Thread: Is Diners Club a credit card?

Is Diners Club a credit card, charge card, or something else? I know Diners Club has been around for decades but you never hear about them anymore and I have no clue where you can even use one or who accepts them for payment.

Care to chime me in on what a Diners Club card is in its present form?

IIRC, Diners Club was bought out by either Mastercard or Discover as a strategic move to acquire their network and form a (stronger) presence in the European market. Diners Club still "exists" in the United States and is issued by Citibank but from what I hear, since the merger, the Diner Club brand is nearly non-existent in the United States. Although I think Diners Club still has a strong presence in European nations.

..and DC is a charge card, similar if not the same to what American Express currently offers.

My husband had a Diners Club Mastercard but he canceled it in early 2010. The annual fee was a lot and the benefits that came with it weren't worth it. I honestly don't know how Diners Club stays in business.

My question is then why does Discover keep Diners Club cards in circulation if no one in America uses them?

Discover only purchased the Diners Club network so that eventually Discover cards could be used internationally wherever Diners Club cards are accepted. Citibank still handles the Diners Club cards in the US (all are MasterCards btw).
It is my understanding that most Diners Club cards in the US are entirely corporate cards for international business travel.

Diners Club cards in the USA and Canada are accepted everywhere MasterCard is accepted. Discover bought Diners Club's network to expand its presence in South American and Europe (where Diners Club still popular). However, Discover doesn't issue the cards.

Currently in the USA and Canada Diners Club cards are issued by Citi, but next year they will be issue by BMO (Bank of Montreal). BMO will try to revive Diners Club in North America. I think the next generation of Diners Club cards will be accepted everywhere Discover Cards are accepted in North America.

By the way, Carte Blanche cards are still in circulation. However, now they are called "Diners Club Carte Blanche" This card is the analogous of the American Express Platinum Card.

Diners Club, the actual card not the Mastercard version, ISN'T accepted everywhere MC is accepted. for example Lord &Taylor, JCPenny's, Pac Sun, Buffalo Wild Wings, all those types of places take Mastercard, but not the Diners club original card.