I'M STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN AND PUTTING EVERYTHING IN PERPECTIVE

The only reason I keep this card now is because it lists my FICO scores on the website, and I like to see that. I have paid my balances IN FULL every month, on time or early. Even so, this card company raises my rate every year! RAISES my rate for being a good customer! Last fall, when my rate was 26%, I called the company to request they lower my rate, since my other credit card company gives me a rate of 14% ! The man on the phone laughed at me, then he said: we do not lower rates at a customer's request. Then he said: since you pay your bill in full every month, why do you care what the balance is ? !!!! I told him I would close my account if they did not lower my rate, and he said: You go ahead and do that. Well, I kept the account because I have been watching my FICO score (which, yahoo, has been going fine). Since that phone call to customer service, Providian has raised my rate to 31% !!! How's that !!?? This is a TERRIBLE credit card company. I only keep this card to watch my monthly FICO score. I use the card once every three months now (since that stupid conversation), and only charge something for a few dollars. Customer Service is attrocious; Rates are unscrupulously high for no reason.

I don't know about the rest of you, but I have never been charged 1 cent of interest on this card for 2 years, no matter what the balance has been. Never seen anything like it, ever. Gotta love it.

In Feb. I recieved new cards from SST replacing my Providian. To which I had been paying 5 to 10 times the minn.payment 2to 3 weeks before payment was due and then I get this done to me.From what I can find they sold me out to a lower class company when I called SST for an explanation I got this was just a normal business transaction

First, the good stuff...Providian has a very nicely laid out website. Easy to understand and convenient for making payments. Customer service was polite, and prompt response. Credit limit is quite good. However, interest rates went to a horrific 30%!!!! What is that about? I've never been late with a payment, nor have I gone over my limit, and I've paid well over the minimum payment due, yet they raised my rate to such a height that I decided to pay off the card. I'll hold onto it for now, and see if they offer a better rate to entice me to use it, but I won't hold my breath. I even contacted them to question the rate increase, and got nowhere. Such a pity being as they have so many other redeeming qualities, but 30%....REALLY!!! Am I dealing with loan sharks or what here? Beware...

Yeah I had a Capital One Credit Card that was charging me a 19.98% Apr and no benefits until Providian offered me a 6.9% Apr and then Capital One started offering me the perks two and a half years later. Then, I asked Capital One if I could have them drop my Apr, I told them what Providian was offering and they snickered and said they could raise my credit limit and I declined. Providian has a wonderful and understandable website. It is easy to use and never costs me anything. They also show me a sneak peak of my FICO Credit score. It Rocks. Their customer service is also very nice. I am not an idiot by any means, but I was having a hard time understanding something and a very nice, curtious and professional lady stayed on the phone and explained it to me until I could understand it. Credit can be so confusing, but she was great in helping me. Thank God for this Credit Card.

I CALLED CST/SRVC AND WANTED TO CLOSE ACCOUNT,I WAS RAILROADED INTO STAYING,APOLOGY FOR LATE STATMENT ARIVAL RECIVED IN MAIL AND CHARGES WERE CORECTED! BEFORE I USED THE CARD AGAIN, I CALLED BECAUSE I GOT SOME BALANCE CHECK'S(REASON FOR FIRST ATEMPT TO CANCEL) I WAS TOLD THE CHECKS WERE TO BE USED AS I WOULD USE MY OWN,WERE TOLD THEY WERE FOR ONLY THE CASH ADVANCE? WHAT DO I PAY OFF WITH $800, THAT DREAM VACATION? THE NEW ADDITION TO MY HOUSE. THE SECOND TIME I GOT NURSE CROTCH AS MY ADVISOR, SHE CANCELED IT ON THE SPOT, THE CHECK HAD BEEN SENT, TWO MONTHS LATER I GET A LATE FEE FOR THE LATE FEE THAT WAS ADJUSTED IN THE APOLOGY LETTER! I HAVE CONTACTED THE F.T.C. AND AM WAITING FO REPLY. I CANT GET ON THE CUSTOMER SERVICE E-MAIL, THEY TRUST THE US MAIL BUT NOT THEIR CUSTOMERS WITH COMPLAINTS YOU NEED A COMBINATION, I DID NOT GET IT JUST BOUNCY CHECKS...

Yes I would recommend this card.

I've had this card for a year and a half. Providian was the first credit card provider to take a chance on me, and I am grateful. Reading the other reviews carefully reveals that most of the dissatisfied customers missed payments. Providian is very up-front about its' penalties, but you have to read the literature. Using Providian's free FICO score access has allowed me to understand and build my credit score, so now I can begin to think of someday owning a home. I do find the exposure to usurious interest rates a little disconcerting, but that just means that I'll have to be very responsible with this tool that can be used to build credit or mire me in debt, depending on my conduct. Also the interest rate of 7.9% and no annual fee is attractive. Bottom Line- they helped me out when I needed it.

I had this card for several years and I was unhappy with the fees and interest rate that they charged. I like the credit limit, and the online account access was nicely laid out. I recently lost my wallet and tried to cancel this card and have a new one issued. This was two months ago. I have called and spoken to their outsourced customer service department 3 times. I still don't have a new card and I have no idea whether the card was ever actually cancelled. I plan to cancel my card for good in writing. I have credit cards from several companies and I had to talk to all of them because of the loss of my wallet. I think overall, my experience was best with Capital One. However, I would recommend almost any other credit card company over this one.

Providian Financial has come a long way since its days of targeting the subprime credit market. After this strategy almost killed the company, Providian has sold off many subprime accounts and now targets consumers with at least average credit, offering them tools and information they might not find with other companies. This strategy of targeting creditworthy mainstream America has paid off--Providian is more financially stable with a better loan portfolio. For consumers, Providian now offers a Visa Platinum card with "Real Information" and "Real Rewards." Real Information includes free online access to your credit score with tools to show how to improve your score. Real Rewards program returns 1% of purchases in the form of gift cards and discounts (one point per $1 spent). I've had a Providian Visa Platinum since 2000. I was never a subprime customer with a poor credit score (hence I never got my account sold to another company). My original credit limit was $5,000 and is now double that, although Providian never lowered my original interest rate. For the few times I have contacted customer service, I've received prompt and courteous service. Overall, I've been treated very well by Providian. If you're interested in a specific Providian card and have an excellent credit score, don't hesitate in becoming a Providian cardholder. Unfortunately, online information on its cards for prospective customers is lacking.

I have been a card member since 2001. I came to Providian with a rather poor credit history. In 4 years I have always paid on time and seen my credit limit increase from 750.00 to 12250.00 Unfortunatley, I have yet to see a decrease in the APR. I use the card frequently and always carry a balance. I have charged over 18000.00 in the last 2 years and always pay much more than the minimum. I use it for my racing business and pay the large balance off rather quickly but they do make some money on me with interest charges, but there is always some sort of balance on the card. As far as customer service is concerned, I have not had any problems with them...I use the online features and pay online. I would say it is a good card, but I sure with the interest rate would come down, I would probably use the card more often.

Someone working at PRODVIDIAN posted a bankruptcy to my credit report! Neither my husband nor I have ever been bankrupt, in fact we have execellent credit!!!! It all started when we used the card and it was denied. When we tried to call customer service, they would not talk to us, they would just hang up! My husband finally got someone on the line that would at least clue us in as to what was going on. On top of this, our account was sold to another comapny (with twice the interest rate). After a bit of the run around, they promised to fix it. WELL, when we applied for a low interest rate cc, we were denied due to a bankruptcy on our credit report. After we talked to someone from credit bureau and talked AGAIN to Providian, the problem was finally solved and we received a letter of apology. What legal action do we have???? None! We can not provide that any damages were done, because the bankruptcy has been removed like it was never there (even though it should have NEVER been there in the first place).

I was very disappointed with this credit card. The first time I used the card I did not have any problem with a $24.00 purchase. I had a credit limit of $1000.00 and that left me with a balance of approx. $975 left. I was going on vacation and tried to take out $100.00 in cash and I was refused. When I returned home I called to verify what the problem was and in response to this I was given a multitude of ridiculous questions that had nothing to do with my business with this company. I immediately closed my account. If they give you a credit line after conducting a credit check they are not intitled to question me on what I chose to charge. This company was definitley not for me.

After reading other customers bad comments, all I would say is that I totally agree with them. The companies fee policy should be illegal, as far as costomer service, there is none. I would never use Providian again or reccomend them.

Providian sent me an offer in the mail for 3.99% APR fixed on my balance transfers, which hasn't changed after 9 months. They're a pretty good card to have because they offer the FICO credit score for free, which I love, and I don't have ridiculous interest rates like the other people who have reviewed - it's fixed at 9.9%. Pay your bill on time and you won't get your rates jacked up, that's why they send you the terms and conditions - the rate increase is clearly stated in that nice little brochure. I recommend this card if you don't mind straining to understand their representatives. It's not so bad. So far.

I held this card in good standing for 7 years and one day had my rate that was 5.9% raised to 23.77% because I was late by 2 days for one month. The personnel at the bank were very rude and would not even attempt to assist me in any way. I have excellent credit and would NEVER do business with them again. I closed the account!

