Mr. Burns from The Simpsons also made a reference to Diner’s Club in an episode. Outside of those 2 instances, I’ve never heard of this card.
One more reference for “Diner’s Club” – the 1968 movie starring Danny Kaye, [url=]The Man from the Diner’s Club. Kaye’s character has mistakenly issued a Diner’s Club card to gangster Telly Savalas and has to retrieve it.
JCB woud appear to be a Japanese credit card issuer. The only place I’ve seen it accepted here (in L.A.) is the UCLA Bookstore, where we get quite a few Japanese tourists. They stopped taking American Express about 1985.
But are these “minor” cards still Visa or Mastercard, or do they have some other obscure name on the front?
All the store or gas cards I’ve seen don’t have any names on them besides the issuing business names.
For example, a Sears credit card can be used at Sears, Sears Auto Centers, or the vision centers/photo centers/etc. that some stores have, you can’t use them anywhere else like you could a regular Visa or Mastercard.
(disclaimer: since Sears and K-Mart have merged, you may in the future be able to use the Sears card at K-Mart and vice-versa, but at the moment, each store uses its’ own cards.)
D. Pirahna
No, any card that says “Visa” or “Mastercard” is a Visa card or Mastercard and by definition they are major credit cards.
A Sears house card, for example, only says “Sears.” There’s no other logo on it. Usually when you buy something at Sears, they will ask you if you want to put it on your “Sears card.” That’s their house card.
Minor credit cards are those that are not associated with Visa and Mastercard. They’ve been around for a long time. I’m surprised you don’t have a few in your wallet. I’m surprised that you’ve never been accosted at the entrance of a department store by someone trying to get you to sign up for the store’s house card.
These cards were important before 1967 because before then you could usually only get instant credit from the merchant from whom you were making a purchase. It was only after 1967 that federal law authorized the kind of instant loan that is created in a credit card transaction and that led to the emergence of Bank Americard (now Visa) and Master Charge (now Mastercard).
In the past, nearly every department store and gas station had its own card, but now that seems to be going away. J.C. Penney recently got rid of its own charge card and replaced it with a Mastercard that’s affiliated with J.C. Penney. A lot of businesses are doing that these days. I know that Starbuck’s is pushing a Starbuck’s Visa.
Diners’ Club (now Diners Club) was the first charge card you could use in more than one location – it started in the 1950s, I think. Mostly you could use it only in restaurants. Carte Blanche was also a big card back then. It disappeared and now it has reappeared as a subsidiary to Diner’s Club.
They are only major if they are part of the Visa or Mastercard network. American Express and Discover are often categorized as a major credit cards, but I believe that they are accepted at far fewer places than Visa and Mastercard.
Elder-Beerman is not part of Federated Department Stores. It was completely independent until about three or four years ago, when they were absorbed by the Bon Ton.
Diner’s club is a BIG travel card. By travel, I mean the hard core road warriors. In general, a big company can get some very favorable (60-90 day) grace periods, and it’s taken by damn near every airline/hotel and more “proper” resturants than you might think. I was issued one when I was a road warrior, and it was pretty handy. The long grace period was great for me as I was:
- bad at submitting expense reports
- the company I worked for was bad at timely turnaround of these huge sums (think 2 airline flights, meals, and 4 nights lodging, every week)
- I didn’t really have enough cash to “front” this money for the employer.
You generally can’t buy “goods” with it, but rather it’s for purchasing “services”.
I had other cards (personal) for more hard items, and for those places that it wasn’t accepted.
-Butler
I call upon The Power of Shazam!
My dad had one back when he was in a similar job and he raved about it. Once he stopped travelling he got rid of it.
–Cliffy
Unfortunately, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before someone calls upon the power of TimeWarner’s lawyers.
–Cliffy
Since this Shazam network has been around since 1976, I should think the legal issues have been worked out. Anyway, I doubt that DC’s copyright and trademark interests in “Shazam” covers financial services.
Same here. The annual fee is HUGE, but the rewards are great (remember to take them before they expire). Now that I don’t need the huge grace periods, I use my personal card for whatever expenses come up.
-Butler
Take note that these ‘minor’ cards are treated like any other potential debt on a credit report. When I accessed my credit report last year, I found a listing for Mongomery Ward credit card, with a $5000.00 limit on it. There was a bank name listed, and it was considered a bank card,like Visa or Mastercard. Wards went out of business some ten odd years ago, so it’s up to you to get these things off the report. I, like a lot of people, have a pocketful of ‘store only’ cards. I carry no balance on any of them. They are convenient if you are in that particular store. Keep in mind that they all carry a credit limit, sometimes in the thousands, that the credit reporting agencies consider potential debt, and that’s not good.
If the network never tries to venture into comic books or super-heroics, I think they’re safe. Trademarks in different industries are legal.
TimeWarner owns DC.