query: who had the first american express black card

pos: Centurion Card which also include the ExpressPay contactless payment technology are issued. American Express created the card line amid rumors and urban legends in the 1980s that it produced an ultra-exclusive black card for elite users who could purchase anything with it. Jerry Seinfeld claimed in a 2018 episode of his web show "Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee" (with guest John Mulaney) that American Express began issuing the Black Card after Seinfeld asked the Amex president about it, and that Seinfeld (who was their ad pitchman) was given the first one. The Centurion Card is invitation-only after appropriate net worth with American

pos: American Express American Express Card began with a celebrity asking viewers: "Do you know me?" Although he/she gave hints to his/her identity, the star's name was never mentioned except as imprinted on an American Express Card, after which announcer Peter Thomas told viewers how to apply for it. Each ad concluded with the celebrity reminding viewers: "Don't Leave Home Without It." The "Don't Leave Home Without It" slogan was revived in 2005. American Express continues to use celebrities in their ads. Some notable examples include a late 1990s ad campaign with comedian Jerry Seinfeld, including the two 2004 webisodes in a series

pos: Jack Larson the TV series "Superboy", alongside Noel Neill, who played Lois Lane in "Adventures of Superman", and an episode of "" as an aged Jimmy Olsen in the episode "Brutal Youth", first broadcast on October 20, 1996. Larson had a cameo in a late-1990s American Express card commercial with Jerry Seinfeld and an animated Superman, directed by David Kellogg. He and Neill provided commentary on several "Adventures of Superman" episodes for the January 2006 DVD release of the 1953 season, and in 2006, he appeared in Bryan Singer's film "Superman Returns" in a cameo role as "Bo the Bartender". Larson and

neg: American Express Apple Pay, respectively) meaning that cardholders can use their American Express-issued cards to pay at establishments where NFC payments are accepted. American Express is best known for its iconic Green, Gold, and Platinum charge cards. In 1958, American Express issued its first charge card, which required payment at the end of every month. In 1966, the company issued its first gold card, in an effort to cater to the upper echelon of business travel. Its platinum card debuted in 1984. In 1999, American Express introduced the Centurion Card, often referred to as the "black card," which caters to an even

neg: Centurion Card ruling that Black Card, LLC's trademark of the name "Black Card" should be canceled on grounds that it was merely descriptive. (See also "American Express Marketing and Development Corp, et al. v. Black Card, LLC", 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 133151 (S.D.N.Y. November 17, 2011.) Today, Black Card LLC uses the registered trademark under license as a MasterCard issued by Barclays Bank Delaware. It has similar features, such as the members-only "Luxury Magazine" in print and digital form. Centurion Card The American Express Centurion Card, known informally as the Amex Black Card, is an invitation-only charge card issued by American Express

neg: Black Card (Mastercard) was widely known as "the Black Card" before the launch of the Black Card (then Visa card), despite never seeking to trademark that name itself. American Express filed suit against Black Card LLC in February 2010, claiming that the trademark was obtained improperly and sought injunctive relief. This suit was concluded in November 2011, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruling that Black Card, LLC's trademark of the name "Black Card" should be canceled on grounds that it was merely descriptive. (See also "American Express Marketing and Development Corp, et al. v. Black Card,

neg: Centurion Card very small and exclusive range of clients around the world. Other such cards include: Black Card LLC successfully registered "Black Card" as a U.S. trademark in 2009. However, American Express contended its Centurion Card was widely known as "the Black Card" before the launch of the Black Card (then Visa card), despite never seeking to trademark that name itself. American Express filed suit against Black Card LLC in February 2010, claiming that the trademark was obtained improperly and sought injunctive relief. This suit was concluded in November 2011, with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

neg: American Express more affluent and elite customer segment. The card was initially available only to select users of the Platinum card. The annual fee for the card in the United States is $2,500 (up from $1,000 at introduction) with an additional one-time initiation fee of $7,500. American Express created the card line amid rumors and urban legends in the 1980s that it produced an ultra-exclusive black card for elite users who could purchase anything with it. American Express cards issued in the United States range in cost between no annual fee (for Blue and many other consumer and business cards) and a

neg: Centurion Card Centurion Card The American Express Centurion Card, known informally as the Amex Black Card, is an invitation-only charge card issued by American Express to platinum card holders after they meet certain criteria. There are three different issues of the Centurion Card: personal, business, and corporate. In 1999 American Express introduced the Centurion Card to cater to the very wealthy. The card was initially available only to selected users of the company's Platinum Card. To become a Centurion cardholder, one must meet American Express eligibility criteria. Cardholders are required to pay an annual fee, and in some countries also an initiation

neg: Accolades Card Bank, and Family Wealth Advisers were qualified to have the annual fee waived each year if they maintained assets greater than $350,000 with BOA and their affiliates. The main competitor in this credit card segment is the American Express Centurion Card, which is black in color. The Luxury Institute's recent survey of customer preferences ranked two American Express Cards in the top two; Centurion Card first and Platinum card second. Special access, unparalleled benefits and enhanced customer experience were cited as the reasons for its high regard among customers as well as justification for the $2,500 annual fee for the

neg: American Express Express introduced the Gold Card. In 1984, the company launched the Platinum Card, clearly defining different market segments within its own business, a practice that has proliferated across a broad array of industries. The Platinum Card was billed as super-exclusive and had a $250 annual fee (it is currently $550). It was offered by invitation only to American Express customers with at least 2 years of tenure, significant spending, and excellent payment history; it is now open to applications on request. In 1987, American Express introduced the Optima card, its first credit card product that did not have to be

neg: American Express Plum Card American Express Plum Card The Plum Card is a charge card issued by American Express' OPEN small business division in the fall of 2007. Initially there were to be only 10,000 cards issued. Some of the first 10,000 cardmembers were featured in advertising. In the spring of 2008, additional applications were made available. The card's color, as the name suggests, is plum, a deep purple. The Plum Card offers cardmembers the option of an early pay discount of 1.5%, (to those who any amount as long as their minimum payment is covered within ten days of the statement closing date)

neg: Cause marketing recent interest in cause-related marketing is generally argued to stem from American Express, who apparently coined the phrase in 1983. Following various pilot schemes in 1981, American Express developed a campaign which donated funds to a number of different non-profit organizations as part of the San Francisco Arts Festival. Essentially every time someone used an American Express Card in the area, a 2-cent donation was triggered and each time new members applied for a card a larger contribution was made. The marketing goals that American Express had for this programme were apparently exceeded. Card usage was reported as having increased

