Company History

C B Merchant Services (CBMS) was founded in 1917 by the Stockton Merchants Association as a mutual benefit, not-for-profit Corporation. For over 89 years, C B Merchant Services has contributed to the financial health of communities and businesses throughout California by quickly and professionally handling their delinquent accounts.

Timeline of Significant Events:

• February 14, 1917: A group of business owners, the Stockton Merchants Association purchased Major E. V. Burke’s one-man Credit Bureau for $3,000.
  
  
• June 15, 1917: Sixty-two new membership applications were accepted by the Merchants Association as they were eager to increase memberships.
  
  
• 1928: The Stockton Merchants Association Adjustment Bureau “a collection agency” came into being. It operated under James J. Power for four years as part of the Merchants Association.
  
  
• February 1932: The Merchants Association installed an electric teletype to communicate with credit bureaus, banks and business houses all over the United States . This made it possible to learn the credit standing of people moving from city to city.
  
  
• June 14, 1932: The Bureau entered six years of private ownership under Albert Posner.
  
  
• August, 1935: The Stockton Merchants Association installed a complete new telephone system that handled 400-500 calls a day. 150,000 credit reference cards were on file. 
  
  
• January, 1942: The Credit Bureau grew to 12 full-time employees, had 250,000 active file cards and the local bureau was affiliated with more than 1,300 Credit Bureaus in the U.S. and Canada.
  
  
• 1946: A streamlined Credit Bureau Reporting System was developed to warn merchants not to credit certain people.  It was called the “Merchant Plan” and was mailed out monthly to merchants.
  
  
• 1956: CBMS installed switchboards and provided headsets. This made the Bureau one of the most efficient and well equipped of its kind on the West Coast.
  
  
• January 1975: CBMS enabled computerized reporting services. The automated technology provided a more efficient and convenient work environment.
  
  
• 1980: CBMS doubled the size of its headquarters by purchasing it's current home for $240,000.
  
  
• 1981: CBMS purchased the collection arm of the San Joaquin Medical Society.
  
  
• June 25, 1984: CBMS reached its goal of a $1,000,000 year in gross collections.
  
  
• 1985: CBMS' collection department re-engineered the collection process by automating the accounts assigned for collection. Previously typed correspondence was now generated at the touch of a button, on line calendar systems kept record of payment promises and predictive dialing computers increased the amount of calls per collector.
  
  
• 1992: CBMS reached its goal of $2,500,000 year in gross collections.
  
  
• 1996: CBMS reached its goal of $4,000,000 year in gross collections.
  
  
• 2005: CBMS reached its goal of $5,800,000 year in gross collections.
  
  

C B Merchant Services has been a vital force throughout California . The Bureau's growth is a result of investing in new technology and various acquisitions over the years.