Shopping on line can be easy, simple and save you lots of money. It can also take a lot of your time, frustrate you, and result in unwanted purchases. Now the same can be said for regular high street shopping, but with the vast opportunity presented by the Internet it will pay you to spend a few minutes reading this and understanding how to better optimize your Diners Club shopping experience:
1. Compare - without doubt the biggest advantage that the Diners Club offers shoppers today is the ability to compare thousands of Diners Club at a time. This is a great thing, but not necessarily all the time! Too much can be daunting at times so take advantage of the great comparison sites and where possible let them do the hard work for you.
2. Research - if it has been said it will be on the internet. Ignorance is no longer a justifiable reason for buying the wrong thing. Take the time to research in detail everything that you could possible want to know about
3. Testimonials - don't know anybody that has bought a Diners Club? Wrong! If the Diners Club is good the internet will let you know. Use the Internet as a friend and get testimonials before you buy.
4. Questions - Got a question about Diners Club then search the Forums, FAQ's, Blogs etc. Don't be afraid to ask .....
5. Reputation - Never heard of the company selling Diners Club? Don't worry, no reason why you should know every company in the world, but you know someone that does! Use the internet to find out what people are saying about Diners Club and build up a picture of their reputation for sales, returns, customer service, delivery etc.
6. Returns - still worried that even after all of the above your Diners Club wont be what you want? Check out the returns policy. There is so much competition now that someone, somewhere is bound to offer the terms that you are comfortable with.
7. Feedback - happy with your Diners Club then let people know, after all you are depending on others people input in your buying decision, so why not give a little back.
8. Security - check for the yellow padlock on the Diners Club site before you buy, and the s after http:/ /i.e. https:// = a secure site
9. Contact - got a question about Diners Club, or want to leave a comment then check out the sites contact page. Reputable companies have them and respond.
10. Payment - ready to pay for your Diners Club, then use your credit card or PayPal! Be aware of companies that don't accept them, there may be genuine reasons but given the huge amount of choice you have when buying online there is no reason at all not to buy via credit card or PayPal.
{{Infobox Company| company_name = Diners Club| company_logo = | company_type = Subsidiary of Citigroup| founder = [Frank X. McNamara
Ralph SchneiderCasey R. Taylor| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| num_employees =| divisions =| company_slogan =| homepage = www.dinersclub.com-->
Diners Club International, originally founded as
Diners Club, is a credit card company formed in [1950 by
Frank X. McNamara, Ralph Schneider and Casey R. Taylor. When it first emerged, it became the first independent
credit card company in the world.
Foundation
While many stores and businesses were in the practice of extending credit (finance) to their customers, or allowing them to set up charge accounts, the idea behind Diners Club was that the same card could be used to pay a variety of merchants. In 1950, the first Diners Club cards were given out to 200 associates of McNamara, mostly salesmen who often needed to dine with clients. Diners Club had signed up 14 restaurants in
New York City. Membership grew quickly as both new customers applied for the card and more restaurants signed on. By the end of 1950, Diners Club had 20,000 customers and was accepted at over 1000 restaurants.
In 1952, McNamara sold his share of the company to Joe Williams of Archer City, Texas, and the company grew unabated for several years, eventually signing merchants all over the
United States. Diners Club created what would later be dubbed the Travel & Entertainment (T&E) card market, which focused on cardholders who were frequent travelers and had a substantial income to pay for other high-value charges. As these customers had no need to pay for purchases over time, these cards required that the entire balance of the bill was paid upon receipt. This type of account is known today as a charge card. Diners Club's monopoly was short-lived, however, as American Express and Carte Blanche began to compete with Diners Club in the T&E card market.
Diners Club also faced competition from banks who issued revolving credit cards though BankAmericard (later renamed
VISA (credit card)), and Interbank MasterCharge (later renamed
MasterCard) towards the end of the 1960s. Diners Club began early on to allow franchises of the Diners Club name in first in Europe and later throughout the world, for many years eclipsing the BankAmericard or Interbank MasterCharge networks abroad. Amoco also issued its own co-branded Diners Club cards for a time.
Diners Club International, the franchisor that holds rights to the Diners Club trademark, was acquired in 1981 by Citibank, a unit of
Citigroup, as well as many of the largest franchises worldwide, although a majority of its franchises abroad remain independently owned.
logo
MasterCard alliance
In 2004, Diners Club announced an agreement with
MasterCard. Diners Club cards issued in the United States and Canada now feature a MasterCard logo and 16-digit account number on the front, and can be used at the millions of locations that accept MasterCard. Cards from other countries continue to bear a 14-digit account number on the front, with the MasterCard logo on the back.
