Providian Visa Card AGood choice ! (Credit Cards in general)

Member Name: fidgetbrain

Product:	Credit Cards in general
Date:	16/11/01 (1231 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Friendly Service, Better than carrying cash

Disadvantages: Easy to overspend

I recently underwent a credit repair and Providian was one of the first offers of a credit card I had received for some years. Thinking that I may test the water on my new found credit status I duly applied for the card.

The application was pretty simple, just the usual name, address, contact details etc, length of employment etc. I must admit when I filled the application in, I doubted wether I would get any credit because by now, the last time I had any credit was back in 1990, so I thought I may still be considered a risk due to not having a recent credit history (other than blacker than coal).

No fear, within a week I had received a telephone call from Providian customer services who confirmed that I was accepted and would receive my card within a couple of days. True to their word, the card came with a starting credit limit of £500. I was well and truly solvent again !!!

The interest rates on purchases for the first six months is an astonishing NIL % and only 11.9 after the six months.

This makes the card very attractive compared with other banks. I will not go into what interest rates the other banks are offering, but suffice it to say there are not many that offer this kind of rate.

I have had the card approximately 6 months now and the credit limit has been raised twice, I actually telephoned them and asked why they had increased my limit and the response was that because I had not spent up to my limit, or had never been late on sending a payment, then the accounts are automatically reviewed every three months. I found this a little exasperating because lets face it, if you are a little skint and you need to spend a little more than what is available on your account, what do you do ? Phone them up and ask to raise your credit limit ! Er no, not with Providian you don't ! It is not possible for the customer services to intercept the review period and increase your credit limit. Well that's what I was i
nformed anyway.

My partner has nicked the card off me now, to stop me from spending too many pennies, (wouldn't mind but I spend it on her !! )She lets me have it back when we go out for a meal,- so gracious of her don't you think !

Yep, I can well and truly recommend the Providian card to any sensible user when it is offered at these rates. I say this because as usual, most companies don't seem to know what their left arm is doing from their right, I recently received an application offer again from Providian offering 13.9% after the qualifying 6 month period, so please be careful to read the small print BEFORE you apply.

As with any credit card, if you do not want to be charged interest then you MUST pay the whole balance before the due date, if you don't, then the road is slippy and downhill very fast as the balance due amount increases and the available credit limit decreases, it is a fast downwards spiral into some serious financial problems. One aspect of the Providian service I do not agree with, is they sometimes send you blank cheques, wow, how tempting is that to some people ?, I simply rip them up as they arrive. Only go there if you can really trust yourself not to run riot.

Summary: