Access (credit card)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2018) |
Magnetic stripe credit card | |
Operator | Joint Credit Card Company |
---|---|
Currency | Pound sterling and Irish pound |
Access was a British
History
The Access card was introduced in the United Kingdom by a consortium consisting of National Westminster Bank, Midland Bank (now
In Scotland, the card was issued by Williams & Glyn's sister company, the Royal Bank of Scotland and by Clydesdale Bank, then a subsidiary of Midland Bank.
In
The scheme participated in the
The business was run from several offices in Southend-on-Sea in Essex. The main site, at Priory Crescent, was subsequently sold on to the Royal Bank of Scotland, before being demolished to make way for a housing development.[3]
Cultural impact
From 1978, the main slogan of Access was "Your Flexible Friend", which featured in many television advertisements, accompanied by an animated Access and his friend Money (a pound sign). Later advertisements featured the bumbling "Fat Wallet". A take on the slogan ("My flexible friend") was featured in the third episode of Mr. Bean, when the title character refers to his own credit card.[4][5]
Another slogan which featured in a television advertisement was "Does you does, or does you don't take Access?" (sung to the tune of "Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby"). Yet another slogan was "It takes the waiting out of wanting". Access was shirt sponsor of Southend United Football Club in the beginning of 1980s.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Access Credit Card – 1966–72".
- ^ "The Midland in 1972". The Herald. Retrieved 25 June 2014.
- ^ "RBS – Ekco Deco". 9 April 2008.
- ^ "The Access Credit Card: History 1973 – 1977". Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Access Credit Card Advert 1987". YouTube. 15 September 2012. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021.
External links
- History of Plastic Cards The UK Cards Association
- The History of the Access Credit Card AccessCreditCard.info