neg: Black Card (Mastercard) also been featured as a high-end credit card in "Vegas Magazine", "Ocean Drive", "Capitol File", and "LA Confidential". "TIME Magazine" dubbed the Black Card one of the "5 Credit Cards You Don't Want In Your Wallet." Citing CardHub, the magazine called the Black Card the worst general consumer credit card as a result of its membership fee. Consumerism Commentary contrasts that the card's fee offsets the cutback rewards and concierge services. Black Card LLC successfully registered "Black Card" as a U.S. trademark in 2009. However, American Express offers its own exclusive black-colored card called the Centurion Card, which it contended

neg: American Express Hamilton Manchester United manager José Mourinho; film directors Martin Scorsese, Wes Anderson, and M. Night Shyamalan; singers Sheryl Crow, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé. In 2007, a two-minute black-and-white ad, entitled "Animals" and starring Ellen DeGeneres, won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial. Many American Express credit card ads feature a sample American Express Card with the name "C. F. Frost" on the front. This is not a fabricated name; Charles F. Frost was an advertising executive at Ogilvy & Mather. American Express was one of the earliest users of cause marketing, to great success. A 1983 promotion advertised that for

neg: Black Label Media (2018). The company had a 25 percent stake in "La La Land" (2016). Black Label Media Black Label Media is a Los Angeles based independent film producer and finance company founded in 2013. The founders are Molly Smith, the daughter of billionaire Frederick W. Smith who founded FedEx and invested in the company. And Thad Luckinbill, an actor on "Young and the Restless" for 11 years, and twin brother Trent Luckinbill. The name of the company was taken from the American Express Centurion "Black Card" and in part by Johnnie Walker Black whiskey. Films produced include "The Good Lie" (2014),

neg: Accolades Card has taken the smaller bank’s corporate name in establishing a separate legal entity for the first time in history. The entity’s name is U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. This card, also called the Bank of America Accolades Card or the Bank of America Accolades American Express Card, is a co-branded card that is accepted by merchants who accept the American Express card. The introduction of the card coincides with Bank of America’s acquisition of U.S. Trust, a private bank that caters to those with extremely high assets and income. Traditionally, this banking sector has been dominated by

neg: American Express after the Bank of America-MBNA merger. The first card from the partnership, the no-annual-fee Bank of America Rewards American Express card, was released on June 30, 2006. Since then, Citibank, Wells Fargo, First National Bank of Omaha, USAA, Synchrony Financial, and US Bancorp have started issuing American Express cards. Citi issues the Macy's and Bloomingdale's American Express cards along with Citi-branded cards. Wells Fargo issues American Express cards under their own brand and for Dillard's. US Bancorp issues American Express-branded cards for US Bank along with Elan Card Services, a subsidiary that issues credit cards on behalf of small to

neg: American Express consider the possibility. At the end of 1957, American Express CEO Ralph Reed decided to get into the card business, and by the launch date of October 1, 1958, public interest had become so significant that 250,000 cards were issued prior to the official launch date. The card was launched with an annual fee of $6, $1 higher than Diners Club, to be seen as a premium product. The first cards were made of paper, with the account number and cardmember's name typed. In 1959, American Express began issuing embossed ISO/IEC 7810 plastic cards, an industry first. In 1966, American

neg: Citibank (Malaysia) Securities. 2013 – Jan 15 – With the launch of the Citibank Rewards Platinum Card, Citi became the first international bank in Malaysia to pioneer a card that allows customers to customize their rewards and benefits programs. Mar 04 – Citibank Berhad launched the Citi Prestige Card, Citi's first global credit card that brings global privileges to affluent Malaysians. May 29 – Citbank Berhad forms alliance with American Express with the launch of the Citi PremierMiles American Express® Card that will also be accepted on the American Express global merchant network. The only foreign bank to be rated AAA by

neg: American Express American Express The American Express Company, also known as Amex, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center in New York City. The company was founded in 1850 and is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best known for its charge card, credit card, and traveler's cheque businesses. In 2016, credit cards using the American Express network accounted for 22.9% of the total dollar volume of credit card transactions in the US. , the company had 112.8 million cards in force, including 50 million cards in force

neg: American Express Plum Card or an "extra days to pay" option that allows you to pay 10% of the new balance by the first please-pay-by date and revolve the remaining balance only until the next please-pay-by date. Cardholders are allowed up to 99 employee cards fee free. American Express Plum Card The Plum Card is a charge card issued by American Express' OPEN small business division in the fall of 2007. Initially there were to be only 10,000 cards issued. Some of the first 10,000 cardmembers were featured in advertising. In the spring of 2008, additional applications were made available. The card's color, as

neg: George Waters (businessman) leading profit center for the company. George Waters (businessman) George Waters (1916–2003) was a pioneer in the credit card industry who is credited with transforming the American Express Card into a global brand and the flagship product of the American Express Company. Upon his retirement from American Express in 1980, Waters was bestowed with the title, "Father of the American Express Card". George Waters graduated from Indiana University in 1938 and was hired by IBM in its sales and marketing program. During World War II, he joined the US Army Air Forces where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff

neg: George Waters (businessman) George Waters (businessman) George Waters (1916–2003) was a pioneer in the credit card industry who is credited with transforming the American Express Card into a global brand and the flagship product of the American Express Company. Upon his retirement from American Express in 1980, Waters was bestowed with the title, "Father of the American Express Card". George Waters graduated from Indiana University in 1938 and was hired by IBM in its sales and marketing program. During World War II, he joined the US Army Air Forces where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Office of Statistical Control.

