Proviian Financial Corporation was one of the leading credit card issuers in the United States. It was headquartered in San Francisco, California, Providian had more than 10 million card holders and was ranked as the ninth largest credit card issuer. In October 2005, Providian was sold to Washington Mutual for approximately $6.5 billion. Washington Mutual will run the company as a wholly owned subsidiary, continuing to operate out of its San Francisco headquarters. The company employed approximately 3,000 employees nationwide. Providian had significant operations in California, New Hampshire, and Texas.