Neiman Marcus Will Now Allow Your Measly Little MasterCard, Visa Inside of Their Store

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Up until yesterday, the payment options at Neiman Marcus were cash (okay), Amex, or your glorious Neiman Marcus credit card. But now, as of November 1st, they will let you pay with a Visa or Mastercard inside the store (you can already do so on the website). Why the change? The WSJ reports: "A Neiman sales clerk, who asked not to be named, said the card policy frequently led to lost sales, as shoppers unaware of the policy often would get annoyed by the demand to fill out a Neiman card application or pay with cash."

What's perhaps even more interesting is that the Neiman's card was invented in '50s, but it wasn't until the '80s that the option of paying with an Amex came to be. Before that, it was Neimans, your own cash money, or bust. Not everybody seemed to mind, though: "But flashing a Neiman card—to purchase an expensive pair of shoes or piece of jewelry—became its own status symbol. Some customers in Dallas still proudly own their original brown and beige striped card from the 1950s," said Neiman's Chief Executive Karen Katz.
· Hoity-Toity to Hoi Polloi: Neiman Takes More Plastic [WSJ]