neg: Halo 4 the contest via an official website had a chance of winning "Halo 4"-themed prizes. The contest was open from October 22, 2012, until December 30, 2012; entering participants also received a free code for a "Halo 4" Xbox 360 avatar outfit. Microsoft partnered with American Express to offer a promotion for eligible card holders in the United States and United Kingdom. Card holders who sync their American Express card with their Xbox Live account receive coupons and credits and are also rewarded with additional credits and coupons for obtaining achievements in "Halo 4". Microsoft also offered "Halo 4" armor, for

neg: American Express offer American Express contactless payment, including Meijer, Walgreens, Best Buy, Chevron Corporation, Starbucks, and McDonald's. American Express OPEN, the small-business branch of American Express, offers various types of charge cards for small businesses to manage their expenses. In late 2007, the company announced the new Plum Card as the latest addition to their card line for small business owners. The card provides a 1.5% early pay discount or up to two months to defer payment on purchases. The 1.5% discount is available for billing periods where the cardmember spends at least $5,000. The first 10,000 cards were issued to members

neg: American Express credit card. Another specialized American Express business card is the American Express Corporate Purchasing Card, which can be assigned to individual employees or departments. Reconciliation and accounting services are available to make these functions easier for the corporation. In December 2000, American Express agreed to acquire the US$226 million credit card portfolio of Bank of Hawaii, then a division of Pacific Century Financial Corp. In January 2006, American Express sold its Bank of Hawaii card portfolio to Bank of America (MBNA). Bank of America will issue Visa and American Express cards under the Bank of Hawaii name. Until 2004, Visa

neg: American Express Card from American Express OPEN, the Business Green Rewards Card from American Express OPEN and the Plum Card from American Express OPEN. These cards have return protection, year-end summaries and other tools to help with the business accounting and control. In 2008, American Express acquired the Corporate Payment Services business of GE, which primarily focused on providing Purchasing Card solutions for large global clients. As part of the $1b+ transaction, American Express also added a new product, called V-Payment, to its product portfolio. V-Payment is unique in that it enables a tightly controlled, single-use card number for increased control. ,

neg: American Express Gold card dress of Lizzy Gardiner American Express Gold card dress of Lizzy Gardiner Australian costume designer Lizzy Gardiner wore a dress made of 254 American Express Gold cards to the 67th Academy Awards on March 27, 1995, where she won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. All of the cards were genuine, but had expired. It has been called one of the worst Oscar dresses of all time. The gown had originally been conceived for the film "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" along with many other outlandish costumes such as one made solely out of pink flip flops, but American Express had

neg: American Express on December 16, 2007. In 2008, American Express closed all Business Line of Credit accounts. This decision was reached in tandem with the Federal Reserve's approval of American Express's request to become a commercial bank. , American Express has several credit cards designed for small business. These include SimplyCash® Plus Business Credit Card. Cash back earned is automatically credited to the cardholder's statement and other benefits are included. Other cards include the Business Platinum Card from American Express OPEN, the Business Gold Rewards Card from American Express OPEN, the Blue for Business Credit Card from American Express, Business Green Rewards

neg: Diners Club International establishments seven percent and billed cardholders $5 a year. In 1952, McNamara sold his interest in Diners Club to his partners for $200,000. The first plastic Diners Club card was introduced in 1961; by the mid-1960s, Diners Club had 1.3 million cardholders. Diners Club International was acquired by Citigroup in 1981 and by Discover Financial Services in April 2008. Diners Club's monopoly was short-lived, as American Express and Carte Blanche (which later partnered with Diners Club) began to compete with Diners Club in the travel and entertainment (T&E) card market. American Express now dominates the "member card" arena, providing millions

neg: Ogilvy (agency) outlined 11 of the car's distinguishing features and benefits. The advertisement became one of Ogilvy's most famous. Ogilvy joked that the ad "sold so many cars we dare not run it again." American Express had been an Ogilvy & Mather client since the 1960s. The agency launched the company's "Do You Know Me" campaign in 1974, which focused on the prestige of carrying an American Express card. Each advertisement described the accomplishments of semi-recognizable celebrities who used the card. Their identities were revealed at the end. The campaign emphasized that even if a person was not immediately recognizable, their American

neg: Airclic the appointment of David Klatt as CEO and Patrick Robinson as CFO. Both were former Black & Decker Corp. executives. Airclic’s chairman at the time was co-founder Peter Ritz. In August the company announced “the appointment of a stellar management team”—nine people in all. Months later, Klatt was lured away to become president of Rubbermaid. "Wireless Week" announced Airclic had hit the “management jackpot” when former American Express CEO Harvey Golub was named chairman and Phillip Reise, the former president of the American Express consumer card services group, was named CEO. Also in January 2001, Suren Gupta, an IT executive

neg: Black Label Media Black Label Media Black Label Media is a Los Angeles based independent film producer and finance company founded in 2013. The founders are Molly Smith, the daughter of billionaire Frederick W. Smith who founded FedEx and invested in the company. And Thad Luckinbill, an actor on "Young and the Restless" for 11 years, and twin brother Trent Luckinbill. The name of the company was taken from the American Express Centurion "Black Card" and in part by Johnnie Walker Black whiskey. Films produced include "The Good Lie" (2014), "Demolition" (2015), "Sicario" (2015), "Only the Brave" (2017), "12 Strong" (2018) and ""

neg: American Express earn INSIDE Rewards points to eat, drink, and play at New York, Chicago and LA hot spots. American Express began phasing out the INSIDE cards in mid-2008, with no new applications being taken as of July 2008. In 2005, American Express introduced Clear, advertised as the first credit card with no fees of any kind. Other cards introduced in 2005 included "The Knot" and "The Nest" Credit Cards from American Express, co-branded cards developed with the wedding planning website theknot.com. In 2006, the UK division of American Express joined the Product Red coalition and issued a Red Card, donating with

neg: American Express paid in full at the end of the month. American Express formed a venture with Warner Communications in 1979 called Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment, which created MTV, Nickelodeon, and The Movie Channel. The partnership lasted only until 1984. The properties were sold to Viacom soon after. In April 1992, American Express spun off its former subsidiary, First Data Corp., in an initial public offering. In 1994, the Optima True Grace card was introduced. The card was unique in that it offered a grace period on all purchases whether a balance was carried on the card or not (as opposed to traditional

neg: American Express each purchase through The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to help African women and children suffering from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. In 2009, American Express introduced the ZYNC charge card. White in color, this card was created for people aged 20–40. American Express is no longer taking applications for the ZYNC charge card. In late 2012, American Express and Walmart announced the launch of Bluebird, a prepaid debit card similar to that of Green Dot. Bluebird is being touted as having some of the benefits of traditional American Express cards, such as roadside assistance and identity

neg: Acceptance mark Acceptance mark An acceptance mark, in respect of credit cards, is a logo or design that indicates which card schemes an automated teller machine or merchant accepts. Common uses include decals and signs at merchant locations or in merchant advertisements. The purpose of the mark is to provide the card holder with information where his or her card can be used. An acceptance mark differs from the a card product name (such as American Express Black card, Eurocard), as it shows the card scheme (group of cards) accepted. An acceptance mark however corresponds to the card scheme mark shown on

