Credit Card Review

Before McNamara's cardboard card, merchants in the 1800s and early 1900s used metal coins or "Charga-Plates" to let regular customers buy on credit locally.

: To settle the bill, his wife had to drive down and pay for him, an embarrassment he didn't want to repeat. credit card

The story goes that businessman was dining at Major’s Cabin Grill in New York City when he realized he had forgotten his wallet. Before McNamara's cardboard card, merchants in the 1800s

: In the 1960s, IBM designers struggled to attach magnetic tape to cards until an engineer's wife suggested ironing it on , which worked and paved the way for modern swiping. A Useful Lesson: The "Freeloader" Paradox Before McNamara's cardboard card