Credit Cards: Type vs. Variety

As a new collector, you might be wondering about the differences between credit cards in terms of type and variety. You’re probably curious, as you should be, about the differences between the major and minor varieties or changes in the credit card field.

Of course, there are obvious minor changes in the wording, especially the ones found on the back of your credit card. For example, American Express cards typically have tiny print on the back about where the card was made. You might want to know whether the cards with minor changes can be considered as distinct types.

Difference between types and varieties of credit cards

The first thing we need to do is define type and variety. 

  • Type refers to a credit card’s basic dominant design
  • Variety is a minor change from the basic type design

The renewal cards (oil company, bank, etc.) and the minor changes on the back of the American Express are all a variety of changes. A type change would be the Visa and MasterCard when they changed from the pre-hologram to the hologram card. Both cards’ designs were completely changed. Generally, the only people who are interested in variety changes are a specialist in that particular area.

Which credit cards to collect?

If you’re concentrating your collecting efforts on American Express cards, you might want to get one of every variety to have a complete set. On the other hand, it would be sufficient for the gas card specialist to own one American Express card, as long as the type wasn’t changed.

But when American Express changes their overall design to a new type, then gas card specialists would probably be interested in adding another example of the American Express card to their collection. Only the American Express card specialist would be concerned with a variety change such as the changing of a few words on the back of the card. 

Advantage of becoming a specialist

Many people think that specializing by variety is ridiculous, but they might not understand the advantage the specialist has.

An example is the American Express Green Card. When the Green Card first came out, it was manufactured with the Roman soldier’s profile larger than the current size. These were manufactured from March 1969 thru August 1970. Then in September 1970, the profile was reduced to the current size. Also the words, “The Money Card”, were added to the cards front right. This variety was manufactured thru September 1972. Then in October 1972 the words, “The Money Card”, were moved to the cards top center. “The Money Card” centered was manufactured thru November 1973. Look what we know by being a specialist:

  • Large profile manufactured 3-69 thru 8-70 = 18 months
  • Small profile, “Money” to right ” 9-70 ” 9-72 = 25 months
  • Small profile, “Money” centered ” 10-72 ” 11-73 = 14 months

Opportunities for specialist collectors

Being a specialist and collecting varieties can create opportunities.

The specialist can buy a major rarity for half of what it should be selling for. It pays to specialize and know your varieties. In credit card collecting, the more knowledge you have the more opportunity you’ll be able to embrace. Know types and varieties and you’ll be able to identify rarities.

Copyright 1986 by Greg Tunks

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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