neg: American Express device through this service. The corporate cards have benefits including discounts and rebates for travel and transportation, travel and emergency help, travel insurance and baggage protection. Upgrades from the Corporate "Green" Card to the Corporate Gold Card or Corporate Platinum Card, although subject to fees and terms and conditions, have several additional benefits at each card level, such as free breakfast or late checkout at many hotels. The American Express/Business Extra Corporate Credit Card is affiliated with American Airlines and provides a 4% rebate on eligible American Airlines travel purchased with the card. American Express has a specialized corporate meeting

neg: American Express Trading for the use of controversial charging orders against those in debt. The regulator said that the company was one of four companies who were encouraging customers to turn their unsecured credit card debts into a form of secured debt. In October 2012, The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced an enforcement action with orders requiring three American Express subsidiaries to refund an estimated $85 million to approximately 250,000 customers for illegal card practices between 2003 and 2012. Allegations included that American Express made misleading statements regarding signup bonuses, charged unlawful late fees, discriminated against applicants due to age, and

neg: Discover Card card was used. A 1989 study found that Discover had strong consumer adoption in the U.S.; the number of households with Discover cards increased by 2.1 million, or 14 percent, in 1989. Discover was also noteworthy for being the only credit card accepted by the U.S. Customs Service to pay customs duty, effective Feb. 19, 1987. Since it did not charge a percentage fee to retailers, unlike Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, Discover was also the only credit card accepted at Sam's Club; the retailer has since started to accept MasterCard and American Express (see below). The plan to create

neg: American Express $550 annual fee (for the Platinum card). Annual fees for the Green card start at $95 (first year free), while Gold card annual fees start at $250. American Express has several co-branded credit cards, with most falling into one of three categories: A credit card aimed at young adults is called "Blue", which has no annual fee and a loyalty program. A television media campaign for Blue adopted the 1979 UK Synthpop hit "Cars" by Gary Numan as its theme music. A cashback reward program version, "Blue Cash", quickly followed. Amex also targeted young adults with City Reward Cards that

neg: American Express each purchase made with an American Express Card, American Express would contribute one penny to the renovation of the Statue of Liberty. The campaign generated contributions of $1.7 million to the Statue of Liberty restoration project. What would soon capture the attention of marketing departments of major corporations was that the promotion generated approximately a 28% increase in American Express card usage by consumers. In May 2007, American Express launched an initiative called the Members Project. Cardholders were invited to submit ideas for projects, and were told American Express was funding the winning project. American Express supports initiatives to enhance

neg: Charge card by the card operator were lower than the store's cost in running their own store accounts. In 1957, American Express also entered the field, and in 1959 was the first company to issue embossed plastic charge cards to ISO/IEC 7810 standards. In Europe, the MasterCard-affiliated Maestro brand (which is a debit card rather than a charge card) replaced the European Eurocheque brand for payment cards in 2002. Many Eurocheque cards, particularly in such countries as Austria and Germany, were charge cards branded with the Eurocheque logo. In addition, the European Eurocard, issued as the competitor for American Express was, and

neg: George Waters (businessman) that avoided the need for credit limits and allowed card members to establish their own responsible spending patterns. Drawing on his Air Force computer experience, he installed a data processing system that kept track of card activity and improved accounting controls. Next, he terminated card members who were not paying their bills on time – approximately one third of the card base. He then raised the annual card fee to $8.00 from $6.00 and raised the discount rate - the percentage of the sale that the service establishments had to pay American Express – from 3% to 7%. To make

neg: Louis V. Gerstner Jr. School. He is a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group. Gerstner joined American Express in 1978 as the executive vice president of its charge card division. A year later he was named president of the Travel Related Services group, which was responsible for American Express cards, traveler's cheques, and travel-service offices. At this time, MasterCard and Visa had begun to compete for the company's market share. Gerstner found new uses and users for the card. In 1980, most department stores did not accept American Express cards — by 1985 retail sales were second only to airline

neg: American Express Gold card dress of Lizzy Gardiner Gardiner wore to accept her award isn't that her dress was made out of a bizarre, nontraditional material. Our problem is that the material of choice was the American Express gold card. It's tacky. And how did she sit down in that thing?" In contrast, "Variety" magazine's "Complete Book of Oscar Fashion" referred to Gardiner's dress as "clever". Seeing the promotional potential of the dress, American Express were reported to have wanted to showcase the dress in its travel offices throughout the US. It is now held by the National Gallery of Victoria. American Express Gold card dress of Lizzy

neg: George Waters (businessman) to come up with an advertising tag line for the business. Ogilvy came back with the highly successful slogans "Do You Know Me" and "Don’t leave home without it". By the time Waters stepped down as Executive Vice President and President of Travel Related Services in 1978, the American Express Card was accepted worldwide at every major travel establishment. The card had 9.5 million members, was generating close $1 billion in revenue, and accounted for the largest share of the company’s net income. Still today, the American Express Card remains one of the most recognizable global brand names and the

neg: Discover Financial loans. Following the 2007-08 financial crisis, Discover received about $1.2 billion in bailout funds under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The company announced in 2010 that it had received approval to pay back the funds. In the United States, Discover, as a card brand, competes primarily with Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. Unlike Visa and MasterCard, Discover directly issues its cards, through its Discover Bank unit. When measured by card balances, Discover is the sixth largest credit card issuer in the U.S. behind JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Bank of America, Capital One and American Express, and ahead of Wells Fargo

neg: Departures (magazine) Departures (magazine) Departures is an American quarterly lifestyle magazine published by Time Inc. Magazine subscription is available only to holders of the American Express Platinum charge card, who receive it for free. As of 2009, the editor-in-chief is Richard David Story. European, South American, Asian, and Australian Platinum Card members receive the international edition of "Departures" magazine, while Centurion members outside the US receive a dedicated "Centurion" magazine, both published by Journal International GmbH in Munich, Germany. "Departures" was purchased from American Express Publishing by Time Inc. on 1 October 2013, along with sister publication "Travel + Leisure". On 24

neg: Debit card fees, including some (such as a flat fee added onto every purchase made with the card) that similar products offered by Green Dot and American Express do not have. The U.S. federal government uses prepaid debit cards to make benefits payments to people who do not have bank accounts. In 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department paired with Comerica Bank to offer the Direct Express Debit MasterCard prepaid debit card. In July 2013, the Association of Government Accountants released a report on government use of prepaid cards, concluding that such programs offer a number of advantages to governments and those who