I've been a Providian Card customer for 62 months. I've worked my way into a better interest rate (initially had poor credit), was never late or over my limit and recently paid off a sizeable balance. Today I received notice that they've changed my terms. If I'm late once or ever over my limit or they look at my credit record and don't like what they see they can raise my interest rate to 29.99%. 'Sounded incredibly shakey to me. They tell me that this has already gone into effect. I checked my credit card balance and my interest rate, made sure they hadn't been changed yet, and then cancelled the card. (Prior terms stated that if you were late twice within 90 days they would raise your interest rate, which struck me as fair). My husband received the same notice so I checked his interest rate and discovered it had already been hiked up because last month he was within ten dollars of his limit and their fees (interest rate and so on) raised him up past his limit. They then charged him for being over the limit. He called and got nowhere. They've already raised his interest rate. I was braced for the fact that they might pull this with his card, but not mine. When I called to close out my account I spoke with two very tired sounding reps who didn't even work to try and keep me as a customer (the last time I tried this, they lowered my interest rate). I asked if this was an accross the board thing. The young man said, "All I can tell you is a lot of people are being impacted by this." That's the end of a very long relationship. What a shame it had to end so badly. What a bunch of crooks.

I've had this credit card for over three years with no problems. Maybe I'm just lucky that I've never owed Providian much money and I've never made any late payments. Based on the other reviews that I've read, Providian is likely to raise the interest rate under those circumstances. My current interest rate on this card is about average -- 14% -- a little high for a platinum card. What impresses me the most about this card (or any other Providian visa card for that matter) is the fact that Providian provides cardholders their FICO credit scores free-of-charge! (My FICO score is based on my TransUnion credit report.) Their reasoning is that they pay for these credit scores every month anyway, so why not share the information with the customers? THIS IS A POLICY THAT EVERY CREDITOR SHOULD ADOPT! Registering your account at Providian's web site is required. The customer chooses a user name and password, and then they can access their account information and latest FICO score. A person can also view a graph that shows how their credit score has changed in previous months. There's even an option for the customer to be notified via e-mail if the score changes by more than 20 points, an excellent means of detecting possible identity theft.

RECIEVED CARD IN 2002 AFTER REPEATED OFFERS AT A RIDICULOUS RATE. RECIEVED OFFER OF 0% WITH 9.75 AFTER INTRO. CREDIT LIMIT WAS ONLY 250$ WITH PRETTY GOOD CREDIT. KIND OF PUZZLED ME, BUT I KEPY CARD ANYWAY. HAD ASSOCIATED BANKCARD WITH 10000 LIMIT AND OTHERS! USED CARD A LITTLE HERE AND THERE. PERFECT RECORD! LIMIT SLOWLY WENT TO 1250$ LAST DECEMBER WAS A LITTLE LATE, IN THE MAIL. RECIEVED LATE FEE, NO BIG DEAL. BALANCE WAS ZERO. DID NOT HAVE A BALANCE UNTIL I CHARGED 646$ IN MARCH. PAYED 170$ BY DUE DATE APRIL 11. RECIEVED NEXT STATEMENT APRIL 20TH. INTEREST RATE JUMPED TO 24.99%!! ASKED CUSTOMER SERVICE WHY AND THEY SAID IT WAS BECAUSE OF MY LATE PAYMENT IN DEC. WASNT THE LATE FEE ENOUGH!! WHY DID THEY WAIT UNTIL APRIL TO NOTIFY ME? I WOULD HAVE CANCELLED IMMEDIATELY! ALSO HEARD THEY CHARGE ON SOME OF THEIR CARDS FOR A CREDIT LIMIT INCREASE! WOULD STAY AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY AND GO WITH A REPUTABLE ONE SUCH AS CITIBANK. WHEN I TOLD THEM I WANTED TO CANCEL THERE WAS NO NEGOTIATING, THEY JUST SAID OK. I WOULD HATE TO SAY HOW THEY TREAT THEIR GOOD CUSTOMERS!!!

I received a pre-approved offer in the mail about four months ago for a Providian Platinum Card. I received the card with the (upto) limit offered of 30,000. I have had the card for three months with a rate of 7.99% fixed. I have never had a problem with the card and would recomend it for people who don't mind the lack of a rebate card, however I will continue to use my Quantum Card by MBNA.

I've been a Providian customer for 4 years. I started with a basic card with a $500 limit at 21% APR. The point was to fix my bad credit history. I've always paid on time, and many times more tham the basic monthly fee, though I tend to carry a balance of some small amount. Still, after 4 years, the only reward I have gotten for being such a good customer is to increase my card to Platinum and my credit limit to a size I would never realistically use. On top of this, they have RAISED my APR, not lowered it. When I called them to ask if they would consider lowering my APR, I was given a flat out 'no' with no good explanation of why they wouldn't. I will give them something, my credit HAS been rebuilt, and then some. I refinanced my home last summer with an excellent interest rate, and my credit score is better than ever... I thank Providian for providing me with credit when I needed it and helping me to accomplish this. Still, I would rather have a low credit limit and a lower APR, and I think I am due that kind of recognition. Providian IS a good company to rebuild your credit with. But, IF they wish to keep their customers AFTER their credit is rebuilt, they need to grow along with them, and cater more to the individual customer's needs. This is why I am looking for a new Credit Card company- prefferably one that doesn't look to cheat poor people out of more money than they have by offering them sky- high limits along with equally high APRs.

I opened this account about a year ago and have not really had any problems, but they like to call and try to sell their rewards program or insurance. I was given a $1,000 limit at first but was quickly increased to $3,000 and now $4,500. I am a college student and was drawn to it because of the 0% into offer. Unlike others who have posted reviews, I was not charged any interest during my 0 % period and did not have to pay for my credit line increases. I did not even ask for them. The most I have owed on this card is $350 and they keep hiking up my limit, I of coarse don't mind but it's tempting to charge it up. As a college student I have alot of expences but am trying to be financially responsible. The biggest problem I have with this card is the interest rate after the 0%. 23.24% AHHHHH!!!!! Is that scary or what. I have had perfect payments with them and in the next few months I'll see about getting it lowered. I understand from reading the other reviews, that this may be a problem, but I'll see what they can do for me. If I can eventually get the 9.9% I'll be real happy.

I applied for my Classic gold card right before my husband and I were transferred overseas. He had problems with his card each time we traveled back to the states. He had to clear each purchase. Providian saw I had a FPO AE address(military in Europe)and gives me no problems no matter where in the world I go. Within two years they sent me my Visa Platinum card and raised my limit twice both times by $1000. I love not having an annual fee and my interest rate are right in line with the other card companies. I have done some looking around. No companies wants to give a card to a military spouse. Since we are over seas I do not work. My husband makes enough money for us. Providian gave me my own card, my husband is not on the account. I have had good customer service. When they learn I am overseas, they answer my questions quickly. I really like my Providian Visa Platinum Card, and I would recommend it.

I have had my Providian Platinum card for well over a year now. It was given to me as a pre-approved offer with a 9.9% variable interest rate. I received my latest statment and the interest rate had jumped to 20.94%. I was in shock as I have perfect credit with a 10-year history with AMEX Gold and last year being given a pre-approved AMEX Blue card with a fixed rate 9.9% rate. You cannot get either card without excellent credit. I also just received a Platinum card from B of A with a 5.9% fixed rate--obviously I have good credit. A couple of weeks ago I ran my Equifax report, which I do yearly, and everything was on the up and up, showing that I have good credit. The report shows Providian as "pays as agreed" as I have always been in good standing with them and all my creditors. I have nothing negative on my credit report whatsoever, not even 1 late payment. When I contacted Providian they told me that they had sent out a notice in June stating why the interest rate had increased--I never received any such notice. The CSR said that she was not allowed to tell me why the rate went up but that she could send another letter--most likely another that I will never receive. I found this to be absurd and informed her that I would be transfering my entire balance out to my low interest cards immediately and would be closing my account. She didn't seem to care one bit. I also informed her that I read many negative comments about Providian on the Internet in the past but didn't believe them because they had always treated me well, but now I believe what I have read. My personal opinion is that Providian must be having financial difficulties and the only way they could think of to remedy their situation was to start raising the interest rates on their customers, even the good ones. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CARD AND THIS FINANCIAL INSTITUTION!!!!1

I intially got a regular Visa through Providian due to poor credit. After a few years my credit rating became very good, but the Customer-No-Service folks at Providian said they didn't have a better rate to offer me. Instead they bumped me up to a Platinum Visa (but still at 23.24% interest rate!!!) I'm finally fed up and searching for a card that I can transfer my balance AND get GOOD customer service.

I opened this account 3 years ago because they offered a high initial balance and I needed a card with enough credit for airfare purchases, etc. despite a high annual fee. During 3 years of no late payments and no over limit charges, I was never offered a reduced annual fee; rate increase; or reduced rates. Instead, without advanced notice (I just logged in one day) my account was sold to Aspire Visa. I checked out Aspire only to find out that Aspire was one of the 3 worst cards in the country and was a favorite target of identity thieves. To my dismay Aspire didn't even know who I was; didn't have my socsec# on file; and had already charged me a late fee before my first statement ever arrived. Fortunately, I was in a position to pay off the balance and close this account immediately. However, I am still bitter with Providian.

