ACCEL/Exchange

Infobox Interbank Network
name = ACCEL/Exchange

area = United States, Canada
foundation = 1974 (as The Exchange)
members = ±3,500 (U.S.)
249 (Canada)
atm = ±200,000

ACCEL/Exchange is an interbank network. It connects over 200,000
ATMs in all 50 United States, with a further 2,200 throughout Canada under its subsidiary, The Exchange Canada. The network also has a small number of ATMs in certain U.S. Air Force Bases around the world, as well as over one million electronic funds transfer at point-of-sale locations.

Cardholders of ACCEL/Exchange or The Exchange Canada can use either country's network of ATMs at no extra charge. Fact|date=September 2008 The U.S. division is managed by Fiserv and the Canadian one by FICANEX.

History

*1974: The Exchange was founded in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, as an interbank network, touting itself as the world's first 24-hour ATM network. [ [http://www.accelexchange.com/au_historyOfFirsts.aspx ACCEL/Exchange: About Us - A History of Firsts ] ]
*1983: The network expanded just North of the border, to unite the ATMs of several credit unions in British Columbia. [ [http://www.the-exchange.ca/default.aspx?pageID=1002&langID=en The Exchange® ] ] The move took place one year before the much larger Interac network was founded by five leading banks.
*1985: ACCEL was founded, by major banks in the Northwest of the United States, primarily as an electronic funds transfer network.
*1991: The two companies merged to form ACCEL/Exchange. At this time, Seafirst Bank, Rainier Bank, First Interstate Bank, US Bank, Key Bank, Washington Mutual and Puget Sound Bank were all members of ACCEL/Exchange. Through mergers and concerns as to how the parent of ACCEL/Exchange was preparing for Y2K, only Key Bank remains as a major bank customer.

References

External links

* [http://www.accelexchange.com ACCEL/Exchange (United States)]
* [http://www.the-exchange.ca The Exchange (Canada)]