neg: History of the Ottawa Senators (1992–) logo to be similar to that of the Chicago Blackhawks head logo. Leaked before its unveiling, the logo design was unpopular with fans, being compared unfavourably to the American Express card, the USC Trojans and the Trojan condom. The original had the words "Ottawa Senators" within the circle. This logo was slightly revised in 1996 to remove the team name from the gold circle and replace it with laurels. The original home jersey was white with black and red stripes. The original 'away' jersey was black, with white and red trim. Shoulder patches used a winged 'S' 'established MDCCCXCIV' (1894)

neg: Centurion Card Express, credit, and spending criteria are met. American Express does not publicly disclose the requirements necessary for getting or keeping a card, except that the cardholder needs to have a substantial net worth, as well as having been a Platinum card holder. While the eligibility criteria are subject to speculation, most reliable sources agree that Centurion Card holders have historically spent US$250,000 or more per year on lower-level American Express cards, and have annual household incomes of around US$1.3 million and net worths of at least US$16 million. The card, available for personal and business use, offers services such as

neg: Centurion Card are exclusive to Centurion members. As of 2015, they have a Champagne option of Veuve Clicquot and a single malt scotch by Balvenie. Several original Centurion program benefits have been discontinued, including: Since the inception of the card, members have received a copy of "Departures", which is also sent to all Platinum Card cardholders. In 2004, American Express Centurion members in the US began receiving an exclusive "no name" magazine, which was not available by any other means. Starting with the Spring 2007 edition, this magazine was officially titled Black Ink. The magazine is available only to individual Centurion cardholders,

neg: Diners Club International Carte Blanche to Avco in 1968. In 1978, Citicorp (parent company of First National City Bank which was renamed Citibank) reacquired Carte Blanche without regulatory opposition. The 1960s- and 1970s-era Carte Blanche cards were considered more prestigious worldwide than their competition, the American Express and Diners Club cards, though its small cardmember base hindered its success. Carte Blanche was the first to implement a "Gold Card" program, as a means to recognize cardholders who were frequent users and paid their bills on time. In 1981, Citicorp acquired the Diners Club card, and by the mid-1990s the Carte Blanche card was

neg: American Express revolving credit cards which charge interest on new purchases if so much as $1 was carried over). The card was discontinued a few years later; the now discontinued One from American Express card offered a similar feature called "Interest Protection". From early 1980s until the early 1990s, American Express was known for cutting its interchange fee (also known as a "discount rate") to merchants and restaurants if they accepted only American Express and no other credit or charge cards. This prompted competitors such as Visa and Mastercard to cry foul for a while as the tactics "locked" restaurants into American

neg: American Express card that serves the same purposes as a traveler's check, but can be used in stores like a credit card. AmEx discontinued the card of October 31, 2007, due to "changing market conditions" and issued refund checks to cardholders for the remaining balances. During the 1980s, American Express began purchasing stock brokerage firms as part of an expansion. In mid-1981 it purchased Sanford I. Weill's Shearson Loeb Rhoades, the second largest securities firm in the United States to form Shearson/American Express. Shearson Loeb Rhoades, itself was the culmination of several mergers in the 1970s as Weill's Hayden, Stone & Co.

neg: American Express 2016. By March 2, 2015, Costco announced that Citigroup would become the exclusive issuer of Costco's credit cards and that Visa Inc. would replace American Express as the exclusive credit card network accepted at Costco's stores in the United States. The Costco deal with Visa began on June 20, 2016, and in addition to the new Citi card, Costco accepted all other Visa cards. All TrueEarnings card accounts and balances held by American Express were sold to Citigroup, and new Costco Anywhere Visa cards were sent to Costco members prior to the switch date. Concurrent with the switch to Visa,

neg: Huey Lewis and the News (album) Huey Lewis and the News (album) Huey Lewis and the News is the debut album by American rock band Huey Lewis and the News, released in 1980. In 1979, the band's name was Huey Lewis and the American Express. Under this name they released a single and secured their recording contract with Chrysalis Records at the end of the year. The album was recorded within three weeks and the producer was Bill Schnee, who had produced for Boz Scaggs and Pablo Cruise. Chrysalis did not like the addition 'American Express' to the band's name, fearing that the credit card company

neg: SVM (company) In 1998, the company expanded its product offerings with the first non-gasoline gift card product. In the same year, the company expanded it service by adding production, inventory management and fulfillment services. In 1999, SVM hosted its first client internet landing page. In 2001, SVM began issuing gift cards in an outsourced environment. In 2004 SVM deploys a web-based card reloading system on behalf of a major oil company that enables consumers to reload gasoline gift cards instantly online. In 2005, SVM establishes a relationship with American Express Incentive Services and becomes a reseller of the American Express-branded Fill It

neg: DeLorean DMC-12 For Christmas 1980, a DeLorean/American Express promotion planned to sell 100 24K-gold-plated DMC-12s for US$85,000 each to its gold-card members, but only two were sold. One of these was purchased by Roger Mize, president of Snyder National Bank in Snyder, Texas. VIN #4301 sat in the bank lobby for over 20 years before being loaned to the Petersen Automotive Museum of Los Angeles. It has a black interior and an automatic transmission. The second gold-plated American Express DMC-12 was purchased by Sherwood Marshall, an entrepreneur and former Royal Canadian Naval Officer. Marshall donated his DeLorean to the William F. Harrah

neg: George Waters (businessman) was still more work to be done. The card was still not widely accepted by airlines and hotels. But Waters soon convinced American Airlines to drop its card and accept the American Express Card. Soon afterwards, all other major airlines followed. Next, Waters negotiated an exclusive arrangement with the American Hotel Association and soon thereafter, the card became broadly accepted at hotels in Europe and throughout the world. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Waters went on to build the brand and expand the franchise globally. He and American Express CEO James D. Robinson commissioned Andrew Kershaw at Ogilvy and Mather

neg: American Express (such as Commonwealth Bank, Westpac and NAB in Australia and Lloyds Bank and Barclays Bank in the UK). On 1 March 2017, Australia's fourth largest bank ANZ announced that it was no longer issuing American Express cards, with the support phased out entirely by August 5, 2017. American Express is the largest card issuer in the world based on purchase volume. It is the 4th largest card network in the world, based on the number of cards it has in circulation. American Express is one of the partner banks to both Google and Apple's mobile wallet systems (Google Pay and

neg: American Express the late–2000s financial crisis. Former CEO Ken I. Chenault took over leadership of American Express in 2001 from Harvey Golub, CEO from 1993 to 2001. Prior to that, the company was headed by James D. Robinson III from 1977 to 1993, Howard L. Clark Sr. from 1960 to 1977, and Ralph Reed from 1944 to 1960. Current CEO: Stephen Joseph Squeri since Feb 1, 2018. American Express executives discussed the possibility of launching a travel charge card as early as 1946, but it was not until Diners Club launched a card in March 1950 that American Express began to seriously

neg: American Express failed to report consumer complaints to regulators. Beginning in 2004, Costco issued co-branded American Express cards which also doubled as a membership card. Costco ended this arrangement in 2016 in the United States and in 2015 in Canada. The cards did not have annual fees and offered cash back in form of in-store rebates on certain tiers of purchases. The TrueEarnings cards issued by Costco in the United States were an extension of an exclusive credit card network deal between Costco and American Express dating to 1999. Costco was the last major U.S. merchant that accepted American Express cards exclusively.

