Sears to Test Its Discover Credit Card on Californians

Within hours after unveiling its Discover credit card today to consumers in Atlanta, Sears Roebuck & Co. will announce plans to market the card in California.

The Chicago-based company is scheduled to disclose details of its second Discover card launch in San Diego at a press conference. The general-purpose credit card--broader in scope than the retailer’s Sears charge card--is the first national credit card since Visa and Mastercard were introduced more than 20 years ago. It is a key element in Sears’ strategic move into consumer financial services.

Sears is expected to promote Discover’s debut in San Diego with a major advertising campaign beginning Tuesday.

Earlier this year, the retailer had identified only Atlanta as a debut market for Discover, and had kept most details under wraps until the last two weeks. Now the company says that it has signed up 25,000 national retail outlets, including American Airlines, Budget Rent a Car, Holiday Inns and Denny’s Restaurants.