Innovation

A green path to a sustainable future

The following selection of archival artifacts reflects Wells Fargo’s commitment to creating a more sustainable future.

Why Y2K wasn’t the OMG the world feared

How millennial era banks prepared for Y2K to ensure that a worldwide crisis never happened.

Before apps, there was an agent for that

In the last half of the 1800s, Wells Fargo’s network of hundreds of agents would take care of a customer’s personal or commercial business by commission.

Secret codes that kept transactions safe

In the 1800s, the telegraph allowed Wells Fargo to help customers transfer money securely. To minimize risk, the company used a system of encryption with secret codes.

Innovative banking solutions for the blind

Before the 1970s, many bank customers who were blind or low vision had to depend on friends and family to handle their finances — until banks began providing new options.

Charter Number 1

In the 1860s, the federal government created a new type of bank to provide standardization for bank customers. The First National Bank of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania was the first of its kind.

First in online banking

As more customers used computers in their daily lives, Wells Fargo innovated new tools to improve their banking experience. In 1995, they created the first online banking platform.

Giving employees time to make an impact

In 1976, Wells Fargo made history by becoming the first major bank to offer employees paid leave to volunteer in their communities in programs of their choice.

Dispensing money like magic

What started with a willingness to test new technologies in the 1970s has led to an innovative fleet of more than 11,000 ATMs.