In 1980, city banks divided themselves into two tiers, the upper tier and the middle and lower tier, and initiated an online network alliance separately for each tier group. The division into two tiers was said to be the result of opposition by banks in the middle and lower tier.
They were concerned that "if online networks are integrated into one alliance, customers will move their bank accounts to the upper tier banks, and the middle and lower tier banks will be left to serve only as providers of machines.