neg: Ogilvy (agency) Express credit card would be. The campaign ran until 1987. A campaign called "Portraits" followed "Do You Know Me". "Portraits" showed card-carrying personalities like Tip O'Neil and Ella Fitzgerald in leisure activities. The campaign was photographed by Annie Leibovitz and named "Print Campaign of the Decade" by "Advertising Age" in 1990. Ogilvy & Mather launched the slogan "My Life. My Card." in 2004 with ads featuring celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Tiger Woods. In June 2017 American Express shifted almost all the business it had given to Ogilvy to McGarryBowen. Ogilvy & Mather won Merrill Lynch's print and television

neg: Victor Vargas and Chairman. In 2014, Vargas and BOD partnered with American Express to provide a new credit product for microentrepreneurs. Microentrepreneurs provide for 15 percent of the Venezuelan economy. Vargas and BOD’s goal was to expand the American Express card to 300,000 cardholders with access to 46,000 businesses by 2013. The card would offer a 4-year rotating term financing option. In 2010, overall profitability on bank assets in Venezuela fell to 9.7 percent from 20.5 percent in 2009. Venezuelan bankers were concerned that the Venezuelan Central Bank had not changed commission tariffs in over five years. Vargas served as the leader

neg: Credit card 1958 by American Express which created a worldwide credit card network (although these were initially charge cards that later acquired credit card features). Until 1958, no one had been able to successfully establish a "revolving credit" financial system in which a card issued by a third-party bank was being generally accepted by a large number of merchants, as opposed to merchant-issued revolving cards accepted by only a few merchants. There had been a dozen attempts by small American banks, but none of them were able to last very long. In September 1958, Bank of America launched the "BankAmericard" in Fresno,

neg: 2007 U.S. Open (golf) 2006. After the sale of all tickets for the competitive rounds, any post-deadline purchases were settled by a lottery. For the first time in its history, the United States Golf Association entered into a commercial partnership. It entered into an agreement with American Express for an undisclosed amount, which allowed American Express to set up a special "Trophy Room" area at the 2007 U.S. Open for American Express cardholders. Jud Linville, president of American Express U.S. Consumer Card Services, addressed concern about the arrangement commercializing the USGA Championship, saying, “We’re not going to be slapping logos all over the place,

neg: Palladium Card Palladium Card The J.P. Morgan Palladium Card (now formally re-branded the J.P. Morgan Reserve Card) was an invitation-only Visa credit card issued by JPMorgan Chase. The laser engraved card was minted out of solid metal and plated with palladium. The card and its successor dominates a category of ultra exclusive, invitation-only credit and charge cards, which includes the American Express Centurion Card. JPMorgan Chase introduced the Palladium Card in 2009 to cater to their ultra high net worth clients. "Bloomberg" described the Palladium Card as the "card for the 1% of the 1%". Most J.P. Morgan clients who are invited

neg: Aldi accepts Visa and MasterCard with no surcharge. In the United States, as of February 2016, Aldi accepts all four major credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express and Discover Card), and from the beginning all credit cards "Carte Bleue" (Visa, American Express or MasterCard) in France due to the banking system in France where debit cards don't exist; before this, Aldi only accepted debit cards. Aldi has accepted Visa/MasterCard without surcharge throughout Great Britain from October 2014, which had previously been accepted only in Scotland, and throughout Germany from September 2015. Aldi Suisse became one of the first companies to accept

neg: Mastercard the individuals, sparking criticism by the Civil Rights Congress alleging that it "represents a stamped ownership of a Nigerian by an American company ... reminiscent of the logo pasted on the bodies of African slaves transported across the Atlantic." Mastercard, Comerica Bank, and the U.S. Treasury Department teamed up in 2008 to create the Direct Express Debit Mastercard prepaid debit card. The federal government uses the Express Debit product to issue electronic payments to people who do not have bank accounts, who are often referred to collectively as the "unbanked". Comerica Bank is the issuing bank for the debit card.

neg: Card security code the card. On American Express cards, however, the card security code is the four digits printed (not embossed) on the front towards the right. The card security code is not encoded on the magnetic stripe but is printed flat. As a security measure, merchants who require the CVV2 for "card not present" payment card transactions are required by the card issuer not to store the CVV2 once the individual transaction is authorized. This way, if a database of transactions is compromised, the CVV2 is not included, and the stolen card numbers are less useful. Virtual terminals and payment gateways do

neg: Accolades Card Centurion card. Advertising segments for the new card began in September, 2007. Citigroup reportedly has a competing card planned. It has been reported that card holders will receive points that can be redeemed for luxury vacations, cooking and other lessons, concierge services, and other benefits. Note, reference # 6 and 7 are not current. Accolades Card The Merrill Accolades American Express Card, previously known as the Bank of America Accolades Card, was the first premium credit card offered by Bank of America. It is targeted exclusively at the bank's "affluent, wealthy and ultra- wealthy clients served through Premier Banking &

neg: Joseph P. Williams entertainment charge card, had been introduced in 1950, and American Express and Carte Blanche followed in 1958, but all of these offerings had to have bills repaid in 30 days and were accepted by a limited number of vendors. By the mid-1950s, Williams was the senior vice president in charge of a group that had the unofficial task of creating the nation's first all-purpose credit card. Studying previous failures and analyzing the successes by Sears, Roebuck and Company and Mobil in offering credit to their customers, the team led by Williams conceived of a set of features — an 18%

neg: American Express midsize banks. Some credit unions, including PenFed, also issue American Express cards. JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank and the only Big Four bank in the US that does not partner with American Express. Instead, JPMorgan made the decision in 2013 to partner with Visa on the ChaseNet closed-loop network that is similar in terms of functionality to the American Express network. Many retailers do not accept American Express cards. American Express charges merchants significantly higher fees than other credit card providers. In a court case Ohio v. American Express Co., merchants filed a class action lawsuit against American Express

