About

ACCCS Officers (L-R): Chuck Jennings, Scott Nimmo, Jerry Ballard

ACCCS Officers

President and Treasurer: Scott Nimmo
Vice President: Jerry Ballard
Secretary: Chuck Jennings
Webmaster: Richard Hudson

History of the ACCCS

In September 1993, Jerry Ballard organized and hosted the first International Credit Card Collectors Convention in Richmond, Virginia. At the convention, Bill Wieland volunteered to form an organization of credit card collectors and, in 1994, he formed the American Credit Piece Collectors Association. At the first membership meeting later that year, the name was changed to the American Credit Card Collectors Society – ACCCS.

Early members of the club included the President of the American Numismatics Society, a member to this day, and an early credit card collecting pioneer named Lin Overholt. When he was alive, Lin had a collection of well over ten thousand cards. He often said he would pay $2 apiece for a card.  He paid this flat rate for all cards, not just credit cards but also things like membership cards.

When eBay was launched in 1995, it quickly became the best way for collectors to get hold of cards. eBay has a dedicated category for credit cards under Collectibles > Collective Credit & Charge Cards.

In June 2002, Jerry Ballard published the ACCCS handbook, copyrighted by the American Credit Card Collectors Society. This is available in our members section. Please note, no part of it may be reproduced without the express written consent of the ACCCS, except for the Grading Guide, which is the property of Travis McGrath.

Jerry subsequently produced the 2008 Charge Plate Catalog and the 2011 Hotel Credit Card Catalog.  In 2018, Ed Tylenda and Chuck Jennings produced the Charge Coin Reference Guide.  And in 2021 Agostinho Ferriera authored The Origins of Mastercard.  More detail about these can be found on our publications page.  Discounts on these publications are given to ACCCS members.

If you have questions about the organisation please contact us.

We welcome new members to the American Credit Card Collectors Society all the time, from beginners to experts and everyone in between.

  • Receive the ACCCS newsletter,
  • Post unlimited adverts in the ACCCS newsletter
  • Access all old newsletters from 1994 to the present day
  • Receive an invitation to the biannual ACCCS Convention
  • Connect with a community of fellow enthusiasts
  • Forge relationships with experienced collectors
  • Gain access to the members-only area of our website

BECOME A MEMBER

If you want to expand your credit card collecting hobby, learn more, and befriend like-minded people, become a member of the ACCCS.

Contact Us


American Credit Card Collectors Society