Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, August 9, 2026
Benjamin Franklin introduced one of America's first catalogs in 1744, offering a wider selection of books to colonial readers. He innovated the payment process by establishing a cash-on-delivery system through the postal service, addressing the reluctance of colonial buyers to send cash and Franklin's own unwillingness to extend credit.
“In 1744, Franklin began publishing a brief 16-page catalog called "A Catalogue of Choice and Valuable Books."”
“So he created the cash on delivery system.”
“Consumers willingly handed their cash to a local postmaster who used the postal network to route payments to Franklin across three or four colonies.”