neg: Harlette services globally, just below the black label American Express card. Harlette's brand received two nominations for the 2011 and 2012 UK Lingerie Awards, and was nominated as a finalist for the NSW Premier Export Awards 2011 in Australia. In the summer of 2013 Harlette debuted in Paris Mode City her first swim collection, and her unique one-piece design was picked for the Best of Show parade. In 2009 Harlette was asked by the Swedish newspaper "Expressen" to write a piece on a term she created, "Braconomics," and her insights on the Saudi Lingerie campaign. After leaving Saudi Arabia to showcase

neg: Choice (credit card) Choice (credit card) Choice was a credit card test marketed by Citibank in the United States, announced in 1977, and first issued in 1978. It was one of the first cards to offer a cash refund program, and no annual fee. Choice was intended to create a rival to Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, but proved unsuccessful, and was withdrawn in 1987. Citibank has continued to use the "Choice" name on some of its Visa and MasterCard cards. The card was introduced in 1977, when Citibank bought NAC, a regional credit card based in Baltimore, renaming it Choice. A subsequent

neg: American Express card, bear resemblance to those on United States Federal Reserve Notes. In 2005, American Express introduced ExpressPay, similar to Mastercard Contactless and Visa payWave, all of which use the symbol appearing on the right. It is a contactless payment system based on wireless RFID, where transactions are completed by holding the credit card near a receiver at which point the debt is immediately added to the account. All three contactless systems use the same logo. The card is not swiped or inserted into a smart card reader and no PIN is entered. Many merchants, in the U.S. and globally, now

neg: Palladium Card to carry this card have a minimum of US$10 million in assets under management with J.P. Morgan's Private Bank and a median of US$100 million. The Palladium Card was one of the first U.S. credit cards to adopt EMV smart chip technology. With its brass construction and palladium plating, the card weighs 1 ounce or 28.35 grams, five times the weight of a conventional plastic credit card and twice the weight of the titanium constructed American Express Centurion Card. As of September 2016, the J.P. Morgan Palladium Card has been re-branded the J.P. Morgan Reserve Card, which is physically identical

neg: Magnetic stripe card a low-coercivity card writer may write only low-coercivity cards. In practical terms, usually low coercivity magnetic stripes are a light brown color, and high coercivity stripes are nearly black; exceptions include a proprietary silver-colored formulation on transparent American Express cards. High coercivity stripes are resistant to damage from most magnets likely to be owned by consumers. Low coercivity stripes are easily damaged by even a brief contact with a magnetic purse strap or fastener. Because of this, virtually all bank cards today are encoded on high coercivity stripes despite a slightly higher per-unit cost. Magnetic stripe cards are used in

neg: Centurion (magazine) Centurion (magazine) Centurion is an English-language quarterly lifestyle magazine published in Munich, Germany. The quarterly is one of the three magazines offered to the American Express members. "Centurion" is specifically for Centurion Card members. "Centurion" was established in 2000. The magazine has been owned by the American Express and published by the Journal International since then. The company also publishes "Departures", a quarterly magazine for American Express Platinum card members. The headquarters of "Centurion" is in Munich and the quarterly covers news about luxury, travel, culture, fashion and jewellery, travel destinations, art and gourmet trends. It is published in six

neg: American Express theft protection. The card can also be used as a substitute to a traditional checking account. Unlike other such cards, Bluebird is FDIC-insured. Bluebird accounts have standard FDIC deposit insurance and check writing capabilities, and customers can now have Social Security payments, military pay, Tax Return, paycheck and other government benefits deposited directly into their accounts. American Express credit cards are noted by travel guides, including Rough Guides and Lonely Planet, as being less commonly accepted in Europe than Visa or Mastercard. In an interview with an American Express spokesman in 2010 about card acceptance in the UK, the "Daily

neg: Russian Standard Bank Russian Standard Bank has a presence in more than 1,800 cities in Russia. Its distribution network covers 93% of the Russian population. Russian Standard Bank is also the exclusive issuer of American Express branded credit cards in Russia. Russian Standard Bank issues cards of five leading international payment systems in Russia: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club International, Discover Card, and acquires seven payment systems: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diners Club International, Discover Card, China Union Pay, Japan Credit Bureau and Zolotaya Korona. On December 2010 Russian Standard Bank and the international payment system Diners Club International have entered into

neg: Traveler's cheque cards around the world starting in the 1980s and 1990s significantly replaced the use of traveler's cheques for paying for things on vacation. In 2005, American Express released the "American Express Travelers Cheque Card", a stored-value card that serves the same purposes as a traveler's cheque, but can be used in stores like a credit card. It discontinued the card in October 2007. A number of other financial companies went on to issue stored-value or pre-paid debit cards containing several currencies that could be used like credit or debit cards at shops and at ATMs, mimicking the traveler's cheque in

neg: Credit card personal credit from the activity of the business. Business credit cards are offered by almost all major card issuers—like American Express, Visa, and MasterCard in addition to local banks and credit unions. Charge cards for businesses, however, are currently only offered by American Express. A secured credit card is a type of credit card secured by a deposit account owned by the cardholder. Typically, the cardholder must deposit between 100% and 200% of the total amount of credit desired. Thus if the cardholder puts down $1,000, they will be given credit in the range of $500–1,000. In some cases, credit

neg: George Waters (businessman) an Atlanta-based supermarket chain. American Express entered the credit card industry in 1958 with its own product, a purple charge card for travel and entertainment expenses. By the time Waters was hired in 1961, The American Express Card was number two in the industry behind Diners Club, still unprofitable, and management was unsure about what to do with the business. They considered merging with Diners Club and also forming a joint venture with Hilton Hotels. The card at that time was primarily accepted in restaurants, as hotels, car rental companies and airlines were either reluctant to accept credit cards or

neg: Hashtag become famous worldwide. For instance the slogan ""Je suis Charlie,"" which was first used on Twitter as the hashtag #jesuischarlie and #iamcharlie to indicate solidarity with "Charlie Hebdo" offices attacked in Paris, spread to the internet at large. Since February 2013 Twitter and American Express have collaborated to enable users to pay for discounted goods online by tweeting a special hashtag. American Express members can sync their card with Twitter and pay for offers by tweeting; American Express tweets a response to the member that confirms the purchase. Organized real-world events have used hashtags and ad hoc lists for discussion

