Gasoline Credit Cards

The first paper gasoline credit card was issued by Texaco in 1914. Most of the other major oil companies, such as Humble (Exxon), Standard of California (Chevron), and Shell started their credit card operations in the 1920s. Most gasoline companies did not issue cards during World War II. After the war, paper cards were still in use.

Laminated paper cards

Some oil companies laminated later editions of their paper cards or provided plastic slip cases for their cards. Both tended to prolong the life of the card – even though most paper cards were only valid for a three month period or one year at most. Those companies include Esso, Gulf, and DX.

Metal plate cards

Only a very few companies used metal charge plates in the early 1950s, such as Marathon and Champlin.

In 1955 a few companies – Humble, Shamrock, and Amoco – used a paper card with a small metal plate attached to the back of the card. The metal plate was used in an imprinter. The plate had the name and account number on it.

Combination with plastic card holder

In 1957, Chevron, Humble, Shamrock, and Shell used a plastic credit card holder with a slot in the back for the insertion of a paper card. The plastic holder had the name and account number embossed on it and was used from 1957 through 1959. 

The paper card inserted in the back was valid for either three months or one year – depending on the customer. Neither the plastic pouch or paper insert card was valid without the other.

The first plastic gas cards

Amoco and Sohio were the first gas cards to go plastic as we know it today, in 1956. Most oil companies opted for the standard size cards while a few, such as Cities Service, Sinclair, Richfield, Union, and Royalite, issued the smaller “princess” size card. They all eventually changed over to the standard size card, too.

The British American Oil Co., in Canada – owned by Gulf – was the last oil company to convert to the plastic card in 1963.

Exxon cards

Exxon cards were first issued in November 1972. Esso cards were just one type of card issued by the company prior to that. Only in the states where Humble had the rights to the “Standard” name could they call their stations Esso.

The “Standard” name 

In the states where Amoco had the rights to the “Standard” name, or Chevron had the rights to the “Standard” name, Standard Oil of NJ (Esso) had to call their stations something other than Esso. They used the name Enco, Humble, Carter, Pate, and Oklahoma. All of these had separate credit cards.

In the state of Ohio, Sohio has the rights to the “Standard” name so the Esso stations in Ohio were called Humble stations and the customers living in Ohio were given Humble credit cards.

The Sohio stations in the state of Michigan were called Boron stations, since Amoco had the right to call their stations, in that state, Standard.

In Ohio, Amoco had to call their stations either American or Amoco.

Avoiding confusions

This confusion was the reason that Standard Oil of NJ decided to call their company Exxon so that their service stations, in all states which they marketed, could be under one name. The outcome was that all customers received one card, Exxon – rather than two or three or more of the others.

Copyright 1986 by Arthur Bloch, III

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Frequently asked questions

You can find out the value of old credit cards by checking how much similar cards sell for. There are several ways to do this.

The simplest way to determine the value of old credit cards is to ask an experienced collector. If you submit an inquiry via our contact form, we can connect you with an expert who can assist you and point out if there is anything rare or unusual in your collection.

Alternatively, you can become a member of the American Credit Card Collectors Society. Membership in our credit card collecting club provides access to resources and knowledgeable members who can help. Benefits of membership include access to a gallery containing thousands of cards with historical pricing information, and access to our entire collection of newsletters, from 1994 through the present day.

You can look at recent sales on auction sites, however, there are some considerations to keep in mind when doing this. Firstly, it’s important to look at selling prices, rather than asking prices. Selling prices are the prices people actually paid, while asking prices can be very different. Secondly, historical sales on some sites are only saved for 3 months, so you may not find something that exactly matches what you have. Thirdly, it is sometimes possible to see rare or unusual cards sell for lower prices than they should have because people do not understand their worth, the ads don't do justice to the card, they're listed in the wrong category, or any combination thereof.

There are always people in our club who are actively buying cards. Collectors tend to focus on a niche, like gas cards or retail cards, or they might focus on a slightly broader area, like bank cards or travel and entertainment cards. Many of the rarest or most unusual cards will exchange hands in private sales. Please contact us if you are thinking of selling your collection.

You can also sell your old credit cards on online marketplaces. You will get the highest price if you sell each of your cards individually, although this approach requires the most effort. At the opposite end of the effort scale would be selling all cards as a job lot, an approach which typically results in the lowest price on a per-card basis. Halfway between these two approaches would be to group cards into different categories and to sell these individual groups, e.g., BankAmericard, Master Charge, oil and gas, retail, and so on.

To join the club, visit the membership section and complete the registration form. You can pay by check or PayPal. We offer annual or lifetime memberships. If you have any questions please contact us via the form on our website.

Credit cards are more worthwhile collecting if they are rare, in good condition, have historical significance, or are associated with famous personalities or events. Valuable modern cards might include those that are difficult to obtain, such as American Express Centurion (a.k.a. ‘black’) cards, while older credit cards might include early independent bank cards, American Express, Diners Club, or BankAmericard (Visa) cards from the 50s/early 60s, or Master Charge (MasterCard) cards from the late 60s. Rare or unusual cards can also be sought after, such as those issued in small numbers, like small independent department stores or gas stations, or cards with appealing aesthetics.

Consulting with other collectors or experts in the club can provide valuable insights. Contact us for more information via the form on our website.

We do not offer an appraisal service in a traditional sense (such services are normally a paid service) but we can connect you with an expert who should be able to assist for free and point out anything rare or unusual in your collection. The simplest way to do this is to submit an inquiry via our contact form.

The American Credit Card Collectors Society accepts donations and is most grateful for any we receive. When donations happen, we strive to find good homes for cards where they will be looked after, matching cards with collectors who will appreciate them. The club may charge members a nominal fee for donated cards, and the proceeds are offset against the running costs of our club. We are a non-profit organization. Running costs include expenses like our convention and website hosting. Donations are most popular for people getting out of the hobby, or when someone has inherited a collection and doesn’t know what to do with it.

If you wish to donate your collection, please contact us via the contact form above.

American Credit Card Collectors Society