There are 5 facts that you may not know about credit card processing merchant services! It can be a little mind blowing when you consider that businesses have only been relying on credit card processing merchant services for about 30 years. Up until the 1980’s commerce was largely a cash only industry. While credit cards had been around in various forms since the 1950’s they were not largely issued, and accepted as payment until the 1970’s and did not really become a “preferred method” until the 1980’s.