Valuation

How to value credit cards

Credit card values depend upon eight major factors:

  1. Age: In general, older cards are worth more.
  2. Condition: Many collectors prefer mint-condition unused and unsigned cards, which were often originally acquired by a collector when issued for collection purposes. Any card that has been heavily used is usually severely degraded in value, unless it’s quite rare.
  3. Rarity: Some types of cards are quite common and have little value, such as green American Express cards or some of the ordinary Citibank cards. Because they were issued in such high numbers for so many years without change, many have been preserved. On the other hand, many of the thousands of types of affinity cards were issued in small numbers and may be extremely unusual, which increases their value.
  4. Brand: Certain brands tend to carry premium prices, such as older purple American Express cards or relatively obscure gas and oil brands. For example, an original AmEx paper card from 1959 recently sold for $1,200, one of the highest prices ever recorded. Black AmEx cards also trade for a high premium.
  5. Attractiveness: Many collectors prefer cards with interesting designs or pictures. Affinity or theme cards with a full color picture usually carry a premium over one with just a corporate design, a logo or a reduced image.
  6. Celebrity: Cards featuring celebrities may demand a premium, such as the Elvis Presley, Rolling Stones or KISS cards. Cards that actually belonged to a celebrity, with documentation, may carry very high premiums, such as the recent sale of eight department store cards that belonged to actress Katherine Hepburn.
  7. Landmark: The relatively few cards that established industry landmarks are worth more. An example is the very first Visa card issued.
  8. Extras: In a few cases, other items are available along with a card, such as original mailing envelope, card carrier, and so forth. This always increases the value of the card.

How much should I pay for a credit card?

Unfortunately, it’s impossible to give a valuation range for specific types of cards. Since there is no dealer of credit cards and no fixed price list anywhere, all trades of collectible cards have negotiable prices, whether they’re sold via auction or through one-on-one transactions.

The ACCCS has several knowledgeable collectors who may be able to advise other members about the value of particular cards. Since most collectors specialize in some sub-set, members seeking advice should contact the club to get a recommendation.

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,
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  • Access all old newsletters from 1994 to the present day
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  • Connect with a community of fellow enthusiasts
  • Forge relationships with experienced collectors
  • Gain access to the members-only area of our website

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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