In 1999 IO recieved this offer in the mail saying I am pre-approved for a Providian visa Platinum with a $5,000.00 credit limit at 9.9% interest rate. I took the offer and applied and got the card within 7 days the worst thing I ever did. My credit score had always been above 780 and when I got providian my credit score immediately dropped to a 675!! Why? I decide to call Trans Union Credit Bureau they told me since I got a Visa from Providian I was now a high risk for credit. He explained that providian gives credit to people with unstable credit. I decided to order a copy of my credit report. When I got it all my accounts reported were "Paid as Agreed" or "R1" which is very good until providian came along. I said oh what the heck I'll keep it for my traveling. Since then Providian has always known me as a very loyal customer with honor to have me. In July of this year, I applied for a Bank of America Visa Anne Geddes Platinum. I was immediately acepted. I aplied only because of a great offer with a 1.9% rate for 18 months and a 8.9 Fixed rate after that. Providian was at a whopping 23.99% rate fixed!! But I did not want to drop them. But they somehow found out about my new credit card and immediately cancelled my use of the card and sold my account to Aspire collection agency WHY???? I called Providian and asked them. They told me now I have a over loaded credit report so they cut me. Well then to bad for providian I sent them one more check for $1,500.00 on my balnce of $7,135.00. Since then my credit report has been drastically marked with stupid stuff such as providian reported--"DON'T GIVE CREDIT TO THIS PERSON" HAHAHAHAHA I dont even care my score is still 715. I am 83 and dont need anymore credit anyways. HAHAHAHAHA poor poor providian!!

We are having financial difficulties and I read online that it is better to call your credit card companies and ask if they will lower your interest rate. I called Providian and they refused because we had a late payment within the last 6 months (thanks to my husband), which I understood. When we received our next bill I looked it over, and to my horror I saw that they had ALMOST DOUBLED MY INTEREST RATE! They claimed they had sent something about it with a chance to opt out, if I closed my account. But they said "NOW IT'S TO LATE!!!! I NEVER SAW ANYTHING!!!! I wrote and told them exactly what I thought of them. Their card will be the 1st one to be paid off, as soon as possible. Then it's GOODBYE!!!!!!

Providian has the highest interest rates of any lender I've ever known. The only exception to this may be "payday loans." I have been their customer for six years, never missed a payment, always paid more than the minimum, and everytime I ask for an interest rate reduction, they refuse. If my credit is good enough to receive a Platinum card, why doesn't it qualify for an interest rate reduction???

PROS: Was a great starter card to re-establish my credit 3 yrs after my bankruptcy. They offered me a $700 initial credit line; more than any other company would've. With each large payment to the balance they increased my credit limit to $4000 within 2 years. CONS: Never decreased my interest rate with good pmt history. Also never waived or decreased my annual fee. By now I should have earned with them some rewards of being loyal.

In 1990 i was Forced to file for bankruptcy due to my husbands foolishness of crazy spending. Anyways thats all water under the bridge. In 7 years after bankruptcy (1997) I had a great credit rating of 810+ since i had made sure bills were paid on time and always way more than any minimum. Mt credit was great, my husband questioned how??? I replied you see what on time payments for 7 years do. In Feb. of 1998 whe recieved an offer for a providian visa platinum. The card sounded great $5,000.00 credit starting limit with a low 9.9% interest fixed rate. It sounded a little odd that providian would extend credit to person in bankruptcy...but they did. I decided to trash the offer but my husband applied and got this card behind my back, using my good name since they would only give him $1,000.00. 3 months later I would find the bill hidden in his car. i was so upset he was already a month behind in payments!!! I called providian and said how in the He** was someone able to apply for credit in my name? I demanded he hand over the card... but that was no good he only beat me. i decided to get a federal lawyer and sued both providian and my soon to be ex-husband for my respect and diginity. not only did providian have to switch all those files on me to my husbands name, they also had to give me 12 months of great credit reporting on my credit profile!!!HAHAHAHAHA providianm is a fradulent company...so is my husband in a state penatrenty. It's now 2003 and i have 3 credit cards with limits of $50,000.00 at 4.75% interest. HAHAHA I am very rich!!!

WATCH YOUR BACK !! BECAUSE THEY WILL SCREW YOU OVER WITH HIGH FEES AND POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE . I RECENTLY CLOSED MY ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE COMPETITION IS DOING A BETTER JOB . DONT APPLY ! YOU WILL THANK ME LATER

It's ok, but there are certain amount that will limit you as far as charging is concerned. i tried to charge a computer and was unable although the limit was all clear and there was nothing on the card.

AFTER BACK SURGERY I HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FILE FOR BANKRUPTCY. BEING A SINGLE MOM WAS HARD. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE 4 GIRLS TO PLEASE. I HAD ONLY A PART-TIME JOB AS A CASHIER AND A $5.50 HOURLY WAGE. PLUS A SMALL DISABILITY CHECK. THATS WHY I WAS STUNNED WHEN PROVIDIAN OFFERRED ME A VISA PLATINUM WITH A $5,000.00 LIMIT @ 9.9% RATE. COULD IT BE TRUE I TOUGHT. BEING MY POSITION I HAD TO TAKE IT, I FIGURED IT WILL HELP ME ESTABLISH MY CREDIT AGAIN. AFTER SHOPPING WITH MY CREDIT CARD I STARRED PAYING MONTHLY PAYMENTS, (ALWAYS MORE THAN THE MINIMUM). I WAS SO PROUD TO THINK IWAS RE-ESTABLISHING CREDIT. UNTIL ONE DAY I OPENED MY STATEMENT AND LOOKED AT CERTIAN FEES I HAD BEEN BEING CHARGED FOR 5 MONTHS, ONLY THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT THEM . THEY WERE LOUSY FEES SUCH AS A 2 MINUTE LATE PAYMENT FEE OF $29.00 FOR 5 MONTHS & A $49.00 OVER THE LIMIT FEE FOR 5 MONTHS. I CALLED A CSR AND WAS TOLD THAT WHEN I USED MY CARD 5 MONTHS EARLIER I WENT 13 CENTS OVER THE LIMIT. I DECIDED TO TAKE SOME SAVINGS PAY OFF THE ACCOUNT AND CLOSE IT. I SURE LEARNED MY LESSON WELL PROVIDIAN STINKS!!!!

I was so fed up with customer service, where everyone is helpless at all time, I cancelled the a/c after 60 days.

I had this providian card since 1997. I started out as a Visa Classic with interest rates at 23.99% and a $1000 limit. I had this card for 4 years with frequent line increases up to $8100 (Each increase there is a fee). Then I got an offer in the mail for a Visa Platinum. I was excited because it appears that i can get a lower interest rate. I found out I still have 23.99% interest rate. So where can you find a "platinum" card with that such of an interest?? I had this platinum for almost three years now and had not had any credit line increase offer since. Wonder if they quit doing that. As far as interest rates go, I do noticed from my credit report that providian reviews my credit history from time to time so I now believe it is based on a credit history. My credit is pretty good, kinda of between good and fair. So, hopefully when I establish great credit, they better reduce the rates on me. I am kinda worried that many reviews I have been reading that others had their rates go up to 29.99 per cent. Has not happened to me yet, but will to watch for that. I say Providian is one of the best cards for those who had bad credit. I have seen other credit cards for poor credit and this one seems to be the best because it does not contains extra fees such as account set up fee, monthly participation fee, etc and Providian's credit line is usually higher than other poor credit credit cards. But do the rates drop if you eventually have good credit??? I had capital one for years and the interest rates were high (22%) then they lowered it (to 15.9%)when my credit score was high enough and I did request for it. But providian wont lowered it. I even called them. They said they cant do anything in customer's request at this time. Customer service was friendly but they will offer you lower rates or increases at their choice, not by your choice or request. I do recommend this card except for those who have excellent credit. If you have excellent credit, go somewhere else.

The best advise I can give you is to close your account. My credit was ruined due to personal reasons and then Providian gave me an opportunity to rebuild my credit. It sounded like a good idea, use the card, make payments to show you can pay on time, and therefore you will rebuild your credit. Well, it is virtually impossible to pay off a balance when you are paying such high finance charges. This is what I did. First I called to see if they would lower the finance charge. They said no. I then said, close the account. They tried to convince me to not close the account, but I wasn't going to use the card anymore if they weren't going to help me out. They closed the account and I'll say within a two week period I rec'd an offer from Bank of America, with 0%, no annual fee, and free balance transfer. I applied, got it, and transfered my balance. Now Providian will make nothing off of me anymore. Having an account like Providian on your credit report hurts you, it does not help.

Providian Visa is the worst for their lending practices. I got a Visa from them and they sent me notices saying that they would like to increase my credit limit every so often for having a good credit history. The increase would be for 1000.00, which is fine, but they would try to charge me 49.00 or more for each increase!! Plus they had high APR'S that they said I couldn't get lowered due to my time with them and my credit history!! I was with them for 2 years, and never made a late payment. So finally I just closed the account.

I recieved letters, and made calls that do NOT relate to eachother. One said that my transfer was complete, one said it was not and the other said it would be 10 (more) days. I've now in the time I waited for a transfer to occur, paid off one of my accounts. They are horrible customer service!!!!!

