when could women get credit cards

Credit cards for women became legally accessible in the United States with the passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) in 1974. Before ECOA, many women faced discrimination or required a husband or male relative to cosign for credit. The ECOA prohibits credit discrimination based on sex or marital status, enabling women to apply for and obtain credit cards in their own name starting in 1974. If you’re looking for more specifics, such as regional variations or how credit card approvals were handled in the 1960s–1970s, I can summarize those details as well.