neg: Accolades Card Accolades Card The Merrill Accolades American Express Card, previously known as the Bank of America Accolades Card, was the first premium credit card offered by Bank of America. It is targeted exclusively at the bank's "affluent, wealthy and ultra- wealthy clients served through Premier Banking & Investments, The Private Bank of Bank of America and its extension, Family Wealth Advisors." The card is notable as it is the bank's foray into a new market segment as well as a product offered as a result of the bank's acquisition of another bank, U.S. Trust, particularly since the larger Bank of America

neg: American Express threatened by MBNA's merger with Bank of America, a major Visa issuer and original developer of Visa (and its predecessor, BankAmericard). However, an agreement was reached between American Express and Bank of America on December 21, 2005. Under the terms of the agreement, Bank of America will own the customer loans and American Express will process the transactions. Also, American Express will dismiss Bank of America from its antitrust litigation against Visa, Mastercard, and a number of U.S. banks. Finally, both Bank of America and American Express also said an existing card-issuing partnership between MBNA and American Express will continue

neg: American Express Costco no longer accepted American Express in stores, at Costco.com, or through Costco Travel. The Costco partnership represented 8%, or $80 billion, of Amex's billed business and about 20%, or about $14 billion, of its interest-bearing credit portfolio, according to Richard Shane of JPMorgan Chase & Co. The impact of losing the Costco card accounts was significant; in the first quarter without Costco cards, company profit dropped 10% and revenue dropped 5% compared to the previous year. For the fiscal year 2017, American Express reported earnings of US$2.634 billion, with an annual revenue of US$35.583 billion, an increase of 5.2%

neg: InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions be co-branded and personalized through the Custom Card and DirectSpend/Persona products. For non-restricted programs the Encompass card is provided. In addition to pure card solutions InteliSpend utilizes partner companies to provide Sales Incentive (Spiff) programs and product rebate programs. Through its partners InteliSpend delivers online solutions with varying degrees of integration and online facilities. Key executives include: InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions is a private company formed as a joint venture by American Express and Maritz, Inc in 1997. InteliSpend provides incentive programs for 76% of Fortune 500 companies. In 2010, Maritz bought out American Express' interest in the

neg: Revolution Money PIN based gift card with no account number printed on the card. Other features included the capacity to send money via AOL Instant Messenger. On November 18, 2009, American Express announced that it would acquire Revolution Money for US$500 million, and finally did for US$300 million. Revolution MoneyExchange was purchased by American Express in January 2010, and was renamed Serve Virtual Enterprises, Inc. Serve Enterprises then launched Serve and discontinued Revolution MoneyExchange on March 28, 2011. Revolution Money Revolution Money is a financial services company based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The company's products include a PIN based credit card, online

neg: Payment card Organization for Standardization standards, ISO/IEC 7810, ISO/IEC 7811, ISO/IEC 7812, ISO/IEC 7813, ISO 8583, and ISO/IEC 4909, define the physical properties of payment cards, including size, flexibility, location of the magstripe, magnetic characteristics, and data formats. They also provide the standards for financial cards, including the allocation of card number ranges to different card issuing institutions. Originally charge account identification was paper-based. In 1959 American Express was the first charge card operator to issue embossed plastic cards which enabled cards to be manually imprinted for processing, making processing faster and reducing transcription errors. Other credit card issuers followed suit. The

neg: American Express and claimed that charging high fees is a violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. According to the lawsuit, accepting American Express cards costs merchants the most. In January 2017, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling that American Express could block merchants that accept its cards from steering customers to other cards, like those offered by Visa and Mastercard. In October 2017, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the antitrust case. Amex is the largest provider of traveler's checks in the world. In 2005, American Express released the American Express Travelers Check Card, a stored-value

neg: American Express In November 2011, Neiman Marcus, which gave similar general-purpose card exclusivity to American Express since 1987, began accepting Visa and Mastercard. Costco's Canadian stores ended its exclusive deal with American Express in January 2015 in favor of one with Capital One and Mastercard. Capital One did not buy accounts and balances from American Express, which required Costco Canada members to apply for the new cards instead of automatically qualifying. On February 12, 2015, it was announced that the partnership between American Express and Costco in the United States would dissolve March 31, 2016, which was later extended to June 19,

neg: Equicom Savings Bank and Expressnet, and over 1 million VISA Plus ATMs worldwide. Equicom Savings Bank Equicom Savings Bank, Inc. is a duly licensed thrift bank majority owned by the Equicom Group and Mr. Antonio L. Go. Mr. Go was the former Chairman of Equitable PCI Bank and was also Founder and President of Equitable Card Network established in 1989. Equicom Savings Bank was the Philippines’ leading credit card company and also had the distinction of being the only card issuer which carried the four major global credit card brands – VISA, MasterCard, American Express and JCB. Go was a member of the

neg: Equicom Savings Bank Equicom Savings Bank Equicom Savings Bank, Inc. is a duly licensed thrift bank majority owned by the Equicom Group and Mr. Antonio L. Go. Mr. Go was the former Chairman of Equitable PCI Bank and was also Founder and President of Equitable Card Network established in 1989. Equicom Savings Bank was the Philippines’ leading credit card company and also had the distinction of being the only card issuer which carried the four major global credit card brands – VISA, MasterCard, American Express and JCB. Go was a member of the Executive Committee of Visa International Worldwide, Chairman of Visa International

neg: Bankcard Bankcard Bankcard was a shared brand credit card issued by financial institutions in Australia and New Zealand between 1974 and 2006. It was managed by the "Bankcard Association of Australia", a joint venture of Australia's largest banks, and was the nation's first mass market credit card. Before 1974, only store cards, Diners Club and American Express were available in Australia and these were either restrictive or only accessible to the wealthy. In the first decade after its introduction, Bankcard dominated the Australian credit card market, with more than 5 million cardholders at its peak in 1984. As a result of

neg: IZettle alongside its previous model, allowing it to accept all major credit cards, including MasterCard, American Express, and Visa. In February 2015, iZettle introduced Lite Reader, a new card reader which was offered to merchants free of charge. It was used by plugging it into the audio jack of iPhone, iPad or Android devices. In June 2016, iZettle launched a new card terminal. Just as its previous siblings the iZettle reader connects through Bluetooth and integrates both Chip and PIN and contactless payments. The new card reader replaced all previous card readers in Europe and iZettle was the first mobile payments