| − | Credit cards were invented in the 1950s and became very popular in the 1960s. Before credit cards, travel was more difficult because travellers needed to carry money, purchase "travellers cheques," or make special arrangements in advance with banks in the cities they were travelling to. Mail order purchases were made by check, and were very slow, because most companies would wait for the check to clear before shipping the product. | + | Credit cards were invented in the 1950s and became very popular in the 1960s. Before credit cards, travel was more difficult because travelers needed to carry money, purchase "travelers cheques," or make special arrangements in advance with banks in the cities they were traveling to. Mail order purchases were made by check, and were very slow, because most companies would wait for the check to clear before shipping the product. |