1
Pricing Supplement dated October 9, 1997                     Rule 424(b)(3)
(To Prospectus dated July  8, 1996 and                       File No. 333-05701
Prospectus Supplement dated October 30, 1996)

                                 ADVANTA CORP.
                    MEDIUM-TERM NOTES, SERIES D - FIXED RATE
===============================================================================
Principal Amount:  $25,000,000                Interest Rate: 7.375%
Agent's Discount or Commission:  $132,500     Stated Maturity Date:  10/16/2000
Net Proceeds to Issuer:  $24,867,500          Original Issue Date:  10/15/97
Issue Price: 100.00%                          Trade Date:  10/09/97
===============================================================================

                                                            
Interest Payment Dates: The 16th day of each April and         Cusip No.:  00756QEF1
                        October, commencing April 16, 1998


Day Count Convention:

         [X]     30/360 for the period from 10/16/97 to 10/15/2000

         [ ]     Actual/360 for the period from       to

         [ ]     Actual/Actual for the period from    to

Redemption:

         [X]     The Notes cannot be redeemed prior to the Stated Maturity Date.

         [ ]     The Notes may be redeemed prior to the Stated Maturity Date.
                 Initial Redemption Date:
                 Initial Redemption Percentage:
                 Annual Redemption Percentage Reduction: ____% until Redemption
                 Percentage is 100% of the principal amount.

Optional Repayment:

         [X]     The Notes cannot be repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date.
                 
         [ ]     The Notes can be repaid prior to the Stated Maturity Date at
                 the option of the holder of the Notes.
                 Option Repayment Dates:
                 Repayment Price: ____%
                 
Currency:

         Specified Currency:  United States Dollars
           (If other than U.S. dollars, see attached)
         Minimum Denominations:
           (Applicable only if Specified Currency is other than U.S. dollars)
         Original Issue Discount:
                           [ ]    Yes     [X]    No

         Total Amount of OID:
         Yield to Maturity:
         Initial Accrual Period:



   2





Form:

         [X]    Book Entry                           [ ]    Certificated

Agent acting in the capacity as indicated below:

         [X]    Agent                                [ ]    Principal

If as Principal:

         [ ]    The Notes are being offered at varying prices related to
                prevailing market prices at the time of resale.

         [ ]    The Notes are being offered at a fixed initial public
                offering price of 100% of principal amount.

If as Agent:

         The Notes are being offered at a fixed initial public offering price of
         100% of principal amount.

[ ]      Other Provisions:

                               RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

         On March 17, 1997, the Company announced that it expects to report a
net profit for full-year 1997 of approximately $1.50 per share, which is well
below previous expectations. For the first quarter of 1997, the Company reported
a loss of $19.8 million, or $0.43 cents per share. On July 16, 1997, the Company
announced its return to profitability and reported net income of $5.4 million,
or earnings per share of $0.12, for the second quarter.

         Beginning March 1997, in connection with the March 17, 1997
announcement described above, the various nationally recognized rating agencies
lowered their ratings of the Company's debt securities. As of the date of this
Pricing Supplement, senior debt of the Company is rated investment grade (at or
above the lowest investment grade level) by three of the rating agencies, but is
rated two levels below investment grade by Standard & Poor's and by Moody's
Investors Service.

         The above-referenced interruption in the Company's historical pattern
of strong financial results reflects a number of factors, including continuing
increases in consumer bankruptcies and charge-offs and lower receivables
balances than originally anticipated in its credit card business. The Company is
pursuing a number of steps designed to return the Company to its historical
level of financial performance by increasing revenues and stemming credit card
losses. These steps include repricing certain segments of the credit card
portfolio, improving the Company's collection process, tightening underwriting
standards and developing new marketing programs. The Company's mortgage
financing, leasing and insurance businesses continue to perform well.

         On March 17, 1997, the Company also announced that it has retained BT
Wolfensohn, a division of BT Securities Corporation, to explore all strategic
alternatives that build upon the historic strength and success of the Company as
a whole and of its business units with the aim of maximizing the Company's
value. The strategic alternatives that might be considered by the Company
include, but are not limited to, a strategic alliance with another company, an
alliance or initial public offering involving one or more of the 


   3

Company's operating units, or a merger or sale involving the Company as a whole.
There is no assurance that any such event will occur.

                   ------------------------------------------

         This Pricing Supplement contains forward-looking statements, including,
but not limited to, projections of future earnings, that are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially
from those projected. Significant risks and uncertainties include: the Company's
managed net interest margin, which in turn is affected by the Company's success
in originating new credit card accounts, the receivables volume and initial
pricing of new accounts, the impact of repricing existing accounts and account
attrition, the mix of account types and interest rate fluctuations; the level of
delinquencies, customer bankruptcies, and charge-offs; and the amount and rate
of growth in the Company's expenses. The Company's earnings also may be
significantly affected by factors that affect consumer debt, competitive
pressures from other providers of financial services, the effects of
governmental regulation, the amount and cost of financing available to the
Company and its subsidiaries, the difficulty or inability to securitize the
Company's receivables and the impact of the ratings of debt of the Company and
its subsidiaries. Additional risks that may affect the Company's future
performance are set forth elsewhere in the Company's filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

         [ ]  Salomon Brothers Inc

                [X]  Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.

                            [ ]  CS First Boston

                                         [ ] Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette
                                                 Securities Corporation

                                                     [ ] Merrill Lynch & Co.