David L. Stearns Books
David L. Stearns is a researcher and author specializing in the history of computing and financial technology.
Known for: Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System
Books by David L. Stearns
Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System
Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System explores the transformation of the VISA network from a fragmented, paper-based credit card system into a unified, global electronic payment infrastructure. David L. Stearns traces the technological, organizational, and economic developments that enabled this evolution, offering a detailed historical account of how electronic value exchange became a cornerstone of modern commerce.
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The Early Credit Card Industry
In the 1950s and early 1960s, credit card systems were far from streamlined. Most operated within silos: department stores issued their own cards, gasoline companies had proprietary systems, and banks were only beginning to imagine their own instruments of consumer credit. Transactions required pape...
From Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System
BankAmericard’s Origins
Bank of America’s entry into the credit card landscape was transformative and turbulent. Launched in 1958 as the BankAmericard program, it was one of the first large-scale efforts to create a general-purpose credit card. The project involved mailing over 60,000 unsolicited cards to California consum...
From Electronic Value Exchange: Origins of the VISA Electronic Payment System
About David L. Stearns
David L. Stearns is a researcher and author specializing in the history of computing and financial technology. His work focuses on the intersection of information systems, banking, and the evolution of digital payment infrastructures.
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David L. Stearns is a researcher and author specializing in the history of computing and financial technology.
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