The dispute department for this card was unresponsive, uncooperative, and did not review evidence that merchandise was returned because they chose to believe an unethical telephone solicitation company instead when they said the merchandise was returned to the wrong address, even though a certified mail signed receipt was sent to them. They sent a letter saying the dispute process would take 60-90 days on Sept. 4, 2002, in Oct. a representative said the merchant had issued a credit, then in January, 2003 Providian put the charge back on the account, has stated that the "case" is closed, and no matter how many letters or phone calls I make that they will not make an adjustment. On the last call, after asking for a supervisor, I was yelled at and hung up on. After repeated requests, I still have no answer to this problem.

The first year was "free" (paid for by Providian) and also gave me double points for the first 6 months of usage. Renewal fee is only $48 per year, which is MUCH cheaper than most award programs for airline tickets. The customer service people and the travel agency service people are always helpful and knowledgable. I would recommend this card and service to anyone. PLUS, their interest rates are VERY competitive!

Providian Platinum Visa Same situation. Offer said 0% purchases and 0% balance transfers w/no transfer fee. Transferred balance from 1.9% card to take advantage of 0% rate. Obviously I would not have transferred from 1.9 to a higher rate. Received first statement indicating 8.99% balance transfer APR. Started researching and unfortunately found that Providian seems to be well known for their unprofessional activity. Disgusting company.

The offer said 0% for a year on balance transfers. First bill had a finance charge. I called, and they CLAIM that 0% is just on purchases. Unfortunately, I cannot find my original offer. I immediately transferred my balance to a Capitol One card which DOES give me 0% on my transfer. Still, it cost me a huge finance charge for that first transfer. I would NEVER advise anyone to deal with this lying, fraudulent company.

My card was suppossed to be a low APR percentage rate. And as soon as I start to get comfortable with providian they up my rate. I don't think that is fare as a consumer. I believe I should be reimbursed my money. My payments have been late ever since because I cannot afford their scam! There is only one way that I would get another credit card through providian. That is if they signed a contract for ME the consumer stating that they would keep a 0% APR . I do not think I am going to keep this providian account open.

Starting credit, secured with $200.00 in 1998. Between 1998 and 2001, the credit line went from secured by $200.00. To over $5,000. From a regular visa to a Platinum card. The interest rate started at 22.99%. Was lowered to 18.99%. When the card reached over the $5,000 mark, and the balance was slowing edging towards the $4000 mark, they've raised the interest rate on the entire balance to 28.99%. Most recent card has been charged the "annual membership" fee that was supposedly a "one time fee". The new rate is NOT on future purchases but is on the current balance. I don't believe its legal. Would sincerely suggest to all to file a complaint with as many government agencies as possible. Make them as miserable as they want to make their customers(?) .... or should the word be victims?

I've been paying off my debt slowly---very slowly...thanks to the help of this credit card. With 19.98% interest, even with credit counseling, they don't reduce their rates (which are the highest I've seen) but yet enjoy charging me $29/month in late fees, even though they agreeed to the terms of credit counseling...at this rate, I'll have this bad boy paid off in about 75 years or so.

This card offers a low introductory APR for over a year, but read the agreement closely. You must transfer a balance to the credit card to receive the introductory rate, however, the balance transfered does not qualify for the introductory rate. The introductory rate is only on purchases made after you have transferred a balance. If you read closely it's all there but is somewhat misleading. When I received my statement I was quite suprised to see a finance charge on a large balance that I had transferred. Before I phoned the credit card company to inform them of their mistake, I read my contract closely and noticed where the transferred balance was not apart of the introductory APR offered.

Just a brief story for you: I have a VISA card with Providian - their operations are in Texas and their corporate headquarters are in California. In July I received my usual monthly statement with a payment due date of 8/18/02. I made my regular payment in late July (which they received on July 26, 2002). Then, in early August I wanted to pay my bills early so that as I began my new business I would lessen the possibility of anyone receiving any payments late, thereby hurting my credit. So, I mailed another payment to Providian. They received that payment on August 16, 2002. Now, you would think that as I paid my monthly bills at the beginning of each month those payments would be at least on time if not early since I had made the extra effort (and expense to me as I start a business) as the next payment they would receive would be approximately mid September and so on. The following is a list of payments due dates and Providian payment receipt dates as shown on their statements: Payment due dates Providian's payment receipt dates 6/18/02 5/23/02 7/17/02 7/2/02 8/18/02 7/26/02 9/16/02 8/16/02 10/17/02 9/19/02 11/17/02 10/15/02 12/17/02 11/22/02 1/16/02 12/23/02 On the September statement (payment due 10/17/02) I began to receive late fees of $35.00 a month. I have received four of these in total equalling $140.00 since. I thought they would see that I was early and correct this error but after the fourth one I called them. I finally talked to a manager named Alex today, January 12, 2003, and he insists that I am late on my payments because the payment received 8/16/02 was received within the "cycle" which ended 8/18/02 and therefore will NOT be considered as the payment for the payment due date 9/16/02. So, in other words, since I tried to keep my payments on time all my payments thereafter are late with $35.00 fees attached because my early payment was received by them too early and not within the cycle for which it was intended. HELP!!!! I feel like I'm in the twilight zone! I am actually early, but they cannot seem to help me at all since their "cycles" mean more than a customer paying on time and being conscientious enough to worry about payments being late!!!!! So, the moral is - DO NOT MAKE EARLY PAYMENTS AND DO NOT DO ANY BUSINESS WITH THIS COMPANY!!!!!! They do not have any concern for their customers who have faithfully paid them a substantial amount of money over the years. Alex, of course, provided me with a "Customer Correspondence" address to try and write to, which I will (without much hope). So, today I will send them even more money just so my credit can stop being effected by "late" payments which are not really late but actually 20-30 days early and stop these tremendous late fees which I cannot afford! Not to mention the time involved in trying to convince them that my payments are early, not late. Now, writing letters etc etc. I don't know if there is anything that can be done but to warn others that here is another example of "small print" or what I call "they'll always find some loophole or way to put it to you!". Thought everyone should know. Cynthia

I used to have a Providian Gold card for a year and a half with an interest rate of 23%. Then I got a letter in the mail telling me that I was being upgraded to Platinum and they raised my credit limit. So far, every thing has been great with my new card. Providian also lowerd my APR to 7.9% I don't know if this is a temporary rate and in a couple of months they will up it or not, but I pay my bill in full every month any way so it doen't matter to me. The insurace the card gives you is the same as the gold card and is typical of most Platinum cards. One thing to watch out for, is that many people have been posting here that their accounts have been sold to Emerge or Chase and there APR has been raised up to 29%. If you have any negitive things on your credit report, Providian will raise your APR and/or sell your account. If your credit report is spottless, you have nothing to fear.

dont get a providian card, unelss you want to pay more than you are asking for. i had them before and got screwed, then i cancelled it. i got another offer a year later and decided to try it, and everything was horrible again. the offer stated that i would have 0% apr for a transferred balance if i transferred 100 or more so i did. and i had an apr of 11.9% on it, even though i have great credit. so i just paid the $900 off right away, then i had a charge of 8.50 becuase they are stupid and have no grace period. never get providian, i've always had troubles with them and so had my fiance. i think the only good thing about them is that they offer a pretty good credit line to start out with, but if that is te only good thing, don't go for it, sorry, its just my opinion, you asked i gave it.

I received my Visa Platinum early fall 2002, and I must say I am very content. For me to receive the card, they called me at home after they received my application to verify which is for me better security. They gave me 0% interest, free balance transfers, and no annual fee. Also, they are hosting a very nice webpage where it is simple to set up an account to keep track of your account history. Providian has proven to me that they can give great offers with simple application procedures. Thank you Providian!!!

the bill arrives late and the phone calls arrive early - the bill arrives one day and a late phone call comes the next day - at least three per day - telephone operators tend to be rude

I had my providian card for years, always paid on time, never went over the limit. They decided to jack my percentage rate somewhere above 29% out of the blue or asked me to cancel the account if I didn't want to pay it. Needless to say I did.

My father received a call regarding my bill that is sent to my parents address and is paid by them. they called him overseas to try and collect and electronic payment from him while he is in the atlantic ocean on an island working. He explained to them that before he left for his trip he had made out check for payment. It did not matter, they still wanted and electronic payment. the people did not comprehend what he was saying and he finally had to contact a supervisor. All of this on a cellular phone billing international rates. The call cost more that the payment.... As soon as I can I will pay the balance and STOP using the card. Very unprofessional and using offshore people for work..

Providian's advertising is misleading. It looks just like every other credit advertisement offering 0% interest for the initial period, but I have found out that in the very fine print it stipulates that this applies to purchases only. If you transfer a balance to this card, it accrues daily interest. I consider it fraudulent to deliberately make your advertisement look like all others offering 0% interest on balance transfers and purchases, and I have sent this information to several agencies who might take a look at the problem.

Don't fall for these con artists-- they advertise their card with a NO TRANSFER FEE and 0% APR, but that only applies to new purchases. Very misleading

With a 20,000 limit and great payment record they cancelled after I paid off the card. My husband needs it for business charges and it was a huge surprise that it was cancelled 4 days after I paid it off.

