I got a notification in the mail today that FirstUSA is changing their name on everything to Bankone. They said to expect new cards in the mail. I knew they have been owned by Bankone for a couple years, but this is the first that I have heard they are doing away with the old name. They say the changeover will take a year.
NO BIG DEAL... It's been FIRST USA/BANK ONE for years... I wonder if you have to write a check to BANK ONE now... I always made payments to FIRST USA even for wife's BANK ONE account...
Interesting Thomas! I knew they were the same company - I guess I thought the name FIRST USA wouldbe the one to remain. aarrfff - dogman
Ok, but how many of you remember when "First USA" was actually "First Chicago National Bank"? (Surely some other old fart can walk down memory lane with me, lol.) Back in the mid-1980s, First Chicago began to market their VISA card nationally. I applied and received one and used it for several years. Had I held onto it, it would have morphed into "First USA" (when they decided that "First Chicago" sounded a bit too local) and now into "BankOne." Doc
Psych - you're a little out of sequence -- First National Bank of Chcago was one of the earliest BankAmericard (now Visa) issuers. To get around Illinois' usury laws, they established a DE-based bank to issue cards under the "First Card" brand - the CC bank was called FCC National Bank. FirstUSA started as the spin-off (the profitable CC issuing arm) of a failed (mid 80's) Texas bank. BankOne bought FirstUSA in the early 90s. First Chicago bought Beneficial's Visa/MC portfolio, branding them under FirstCard. BankOne later bought First Chicago, and combined FCC National Bank with FirstUSA. -mj
DOC - you are forgiven! I too had a First Card from the OLD bank. They were included in my Chap 13. I had a gold one with maybe a $8000 limit - fortunately all references on my credit reports just fizzled out and does not report anything - due to 500 mergers and name changes....LOL! aarrfff - dogman
I miss the old First Chicago ... that's the only reason I know the timeline. I've been a checking, credit line, and card customer with them since '84 when I was still in H.S. It steadily went to hell as BankOne took over and more and more things started getting done "The BankOne Way" I started to see the same thing happen to Bank of Boston (then BankBoston, now FleetBoston) ... but the CEO is the original Bank of Boston guy and he's making improvements to bring it all back to the way it was. Hopefully these mega-banks will get a clue that while it's OK to be big, they have to treat people with a small "one to one" mentality. ... getting off soap box mj
