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They did not invent credit cards. Diners Club was a charge card. They did not invent that either. American Airlines had their own charge card a few decades before.

They did start the first payment card that wasn’t linked to a specific company (i.e. the American Airlines card).

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The invention was having a card accepted across a wide range of merchants (all under different ownership).

Store accounts/cards have indeed been around significantly longer.

The distinction between a credit and a charge card is not that relevant in that context, in my view: For both, you spend an issuer’s money at unaffiliated merchants and pay the issuer back later.

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