Was invited to apply for the card and I did over the phone with no problems. Initially I was given a $500 credit line, which was upped to $700, then $900, then after establishing an on-time payment history with them for 6 months in which I paid the full balance every month, I was offered a Platinum card with a credit line of $1000, again with no annual fee. I accepted and the gold card limit was raised to $1900. Now they are upgrading the gold card to Platinum and are giving me 2.99% on all purchases until May, 2003 even though I've never carried a balance. Customer service has been good and online payment is very easy. Recommended.

I started out in 1999 (after bankruptcy) with the regular unsecured visa with a $1000 credit line. After 3 years and no late payments they have increased my unsecured credit line to $5951.00 .The customer service is very friendly but they are constantly trying to get you to sign up for one of the dumb programs they offer. Every program runs from $49 to $150 and they will increase your credit limit by that amount (if you buy it). Don't because the programs sound cheesy or they don't give you enough information to make an informed decision. This is a good card to get your credit back on track but don't get yourself deep in debt again because the high interest rate will set you back.

terrible mistake getting there cards if u dont understand the way to use credit cards and apr they can ruin ur credit rather then help you

they send bills at different times, with little time till due. then try to charge 29$ late fees and interest for the fees. when false bills appeared, customer support treated me like a thug.

I cannot stand this company, first let me give you my background, I am a loan officer for a credit union. I have impecible credit, no deliquenices, leins, collection accounts, or judgements. My FICO score is well above 700. To make a long story short, I had a $3000 limit with Providian, which was ample because I rarely carried a balance from month to month. I recieved a letter, three years after I had opened my account with them and I had never been late, the letter stated they were lowering my credit line to $400 because of something on my credit report. I freaked out, I thought someone was committing fraud with my credit, so I pulled my credit report to look at it, it was fine. I called Providian to ask them why they had revoked my limit and they said they could not tell me over the phone, but they would mail me a letter. In the letter they stated that I had a past due amount on my credit of over 60 days and that I had a collection, this was their reason for lowering my line. All was incorrect and a lie. I informed them of their error, but they did nothing to reestblish my line. I immediately closed my account, and opened an account with Capital One with no problem. It actually turned out to a good thing because with Providian I was paying a higher interest rate and an annual fee, with Capital One my rate is lower and I have no annual fees.

Good credit card for thoes who have exceptional credit. High intrest rate for thoes who don't.

I found providian to be less than adequate in resolving customer issues. They are arguementive and the only solution providian provides is to transfer you to there "retention" department, where they offer to cancel your card instead of retaining the customer they have.

I started off with a Providian Gold card - the one you have to pay $49 to recieve because of past credit problems. My initial credit limit was $300 and my APR was 24.99% Over the past two years my account was upgraded to Providian Platinum, my credit limit has been raised(free) to $2,250 and my APR is now 9.99% however they still charge me the annual fee of $49. I called about the annual fee and they said since I was a customer in excellent standing I should call back in December which is my anniversary date with them and talk to a rep to get my fee waived. Any time I've called customer service they've been great. I've paid my bill online through my bank account for the past 8 months and have never had a single problem. Overall I'm satisfied with this card although the lack of rewards sucks.

The card claims no balance transfer fees and 0% APR. That is only on new purchases. However, you have to pay off your entire balance of the balance transfer to get the 0% APR on new purchases. Customer service is awful! They are very rude and snotty. I got the impression many have complained. What a scam! Very misleading advertising

I bought a camera on-line, didn't get the product/services/price offered; tried to return, seller delayed RMA, finally talked his way out of written buyer's rights - and yet, Providian (after procrastinating for 8 months and an initial credit-back) charged me 100% as if nothing and said "tough luck". Fully contrary to their wide-spread TV commercials claiming to impede fraudulent web-based sales practices.

My account with Providian was sold to Chase. I was assured by Providian that any balance transferred to Chase would remain at my fixed rate of 5.99% HOWEVER, Chase has increased my rate to 12.74%. Neither bank will help resove this issue. This is not good customer service. If I had known that my interest rate would increase, I would have found another card to transfer my balance to at a lower rate.

After 4 yrs as a customer with 5.9% rate, rec. a letter from Chase telling us they had sold our acct. Called Chase & asked for info, they did not know anything about it! when I called Providian to ask if I can get another card, was told I would have to re-apply as a new customer and would not get the same interest rate!!! I was always on time.

I started out w/a gold @ 0%. After 6mos I was given the oportunity to double the credit line and receive a Platinum card. I needed the extra credit line, $1000 doesn't go very far when you're moving to another area and we incurred many expenses quickly. The convienience is basically the same as other cards but, I am especially fond of the quick payment posting and no fee online payments. It was easy to set up and accessable 24/7 with postings the same or next day. My only complaint would be, after almost a year of ontime, more than the minimum, payments the interest rate of 25% was declined at request to lower. This should be done automatically as you build good credit with a company, in my opinion, as a reward. It's very easy these days to either switch to another credit card at a lower rate or even slip back into the dark world of non-payment and bankruptcy. WATCH OUT!! Credit cards make it all too easy, the greedy %#@!*&%$@#!. It's a love/hate relationship sometimes.

For Senior Citizens I think a special interest rate should apply. This would be a great advertising promo.

Providian changed our account number without prior notice while we were on a two week long trip. Our expiration date was June 2003. In the middle of the Ohio Turnpike when I attempted to use the card for gas, it was refused even though we had ample credit remaining on our account. Fortunately, I had another card with me or I might still be in the middle of Ohio somewhere. When I called the toll free number for Providian Visa, I was told that cards had been mailed out (ten days prior to our departure from home) which we did not receive until returning from our trip. They did not offer to do anything to help. Needless to say, I am cancelling my Providian Visa and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I was skeptical when I first applied for this card 2 1/2 years ago. They required a lot more information than anyone else has ever requested. I figured if that's what it would take to get the super rate of 5.99% long term I would go ahead and do it. They approved my card and started my account. Since then I have received nothing but excellent service. No problems and 2 1/2 years later I 'm still very happy about 5.99%. I can't get any of these other companies to match that.

I have had this card for 3 years without any trouble or difficulties. The customer service people are great, the payment options are plentiful, and when a bad charge or mistake occurs, which is quite rare, it is taken care of just as I asked quickly and without difficulty. No hassles here at all. VISA is accepted virtually anywhere. Payments are posted more quickly at Providian than with other cards, which is great. I have used many other credit cards in the past, but Providian is the best around. It's the only one I need or want.

i feel like i've been let down by providian my first notice was from chase that thay where taking over my account with a letter like congratulations your providian credit card will soon be replaced by an UPGRADED chase credit card with a variable 16.74% thats double+ not sure what the UPGRADE was so I DONT THINK SO STEVE IN TEXAS

When Chase purchased the portfolio's from Providian. No one at providian was able to answer the questions. Chase's terms are outrageous. Chase could not answer the simpliest question of what is the annual fee. They review your credit monthly and if you are late with any creditor you become a non prefered customer and pay 22.99% interest rate. DO NOT USE CHASE OR PROVIDIAN!!!!!!!!!!!

They will promise low interest on balance transfers, but will not honor it once it is done. And if you are even ONE payment late and you have a perfect credit rating - they will send your entir balance to their collection agency and you can never remove it from there, even when you become current on your bill - THIS COMPANY STINKS, WITH A GREAT BIG "S"!!!

Providian sold there premium (platinum) accounts (some 8.2 billion dollars) to chase bank as a means to generate some much needed revenue. Of course, chase did not want the problem/lower/risky credit accounts, so providian held onto them and with such large credit limits, raising the apr to 29.99% coupled with no grace period means more profits for providian (and believe me they need it) and that is why. Coincidentally, it was after the sale to chase that the APR went to 29.99 without notice. I did not stand for it and paid my account off and closed the account. They didn&#'t want that and tried to keep me as a customer by dropping the APR to 14% and upgrading to platinum (but still no grace period). Are you joking??? I said sorry, but my decision is unchanged, close this account! Best thing I ever did, and I feel great.

Charges and interest rates are outrageous. The late and over the limit fees are $35.00. It doesnt matter tht I have been nearly perfect in my payments and almost never carry a balance. They are raising my interest rate to 29.9%.

Although I have paid over and above the requested amount for over tow years now they have refused to lower the interest rate. I have had credit increases without my permission and have been charged 59$ for them. I can never get my payments on line because they keep messing up my e-mail address. They send letters about addresses not even close to mine. They are rude on the phone.

I sent in forms for autopay four different times, I talked with their reps at least evry other month, they repeatedly deducted late pay fees because they were at fault, they regularly submitted autopay requests incorrectly to my bank which resulted in account not found (and then they closed the autopay automatically). I spoke with five different mgrs or supervisors yet it never was fixed for more than two months at a time. I travel a lot and did not want to have to remember or be up to date with my mail every week. I have 18 accounts (water, phone, cable and other credits cards) every one worked with no difficulty EXCEPT this one! I finally paid it off and closed my account today.

could not get a lower apr when asked

I have been very pleased with this card. Providian was one of the first to offer this low fixed interest rate...at a time when interest rates were much higher than they are now. I have had to use customer service several times (not due to their errors!), once regarding a payment, once regarding a chargeback, and once relative to an unauthorized charge. Customer service was exceedingly helpful and prompt in dealing with my requests and they were all cleared up with a minimum of fuss and/or hassle. When they said they would call back, they did. I was able to contact the same person each time regarding the chargeback. The unauthorized charge (some type of "membership fee" from an "affiliate") was instantly removed.

