第一张信用卡是由美国人拉尔夫·史德于1950年发明的。持卡人均为食俱乐部成员,他们可以持卡在纽约27家餐厅吃饭,过后结帐。1958年美利坚银行首创银行卡,饮食俱乐部的各项服务已有相当的扩展,分支机构网络也具规模,随后用卡支付住宿费及在特定商店持卡购物也成为可能。40年后,各类信用卡系统及它们的网络已有巨大发展。这种信用卡的使用使货币流量激增,产生了新的经济指数。 The first credit card was invented by American Ralph Stead in 1950. The cardholders are members of the food club. They can hold a card to eat in 27 restaurants in New York and checkout afterwards. In 1958, the Bank of America initiated the first bank card, and the various services of the catering club had expanded considerably. The branch network also had a large scale. It was then possible to use the card to pay for the accommodation fee and purchase the card at a specific store. 40 years later, various types of credit card systems and their networks have grown tremendously. The use of such credit cards has led to a surge in currency flows and a new economic index.