SAN FRANCISCO – Providian bank has begun offering a card which rewards cardholders not only for purchases but also for paying bills on time and carrying a balance. "After listening to mainstream Americans across the country, we found some major gaps between how consumers say they want to be treated by their credit card company, and how they are actually being treated," said Warren Wilcox, Providian's Vice Chairman of Planning and Marketing. "Based on this input, we've made a committed effort to reinvent our company to better meet people's needs." Providian Real Rewards cardholders will earn rewards for making purchases (one point per $1 spent), maintaining a balance (10 points for every $100 in revolving balances every billing cycle), and making payments on time (500 points for on-time payments in six consecutive billing cycles).