AFTER CHARGING ME AN OUTRAGEOUS LATE FEE ,WHICH I PAID .I THEN CALLED TO REQUEST A REFUND ON THIS LATE FEE AS THE PAYMENT WAS POSTED ONE DAY PAST THE DUE DATE. AFTER TALKING TO THEM THEY REFUNBDED ME MY LATE FEE AS A CREDIT ON THE ACCOUNT. AFTER 2 MONTHS WHEN I DID NOT CHARGE ON THE CARD TO USE UP THE CREDIT THE WROTE THE CREDIT OFF THEIR BOOKS.THEY WERE VERY NASTY WHEN I CALLED BACK TO COMPLAIN ABOUT THEIR ACTIONS. I WOULD NOT RECOMEND THIS CARD TO ANYONE AND HAVE SINCE CUT IT UP AND WILL NEVER USE PROVIDIAN AGAIN!

I recently had a major problem with Providian, but prior to that I was very satisfied with the card. The rate on my Platinum Visa is only 7.9% fixed, and has been at that rate for several years. My one problem involved online bill pay. I paid 1,600+ dollars through my online banking account and was credited only 600+ ($1000 less than the payment). I was initially told it would take 10 days for their research to correct the problem. I faxed the confirmation # from my online account, as well as prints of the screen that showed my account debited and Providian as the payee. On day 11 I called because the balance still reflected the $1000. I was then told it could take up to 90 days to correct the problem, which is ridiculous, to say the least, on an ELECTRONIC transfer directly from the bank. Only after I sent a sternly worded e-mail threatening to cancel my account did they suddenly "find" the problem and credit my account. I am still considering closing my account- not because the problem occurred, but because of the lack of timeliness in correcting their own mistake.

I've been very satisfied with Providian Visa Platinum. I've had unexplained charges on my statements and their customer service department was extremely helpful in taking care of my situation. One thing is for sure, if you're not planning on paying off your balance on a monthly basis, this card is NOT for you. Most APR range from 19-28%.

I&#'m very happy with the service and benefits I receive with Providian. They actually look at your credit history and reward those with a good credit history with low interest rates. When I tel friends family about Providian and the interest I am getting they ask how I can get i touch with Providian so that they can apply for a card. There customer service department if very helpfull too. The personel actually listen to you questions and concerns and explain things in a way that you can understand. I would recommend them to anyone.

I would like the public to know my thoughts on Providian Visa Platinum. I started my card search looking for a low interest credit card as far as the APR is concerned. I decided to contact Providian after receiving a mailer they sent me for a deal for a Visa Platinum that has a low APR for a period of 6 months. It took my know less than 45 minutes to get someone to tell me that I would have to send back the repoly via mail versus callling because they do not accept calls. What happened was when I called I talked with several people who proceeded to tell me that I was in the wrong area of the company and then was put on hold for a good 5-10 minutes. I then taked with someone else and found that the transfer was picked up again by the same department I talked with and this person actually gave me the number to call , supposedly for the right area to ask my questions regarding the Visa Platinum card offer I received. Much to my shagrin, I called that number given to me and again it was the same department. Here I am trying to give business and a healthy start for this company to begin to make money off me by lending it out to me through the credit card and I am not even able to get a few simple questions answered. Finally, after talking with a few more Sr people I was told that I can send mback in teh forn and they would send out the card. I had high hopes to find this company as reputable as some others I have dealt with, but found that their communication between departments is very poor. I would recommend that if you have any questions about anything on a specific card that you may be interested in acquiring, that you get ready for a long wait and the "run-around" of trying to get your questions resolved.

I have always paid in full each month and haven't had any problems with them. I do like the fact that I can go online and check the account and evem make payments.

After the Sept 11 Attacks I lost 40% of my income. My providian card became 56 days past due before I made the payment current. On day 51, they closed the account, turned it over to collections, then illegaly reported it to the credit agencies as "outstanding collection" by LAW, it should have been reported as a 30 day past due. 30 days past due vs. "Outstanding Collection" makes a world of diffrence on a credit rating. DO NOT USE PROVIDIAN. APART FORM MY HORROR STORY, THE INTRETS RATES, LATE FEES AND FIANANCE CHARGES ARE UNREAL. WORDS OF WISDOM, DO NOT USE PROVIDIAN! IF YOU ALREADY HAVE PROVIDIAN CANCEL THE CARD!

I applied for a providian platimun visa card because on the solicitation it promised points for each dollar charged while using the card that can be used for reduced/free air travel and other gifts. True there was an annual fee of $19 but that was still less than the $50 per year for my us-air dividend miles visa card. Well lo and behold once you get the card you are prompted to register for their premium points plus program,which is how you redemn your points. OK so far BUT once you contact them but you are socked with another fee for $38.00 PER YEAR! Beware there is NOTHING listed in the solicitation about this fee required to use cash in your points for travel/car rentals etc. You are not told this until AFTER you recieve and activate your visa card.

From day one I have not had good customer service from Providian. I only chose this card because of no annual fee and Im trying to rebuild my credit after a bankruptcy.

Because of the low interest rate, you really don't need any other credit cards. Too bad I can't transfer all my credit card debt to this card.

I am very pleased with the low 7.9 fixed APR for purchases but I would be hesitant to recommend this card for balance transfers. I did get a lower rate to transfer balances but not enough to notice. I DID notice that my monthly payments never seemed to go toward my balance transfers but only to my purchases which carried the much lower APR. I believe they charge a fee to pay off balances if you do so within the first year. I have had a few problems with customer service by phone but good results using customer service on their web site. I do have a problem with all the convienence checks and I do not like recieving offers by telephone. Over all I am very pleased with this card now that I was able to pay off the balance and now I only use this card for purchases.

I'm happy with the card and the service I've received from the customer service staff. I enjoy the low fixed interest rate and have had no issues with late billing, questionable charges, etc. I tend to steer clear of cash advances anyway, so this isn't really an issue for me. I am bothered at times by the amount of "junk mail" I receive from Providian - "convenience checks" for example.

I have been dealing with financial institutions for over 40 years and I must rate this company #1 overall

You have to pay for credit increases which you should be a able to earn by paying the card on time

I had defaulted on this card and two other cards. Once I began to pay if off the balance I had on the Providian account had doubled whereas on my other two cards there was about sixty percent less in fees, interest,etc. But the main problem I have with Providian is that they give you a due date and no matter how early you mail your payment it will not be posted until after your due date. They continue to do this even after lawsuits stating this unfair practice. Do yourself a favor and don't get this card. They are true crooks!

Average customer service, high interest rates and unwillingness of CS to be flexible in providing a lower interest rate on Cash advances and increasing the credit line. I cancelled the card after 1 year

I have been a member of Providian for about a year during which time my husband became ill and unable to work. I found myself unable to keep up with my payments so I called and talk to one of the reps for the company. They not only made me feel better about my situation but also made arrangments for me to pay less than I owed on the bill. Now that my husband is back at work and all is well again I have called and made arrangments to pay the rest of the money due to them simply because they were so understanding about the situation I was in at the time. I have had several credit cards in the past and have never had one so willing to work with the customer as Providian. They have found themselves a loyal customer in me.

The card had a great low interest rate (but only on purchases, the cash back rate was lousy), but I would not recommend dealing with this bank. Every month I received preprinted checks (including the dollar amount already filled in) from them for $3000-$4000. Futhermore, they also sent out blank checks attached to my statement. Then they called constantly urging me to transfer balances to their card or borrow cash from the card. Now, I know they did this because the interest on purchases was low and if they could get me to borrow cash from the card, they could charge that higher interest rate, but this made me so uncomfortable. I am trying to cut down on debt, and I don't want to deal with a company that hounds me to spend more the way Providian did. Consumers have enough trouble controlling credit card debt without constant encouragement to get into more debt, and I do not agree with the way this company conducts its business. I eventually transferred to a card with a slightly higher interest rate, and I am much happier with the way that bank operates.

I am disturbed by the latest line increase acceptance notice that I received from Providian. It is my understanding that Providian settled a Class-Action lawsuit based on some of the fees they have charged in the past. If I agreed to the increase, Providian would charge me a $49.00 line increase upgrade fee. However, the notice states on the back that this line increase would be billed to me as a Fincance Charge. Isn't this fraud? I believe they are "squeezing through the back door what they couldn't get in through the front." Any comments?

best card I ever had. I'm waiting for something to happen since i've always read terrible reviews on the card

we finally got charges up to date and closed account.they keep charging so much interest they keep the card overdrawn causing outragous fees.this month alone we were charged 107.76 in finance charges and the account has been closed for years!!!!

