Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño

Founded in 1895, Banco Crédito built its own first banking structure in 1924[4] at Calle Marina and Callejón Amor, in Ponce.

Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño was founded on 1 January 1895,[5][6] and it prospered significantly during the first half of the twentieth century.

In 1969, it was also Banco Crédito that introduced the first bank credit card—BankAmericard (now Visa) -- in Puerto Rico.

The building of the impressive Banco Crédito structure in downtown Ponce was meant to send a message from the local financial institution to the US-based banks that Banco Crédito was ready to market aggressively for the wealth of Puerto Rico's booming sugar economy.

In 1991, Callejón Amor was converted into a promenade and renamed Paseo Antonio S. Arias Ventura, after the long-time employee of Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño who started as a custodian and rose to become the bank's general manager.

Banco Crédito y Ahorro Ponceño's former main office in downtown Ponce. Its branches, including its main branch above in Ponce , are now branded "Banco Santander". The above branch was Banco Crédito's first and was built in 1924.
Bank advertisement from 1899
Plaque on Antonio S. Arias Ventura alley
Ulpiano Colóm, co-founder of the institution