About Barclaycard

History of Barclaycard

Barclaycard is part of the Barclays Group and has its headquarters in the UK. We are one of the world’s largest multi-brand credit card and consumer lending businesses. In 1966, our credit card was the first to be launched in the UK and in Europe.

Today, we're still the UK's market leader and the most recognised brand, with 11.2 million retail customers. In addition, we're now a rapidly expanding global cards and lending business with operations across over fifty countries and four continents.

You can use Barclaycard to pay for goods and services in over 24 million outlets in over 200 countries, and to withdraw cash from over 600,000 cash machines and banks worldwide.

Barclaycard's international presence is extensive. We currently operate across Europe, the United States, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. In 2005, two-thirds of new cards issued were in overseas markets and we now have 5.3 million cards in issue outside the UK.

In addition, our global partnerships form an exciting part of our expansion strategy. These include Virgin Group in South Africa, Manchester United across Asia-Pacific, SpanAir in Spain, and nearly 50 US card partnerships, including: US Airways, Harvard and Barnes and Noble.

Company profile

Barclaycard is part of the Barclays Group and has its headquarters in the UK. We are one of the world’s largest multi-brand credit card and consumer lending businesses. In 1966, our credit card was the first to be launched in the UK and in Europe.

UK’s market leader

Today, we're still the UK's market leader and the most recognised brand, with 11.2 million retail customers. In addition, we're now a rapidly expanding global cards and lending business with operations across over fifty countries and four continents. You can use Barclaycard to pay for goods and services in over 24 million outlets in over 200 countries, and to withdraw cash from over 600,000 cash machines and banks worldwide.

Business worldwide

Barclaycard's international presence is extensive. We currently operate across Europe, the United States, Asia-Pacific, and Africa. In 2005, two-thirds of new cards issued were in overseas markets and we now have 5.3 million cards in issue outside the UK. In addition, our global partnerships form an exciting part of our expansion strategy. These include Virgin Group in South Africa, Manchester United across Asia-Pacific, SpanAir in Spain, and nearly 50 US card partnerships, including: US Airways, Harvard and Barnes and Noble.

Short history of Barclaycard

• 1966: Barclaycard is launched - the first all-purpose credit card in Europe.
• 1967: Barclaycard becomes the first ATM card used in the UK.
• 1977: Company Barclaycard (now Barclaycard Business) is introduced. Barclaycard becomes a founder member of the international Visa system.
• 1986: Barclaycard launches the UK's first credit card loyalty scheme, Profile Points.
• 1990: Barclaycard MasterCard launched.
• 1991: Barclaycard is launched in Germany.
• 1995: Barclaycard is the first UK credit card company to go on the Internet with Barclaycard Net link.
• 1999: Barclaycard expands its European operations to Spain and Greece.
• 2002: Barclaycard is launched in Italy. Barclaycard acquires the UK credit card arm of Providian Inc, a top ten credit card company in the US. Barclaycard announces a joint venture with Littlewoods, one of the leading mail order companies in the UK.
• 2003: Deal signed with Manchester United, giving Barclaycard global rights to issue Manchester United credit cards. Barclaycard acquires Clydesdale Financial Services.
• 2004: Barclaycard acquires US credit card firm Juniper Financial Corporation. Barclaycard launches Classic and Gold Visa credit cards in Portugal.
• 2005: Barclays acquires the majority stake in ABSA Group Ltd in South Africa, through which it now has 1.9m existing cardholders.  Barclaycard and BSkyB join forces to launch SkyCard, a Sky branded credit card that can be used in a Sky box to make purchases through the television. Barclaycard announces the formation of EnterCard, a joint venture with Swedbank, one of the leading banks in Sweden and Norway, to provide credit cards across the Nordic region.
• 2006: In the US, Barclaycard launches the Barnes and Noble Member MasterCard with the world's largest bookseller. Barclaycard announces joint ventures with Argos, the UK's second largest retailer, and Thomas Cook, the UK's leading travel brand.
• 2007: Barclaycard launches in India and the United Arab Emirates.

Barclaycard on the Internet

• Barclaycard UK
• Barclaycard France
• Barclaycard Germany
• Barclaycard Greece
• Barclaycard Italy
• Barclaycard Norway
• Barclaycard Portugal
• Barclaycard Spain
• Barclaycard Sweden
• Barclaycard USA
• Barclaycard Singapore
• Barclaycard Egypt
• Barclaycard South Africa

Barclaycard in UAE

 
Barclaycard enters the crowded UAE credit card market in 2007 as the twenty eighth credit card provider.  The launch initiative itself ties in with the emergence of Barclays as the newest international personal financial service provider in the country.

It also forms part of a much larger strategic plan which will see Barclays and Barclaycard enter a host of new and emerging markets-within the middle eastern region and beyond.

As the UK’s first credit card provider, Barclaycard has the experience and expertise to deliver customer focused, world class credit card solutions. Armed with global knowledge and technical sophistication-as well as local insights gathered through extensive customer research, Barclaycard has been able to develop a customer offering unparalleled in the UAE.

The UAE is a culturally diverse country, in which individuals have different expectations from their credit card providers. Barclaycard brings to the market a flexible offering that has been carefully designed to meet the vast and varied needs of individuals, empowering them with one of the most valuable consumer tools-Choice.