This is a fairly easy card to get.They get you started and in 6 mo they will up your credit limit if you pay on time.And they raise your limit about evert 6 mo. the biggest problem is that their intrest rates are very high about 23%. and unless you can afford to pay a lot more than the mimium you will be for ever paying them off and at that rate of interest you will be paying back about 6 times wat you finance so be very careful.Ihad this and there seemed no end in site i kept paying always ore than mimium and didn't seem like it was going down. I came into some money and was able to pay them off.that was a relief so please be careful espically of the high interest rates

they never send you your monthly statement. Must be too cheap to pay the postage. Very rude customer service reps. They make it out to be your fault when the payment is late because they never sent a statment in the first place.

I have had the card for a couple of years now. I really enjoy the customer service and account access I get online. I handle all aspects of my account online except when they called and moved me from classic to Platinum. The problem was they did not tell me over the phone that the great interest rate they quoted me did not apply to any of the transfer balances from my other cards... I 'assumed' they would handle these at the same low interest rate... They did not, they booked them onto the account as 'Cash Advance' and charged me almost 20 percent interest on the transfers.... I felt burned. But overall I think that this company is the greatest I have dealt with and I will continue to do business with them and also recomend them to others…

I have several negative items on my credit history. I was very pleasantly surprised to receive my pre-approved application from Providian. Their on-line payment option helps insure that my payments reach them on-time and there's nothing to forget. Yes, the rate is higher than other cards - but, I can't get those other cards. This is an excellent option for those seeking to rebuild their credit. Life in today's world without a credit card can be very difficult - and embarassing.

I like this card very much & have had it for a long time with no problems & low interst.

I've had a Providian Platinum VISA (*not* the Aria card) for almost 3 years now. My card says "Charter Member" so I guess I was one of the first. I was sent a pre-approved packet in the mail, so I couldn't tell you how to apply for it, as they only seem to be marketing their Aria cards now. I did see a Providian TV commercial recently, though, that offered the Classic, Gold, and Platinum cards. I was drawn to the Providian card because it was a Platinum card (the first I had been pre-approved for), but mostly because they offered not only a 0% teaser APR, but followed that up with a fixed APR of 7.9% for purchases. Yes, I said 7.9%! I've never before or since seen a card advertising that low of a rate. I promptly sent in my paperwork (and they wanted *a lot* of paperwork -- tax forms, W2's, paystubs, contracts from my consulting work, etc.) and promptly received the card. Now, you've probably heard or read bad things about Providian. Providian has had a reputation recently for being a less-than-trustworthy establishment, and preying on people with less-than-perfect credit. A couple of big class action lawsuit settlements and a rash of complaints on the internet has severely tarnished their reputation. The only time I felt "duped" by Providian was when they promised to beat any of the APR's on the other cards I had, if I would transfer those balances to my Providian card. I got a 12.9% temporary rate on the balance transfers, and was supposed to send in statements from the other cards as proof of their APR's. Well, they beat those APR's all right -- by a whopping 0.02%! BFD! At first I was upset, but then realized that I hadn't lost anything, plus I now had a Platinum card with a higher limit to boot. So I didn't worry too much about it. Imagine my surprise two years later to receive a check for almost $300 as my part of a class-action settlement where Providian was sued for playing the "we'll beat your current APR" scheme. I've heard all sorts of complaints about Providian: poor customer service, intentionally posting payments late to collect late charges, and transferring balances and charging for things like credit insurance without your consent. These *are* serious complaints, and are too numerous to be discounted. But I just feel the need to go on the record with my observations about Providian: it almost seems as if I've been dealing with a different company than all of those who have complaints. Sure, I felt mislead about the balance-transfer-APR thing, but I felt it was more "creative marketing" than criminal. Perhaps Providian "categorizes" their customers. Maybe they treat their "high-risk" customers differently than their "low-risk" or "preferred" customers. I've never been explicitly identified as one or the other, but I can truthfully say that I've never had a bad experience of any kind. I've never had a payment posted late or been charged any suspicious fees, never had an unexplained balance transfer or charge, nor have I ever had poor customer service. And best of all, nearly 3 years later, my APR is *still* at 7.9%! You would have thought they would have increased it by now, especially since they're accused of shady business practices, but so far so good. I have a feeling they may not be offering this APR anymore, as I cannot find any mention of it in my online research. Or maybe it's by "invitation only." Or maybe it was limited to "Charter Members." In summary, I just want to say that my experiences with Providian have been positive. But I'm still wary, even after 3 years, because of their past business practices and all of those complaints. Believe me, I'm poised to close my Providian account and take my business elsewhere the instant that I witness any "monkey business" with my account. But until then I'm staying put.

This is one of the best I know to re-establish or to establish good credit. Thank you so much providian for helping me.

A respected name, with an even beter interest rate on a Platinum VISA card. Sounds pretty good, right? FORGET IT! The Providian's billing and mailing departments are in such a shambles they don't know what's going out or when. Over the past year, 4 separate bills from these people never cameat all, and two were late; yet they insist the bills were mailed, and charge late fees. Then they begin harasing phone calls wanting a specific date you'll pay; yet they still fail - often after 2 to 3 conversations - to get the bill to you, for you to see if they're accounting procedures are as flaky as their mailing, billing, and customer service. The postmaster for this area has begun special monitoring of mail from this company to my address, in order to identify if there is some problem with my local delivery. The result? No mail from this company has arrived at this post office. Forget these bums. You can easily get cards with only a fraction of a percent higher interest, but with a reputable and reliable company, and without the headaches. PASS UP PROVIDIAN -- IT'S A DOG!

Providian was my first major credit card. They trusted me with a nice limit to begin with. Since then, I've been treated like gold and my payments are on time and I'm rewarded for being on time. Providian is just a great company. I recommend, in fact, insist that people check out Providian before they check out other Credit Card Services.

I find that if you use this card responsibly there is no problems at all. It is important to read the staement and to contact them if anything is amiss. Use commen sence.

they have very good sevice you don,t have to wait on the phone they have fast response time you can check your act online

Looks like a great deal at first with a fixed 5.99% interest rate. However, as I began to scrutinize my statements more closely I noticed a "Credit Protection Fee" each month. This service/fee is not identified in any of the fine print that came with the card, nor did I sign up for it. That low interest rate worked out fine with only $136 in interest over the course of CY2000. Of course, the $225 in "Credit Protection" during the same period raised the effective interest rate well above that offered by other cards. There are no appreciable benefits of membership, and the process for questioning a specific charge is cumbersome and time consuming. Bottom line? They picked my pocket. Avoid this company and this card.

It is the best credit card that I have and it is helping me build my credit again which has gotten me more credit which is wonderful.

Providian sucks! I would not reccomend this credit card to anyone. They lure you in with a beginning low interest rate, then send you all sorts of encouragements to spend on "Cash Advances", etc. As soon as you get a good, healthy balance, the interest rates sky-rocket. If you are late on a bill, they call you endlessly. I was treated rudely, with no sympathy to my circumstances. When I tried to settle with them, and funds came in two days later than I expected, they were unwilling to work with me and accept the agreed upon settlement amount. Instead, they increased the settlement by over $1,000.00. I would not recommend this company to my worst enemy!

I like many other Americans NEED credit cards. So when I was in credit repair and received an offer from Providian for an unsecured Platinum Visa, I eagerly completed the Pre-Approved credit application and mailed it in. Upon my first statement, I found an unauthorized charge of $25 some-odd dollars for Credit Protection. I called Customer Service to have the charge removed. I was told by the Customer Service Representative that the Credit Protection was part of the agreement for my Platinum card. I told the Representative that I had all the agreement information and nowhere did it stipulate that I have to have or maintain Credit Protection. After hemming and hawing, I was placed on hold for about 10 minutes. When the Representative returned, she stated that it is recommended that I have the Credit Protection. I told the Representative I did not want it and had not agreed or authorized it--please remove it from my bill and do not rebill me for this plan. The second problem I have had with Providian deals with their interest rates. I continually see the Providian adds on television about reestablish your credit, build you limit over time and with good history reduce your rate. I have had the Providian Platinum Visa Card since 1999 and have tried to have my rate reduced since inception--with no avail. My credit with them has been excellent; no slow pay, always on time, I've even paid it off three or more times in the nearly two year period. Providian's Customer Service continually tell me that my rate Variable and they can't give me a better rate. My rate has not dropped below 21% since I've had this card. They keep offering me more credit but not the rate reduction I was promises. This card provider is a tyrant to those in need of credit--full of empty promises and lying in wait for the unsuspecting.

First I have to say that I have been trying to repair my credit and I needed a credit card to help me start to establish some good credit. Providian was the first card that has given me the chance to do this. So, in short, I needed to a credit card, this was what I was able to obtain. This is the pro, they gave me a chance to establish credit. The con....the huge APR. As far as any more, I haven't found out yet (I havent had to call customer service, seen an error on my bill yet, etc..).

I had two charges of $1200 and $742 put on my card last year. After many months of letters explaining the fraudulent charges thy did nithing but send me letters asking me to explain the fraudulent charges. I finally got a letter telling me they could do nothing about the charges. Please note that my first letter was send 35 days after the first fraudulent charge appeared - well within the time frame allotted for such.

Providian is the worst credit card company that I have ever dealt with. The customer "service" people are rude and confrontational, and completely unwilling to make any arrangements if a payment is late. Not to mention that Providian will jack up your rate and try to stick you with every last petty charge they can find. I would never recommend Providian to even my worst enemy.

