It was in the early 1920s that the California-based General Petroleum Corporation, which operated a nationwide network of gas stations, issued what would become the prototype for bank cards: preferred cards. Using these cards, you might save money on fuel and other items, or even pay for them. In a short time, other gas station networks, and eventually big retail chains, adopted General Petroleum’s idea.
Originally, the cards were composed of cardboard, which rapidly deteriorated into dust. This did not sit well with either the companies providing the cards or their consumers, who were not impressed. Demand for more durable cards was met by the market’s supply of more durable cards. A predecessor of the Charge Plate metal card was launched in 1928 by Boston-based Farrington Manufacturing, which specialized in engraved metal boxes and cases. It rapidly became ubiquitous in retail chains.
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