Carte Blanche
Carte Blanche originated as a Travel & Entertainment (T&E) card owned by Hilton Hotels, and competed with both American Express and Diners Club. The company changed ownership after being sold by Hilton, with Citibank owning the company for a brief period during the 1960s, and finally repurchasing it in 1979, and phasing the card out of service in the late 1980s. Throughout most of the 1960s and 1970s, the Carte Blanche card was considered to be more prestigious than American Express or Diners Club, though its small cardmember base hindered its success. Carte Blanche also was the first to implement a 'Gold Card' program, but initially only as a means to recognize cardholders who were frequent users and paid their bills on time. In 2000, the Carte Blanche name was revived in the United States when Diners Club, which was also acquired by Citibank in 1981, introduced an upscale version of its card: the
Diners Club Carte Blanche Card. It is an upper-level charge card on par with the
American Express Platinum card. The card carries a US$300 annual fee and offers an extensive menu of perks geared toward spendthrifty travelers. It is accepted wherever regular Diners Club cards are accepted. Although Diners Club requires payment in full within 30 days, corporate accounts can pay within 60 days without penalty.
enRoute
Diners Club expanded its customer base in
Canada by acquiring the enRoute card from
Air Canada in 1992, and marketed the card under the combined name for a period of time as the
Diners Club/en route Card. Diners Club remains a minor player in Canada.
See also
External links
- Diners Club International Official Site
- Diners Club USA
- Diners Club Canada
- Diners Club and MasterCard alliance press release
{{Infobox Company| company_name = Diners Club| company_logo = | company_type = Subsidiary of
Citigroup| founder = [Frank X. McNamaraRalph SchneiderCasey R. Taylor| revenue =| operating_income =| net_income =| num_employees =| divisions =| company_slogan =| homepage = www.dinersclub.com-->Diners Club International, originally founded as Diners Club, is a credit card company formed in [1950 by
Frank X. McNamara,
Ralph Schneider and
Casey R. Taylor. When it first emerged, it became the first independent
credit card company in the world.
Foundation
While many stores and businesses were in the practice of extending
credit (finance) to their customers, or allowing them to set up charge accounts, the idea behind Diners Club was that the same card could be used to pay a variety of merchants. In 1950, the first Diners Club cards were given out to 200 associates of McNamara, mostly salesmen who often needed to dine with clients. Diners Club had signed up 14 restaurants in
New York City. Membership grew quickly as both new customers applied for the card and more restaurants signed on. By the end of 1950, Diners Club had 20,000 customers and was accepted at over 1000 restaurants.
In
1952, McNamara sold his share of the company to Joe Williams of Archer City, Texas, and the company grew unabated for several years, eventually signing merchants all over the United States. Diners Club created what would later be dubbed the Travel & Entertainment (T&E) card market, which focused on cardholders who were frequent travelers and had a substantial income to pay for other high-value charges. As these customers had no need to pay for purchases over time, these cards required that the entire balance of the bill was paid upon receipt. This type of account is known today as a
charge card. Diners Club's monopoly was short-lived, however, as
American Express and Carte Blanche began to compete with Diners Club in the T&E card market.
Diners Club also faced competition from banks who issued
revolving credit cards though BankAmericard (later renamed
VISA (credit card)), and Interbank MasterCharge (later renamed MasterCard) towards the end of the 1960s. Diners Club began early on to allow franchises of the Diners Club name in first in Europe and later throughout the world, for many years eclipsing the BankAmericard or Interbank MasterCharge networks abroad. Amoco also issued its own co-branded Diners Club cards for a time.
Diners Club International, the franchisor that holds rights to the Diners Club trademark, was acquired in 1981 by Citibank, a unit of Citigroup, as well as many of the largest franchises worldwide, although a majority of its franchises abroad remain independently owned.
logo
MasterCard alliance
In 2004, Diners Club announced an agreement with
MasterCard. Diners Club cards issued in the United States and Canada now feature a MasterCard logo and 16-digit account number on the front, and can be used at the millions of locations that accept MasterCard. Cards from other countries continue to bear a 14-digit account number on the front, with the MasterCard logo on the back.
Carte Blanche
Carte Blanche originated as a Travel & Entertainment (T&E) card owned by
Hilton Hotels, and competed with both
American Express and Diners Club. The company changed ownership after being sold by Hilton, with Citibank owning the company for a brief period during the 1960s, and finally repurchasing it in 1979, and phasing the card out of service in the late 1980s. Throughout most of the 1960s and 1970s, the Carte Blanche card was considered to be more prestigious than American Express or Diners Club, though its small cardmember base hindered its success. Carte Blanche also was the first to implement a 'Gold Card' program, but initially only as a means to recognize cardholders who were frequent users and paid their bills on time. In 2000, the Carte Blanche name was revived in the United States when Diners Club, which was also acquired by Citibank in 1981, introduced an upscale version of its card: the
Diners Club Carte Blanche Card. It is an upper-level charge card on par with the American Express Platinum card. The card carries a US$300 annual fee and offers an extensive menu of perks geared toward spendthrifty travelers. It is accepted wherever regular Diners Club cards are accepted. Although Diners Club requires payment in full within 30 days, corporate accounts can pay within 60 days without penalty.
enRoute
Diners Club expanded its customer base in
Canada by acquiring the enRoute card from Air Canada in 1992, and marketed the card under the combined name for a period of time as the
Diners Club/en route Card. Diners Club remains a minor player in Canada.
See also
External links
- Diners Club International Official Site
- Diners Club USA
- Diners Club Canada
- Diners Club and MasterCard alliance press release