I was billed for card protection that I did not authorize and when I tried to get the card company to help get to the bottom of the charges I was promised that it was taken care of and it never was. I have called numerous times to try and get my money back to no avail. Looks like I was taken for a ride with no return.l

If you wish to be inconvenienced and embarrassed while using your VISA card, get one issued from Providian Bank. While attempting to use mine for a $14.00 purchase the clerk received a message to call the card office. When reaching the office she was told to hold while they called their bank. There was a long wait as more and more customers lined up behind me. When someone from the card company finally returned they asked the clerk to get my identification and social security number after she gave them that info they asked to speak to me personally. When I got on the phone and gave them my name and asked what the problem was I was told an audit was in progress and I would be asked to provide more additional information. By now the line was very long and I did not wish to wait any longer, hung up and used another card. When I got home and called the customer service line they told me my card had been cancelled but could not tell me what the problem was when I tried to use the card at the store.

Providian will never ever get business from me or anyone else I can give this report to. First of all I could not believe the APR and thought maybe with time they would decrease it once I proved to be a good customer. I had a payment that was late after Christmas because of the weather and mail backup and my interest rate jumped! I called to clear this up to no avail and I also found discrepancies in my rate it kept increasing and I would call and they would refund the difference then the next month would have the same error. This went on for months. After this I decided to cancel the card and close the account. I was told the APR would remain fixed on a closed account! This was a lie also that I had to correct each month. I would not wish this card on my worst enemy!

I received this as a mail offer with a follow up phone call. I accepted this card because of the low 5.9% APR on purchases (the lowest I've seen). There is also no annual fee. However, the APR for cash advances is higher than most -- 21.99%, although they have offered, through telemarketing calls, a cash advance balance transfer for 4.9% APR changing to 12.9% APR until the balance is paid in full. I really appreciate the low 5.9% APR on purchases -- by the way, this rate is set for the lifetime of the card. My biggest complaint with the "courtesy calls" is that they want a decision immediately from you over the phone. They will agree to call you back, but refuse to send literature regarding the offer to you though the mail for you to look over at your leisure. As long as this card is used for purchases only, it is WONDERFUL. However, I only have about 8 days to mail in my payment after I receive my statement, so I have to "remind" myself to set aside moneys for this card between paydays. APR for a limited time changing to 12.99% until this balance is paid in full.

I had a card with this company for 2 years. They got really lousy last year in October. First they allowed charges to go through even though it was past my credit limit, then charged me a $29 fee for it. I tried to deal with customer service but they were total jerks so I closed my account. However they continued to allow charges from my internet service to be placed on my account despite my canceling the account. I felt this was very unfair and crooked so I disputed the charge, In the process of disputing the charge, they tacked on 2 late fees despite the fact I wrote in my dispute. They refuse to work with me and I refuse to pay anymore money to them. I have written them again and intend to send a copy to the credit bureau. It sickens me to think that they took my rights to cancel an account and used it against me.

I have had this card for probably a year now. The interest rate is the reason I accepted the card. The rate does not change unless I miss a payment twice. I think that is great. And it is a good incentive for people to make their payments on time.

I'm very happy with this credit card because of its low annual percentage rate. It is still the same since I received the offer two years ago. It has been the lowest one I've found in the market. Customer Service is also excellent.

I would say that the fixed 7.9% I got was very good. However thier customer service people call me at least twice a month to try to convince me to transfer balances into the card at a rate of 12.9%. I find that rather deceptive. There are no real benefits to speak of r

Apparently, Providian treats Classic members with more dignity and care than it does Platinum members. I typically get cut off or just plain rude reps who take 5 minutes to tersely inform me that they cannot "expedite" my request. They cannot successfully remail statements, nor can they hasten a phone-check payment. They can, however, "politely threaten" members in good standing without havinig full knowledge of that member's situation... In short, me and my excellent credit rating will be leaving Providian at the earliest possible time. Advice: don't get involved, or, if you are, consolidate, transfer, and get out of an abusive relationship. The "great rate" isn't worth the beatings..

this company took me on after i declared bankrupcy. i showed them that i was trust worthy and they extended my credit with lower interest rate.

I received the cards in the mail & never took them out of the envelope to activate. I received a billing stmt later charging $20 for additional card & credit protection was added also. I wasn't aware credit protection was a requirement. I wasn't aware that when a card was issued the account became open even if cards weren't activated. I try to call for information but it would take at least 20-30 minutes of continuous hold before getting a live person. I finally got a real person & asked a few questions. The card was cancelled & every time I hear the commercials on tv I cringe.

Card often does not go through when traveling abroad. Difficult to get information changed with customer service when moving. Cancels card when overseas even for short periods of time!!!!

This card was offered as a consolidation type deal. "Send us the statements of the cards you consolidate, and we'll beat their interest rates". You need to be a dectective to root out all the potential traps in this one. But, alas, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency of the United States (OCC) and the San Fransisco District Attorney's Office (SFDA) investigated. Providian entered into a consent order and will pay 300 Million Dollars to customers who were ripped off by their practices. Got my check in the mail, thank you Providian! The Aria Card is Providian, Beware, this company can't be trusted. Are they trying to hide their name? My advise, there is no such thing as a "Good" credit card deal. The bottom line is to make a profit for them. Look around and you see less "upfront" Banks offering credit cards. What does that tell you. The only ones out there are there for the "Blood".

After transferring balances from other credit cards, totaling approx $12000, to the Providian card, we expected our Providian interest rate to beat all interest rates on the accounts which we transferred. This never happened correctly! We just today received a settlement check from Providian, as part of the $300 million payout they had to out out to their customers. They were very deceitful. When we wrote letters / called customer service, we would not get a proper response. We we even hung up on from a customer service rep supervisor when trying to dispute our interest rates. I will never deal with them again and we've been looking for another card to transfer the entire Providian balance to

After over a year of being solicited from Providian and trashing offers for a Visa Classic, then for their Gold carrying 20 something % intrest rates and credit lines up to $2,000 and $3,000 numerous times they finally sent me an offer for Visa Platinum with a $5,000 credit line and a fixed 5.99% intrest rate! My first bill came very late.(less than a week before the due date) With me staying on the east coast and their office on the west coast, I didn't wait on their bill. I called customer service got the information I needed and sent my payment! It took a week to post! I didn't bother to ask why my bill was late and continues to be. Its a bit of a hassle to have to follow up to see if my payment arrived every month to keep this rate! They also send out these pre printed checks for $2,000 and $3,000 and tell me to deposit them. I tear them up because they are cash advances with a greater than 20% rate attached.

I have not had a problem with this credit card except they will not lower your interest at all. If you want an increase you must submit a fee for that.

You need to watch out for Providia#'s telemarketing tricks. They have called me up several times in the past few months asking that they want to update their files with your personal information. But in truth, they just want to get you on the phone long enough so that they can offer you some promotional offer, one that chances are is no good. When the representative called up (just a few days ago) she offered me a 2.9% rate for three months, then it would turn to around 14.9% (or something along those lines, don't remember the exact figure). Apparently the rep told me that she had already checked my credit report and noticed the outstanding balances I had with the other creditors, and gave me about a five minute lecture on high debt and average interest rates. I found it very rude of them to check my credit report, and tell me how to handle my debt. I guess the rep got a bit annoyed when I told her that my balance was at an APR of 1.9% with Citibank for nine months (she then hung up). All I have to say to Providian is that you need to get with the program, I'm tired of the same tricks you guys play, and I plan to cancel this card as soon as possible to make room for another card with better benefits. Oh and this card has absolutely no useful benefits I could take advantage of in the past four years. My advice, steer clear of this one…

Recived mailer form Providian offering $5,000 credit w/ 5000 bonus points. Required number of "Bonus Points" to recieve any "Rewards are not stated anywhere on literature. - Called their "Customer Service" number (which is listed nowhere on the flier, - had to use web search) and was told that I needed to send in their form with all my personal information PRIOR to them telling me what "Bonus Points" must be accumulated to reap "Rewards". At this I asked they remove me from their mailing list and they promptly hung up on me. FOLKS - BUYER BEWARE

I wrote a check for $8747.00 to Providian and transferred that balance to another card with a fixed 9.9%APR, which freed up some room on my Providian card, I then wanted to do some balance transfers from other accounts to Providian and was told that I would have to wait for a time when Providian was doing balance transfers"2-3months". Any other card would welcome balance transfers and a chance to make more money off of a customer. The fact that I have to wait and keep calling to see if is convenient for you to take my balance transfers really makes me angry and irritated. I will transfer what is left of my balance to a card who will take my transfers at anytime and close my account with Providian. You are a very hard company to do business with.

I have had the VISA PLATINUM for three years now, and though I was very excited when they first gave me a credit limit over $20,000, I really haven't used it. I find that they often call my home or send these very tricky mail offers, they are like checks with fees. I have also had some bad experiences with customer service, as they do not always tell me the full details of a special low rate offer, unless I ask. I have some other Platinum cards such as MBNA and Chase, they offer me frequent low rates and with no fees. The card also has no real benefits for me to take advantage of and I would not recommend it to anyone who is looking for a platinum card with many perks!