News

Melbourne, 21 March 2006

1956.

A momentous year in which Melbourne hosted the Olympic Games, television was introduced in Australia and the FE Holden was born.

1956 was also the year that the iconic Diners Club charge card business started in Australia and forever changed the way we paid for our goods and services. 

Diners Club began in Australia to coincide with the Melbourne Olympics.  The inaugural Diners Club card was issued in April of that year, making it the first ever charge or credit card in the country. 

Fifty years on, Diners Club has left an indelible legacy on the Australian payments system landscape.  In 2006, as Australia’s only specialist charge card company, Diners Club is a driver of innovative payment and financing solutions to the personal, corporate and business sectors.

Speaking at the launch of the 50th anniversary celebrations, Diners Club Australia Managing Director, Mr Moray McDonald, said the advent of the Diners Club charge card revolutionised the lives of everyday Australians. 

“The introduction of our charge card liberated people from having to constantly carry around cash or send cheques that took days to be cleared.  It offered consumers a whole new world of convenience which is now indispensable to us today.”

As part of recognising the golden milestone, a year-long calendar of celebrations has been developed offering members and stakeholders a range of promotions, competitions and gala events.

For a charge card company, Diners Club has certainly made its mark in history.  Mr McDonald recalls the now famous story of how Diners Club started. 

“It was in 1950 when businessman Frank McNamara, dining with his lawyer Ralph Schneider in a New York restaurant, forgot his wallet.  McNamara, though saved this time by the arrival of his wife who paid the bill, was irritated that he could only spend the money in his pocket, regardless of the amount he had in the bank.

“At a later meal in the restaurant, McNamara signed the bill and attempted to pay with a small cardboard card that carried his signature – which he dubbed a ‘diners’ club card’. 

It worked.  McNamara and his lawyer founded Diners Club – which is now an emblem of convenience.”

From such humble beginnings, the Diners Club charge card has become the preferred card among frequent business travellers and affluent individuals in Australia.  The company is renowned by both personal cardholders for its market leading rewards program and superior customer service and by business cardholders for Diners Club’s GST reporting solutions and tailored expense management systems.

Over the years, Diners Club card usage has been synonymous with travel and entertainment expenditure.

“Unlike a credit card, a charge card doesn’t perpetuate debt.  It is a disciplined means for individuals and businesses alike to manage their cash flow and budgets as the account is paid in full at the end of the month,” said McDonald.

Having achieved fifty years of success, plans are underway for Diners Club Australia to introduce a range of new developments, continuing its tradition of delivering tailored solutions to the needs of the corporate, government and high net worth customer segments.

“I think it’s fair to say that Australia would be a very different place today without the introduction of Diners Club half a century ago.   We are excited about the continued growth of the company and committed to fostering another fifty years of achievement,” said Mr McDonald.

-ENDS-

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Leila Dean:            T: (02) 8225 1658             M: 0404 509 894