You couldn’t go anywhere in the 1970’s without seeing the access sign in shops.
The ads called it your flexible friend.
Summary
The Access card was introduced in the United Kingdom by a consortium comprising of National Westminster Bank, Midland Bank (now HSBC UK) and Lloyds Bank. They were later joined by Williams and Glyn’s Bank (now RBS). The card was launched on 23rd October 1972 as a rival to the already established Barclaycard.
The scheme participated in the Eurocard/Mastercard systems.
The business was run from several offices in Southend-On-Sea in Essex. It’s main site, at Priory Crescent, was subsequently sold on to the Royal Bank of Scotland, before being demolished to make way for a housing development.
Where Did They Go?
Access disappeared in 1996 after being taken over by MasterCard
Commercial Break