1980 April 30 Amoco Oil Co., a division of Standard Oil of Indiana, agrees to pay a record civil penalty of $200,000 to settle charges of discrimination against blacks, Hispanics, and women, in the issuance of credit cards. The company 's use of zip codes to determine which applicants obtained credit fostered the discrimination charges, and Amoco agreed to reconsider, upon request, applicants rejected over the past three years. The action could result in 30,000 to 50,000 new card holders. The civil penalty is the largest ever levied under the Equal Credit Opportunity Act.