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The Sainsbury's Nectar Credit Card is no longer available to new applicants. Sainsbury's Bank ceased offering credit cards following its acquisition by NatWest in 2024, with all accounts transferred or closed by 2025. If you want to earn Nectar points on credit card spending, the Amex Nectar card is the main alternative. See our review of that card here.

This page preserves a summary of the original Sainsbury's Nectar Credit Card for historical reference.

About the card

The Sainsbury’s Nectar Credit Card was both a rewards card and a purchases credit card. It offered relatively good in-store rewards for Sainsbury's shoppers, a decent 0% purchases period, but was less useful for delivering competitive rewards on general, out-of-store spending. So while you could use the card for a large upcoming purchase and take advantage of paying no interest on purchases for 6 months, you wouldn't earn significant rewards on that purchase unless it was at Sainsbury's, Argos or Tu Clothing.

The card carried no annual fee and a representative APR of 22.9% variable on purchases.

How rewards worked

Nectar points were earned at the following rates:

• 3 points per £1 spent at Sainsbury's, Argos and Tu Clothing (when the Nectar card was also swiped)

• 1 point per £5 spent elsewhere

Given a Nectar point's value of 0.5p, this translated to a rewards rate of approximately 1.5% at Sainsbury's and a very modest 0.1% elsewhere. The card was therefore most valuable for those who did a significant proportion of their shopping at Sainsbury's.

A welcome bonus of 8,000 Nectar points was available to new cardholders who spent £400 or more at Sainsbury's, Argos or Tu Clothing within the first two months.

0% periods

The card offered up to 6 months of 0% interest on new purchases. A balance transfer facility was also available, though the 3% transfer fee for just 3 months at 0% was not particularly competitive compared to dedicated balance transfer cards at the time.

How the rewards compared

The Sainsbury's card matched the Amex Nectar card on in-store Sainsbury's rewards but was significantly behind on out-of-store spending, the main limitation of the card.

A note on Nectar points

Nectar points are worth 0.5p each when redeemed at Sainsbury's and partner brands, though promotional offers (such as Double Up events) can increase the value. Points do not technically expire, but a Nectar account may be closed if no points are earned or redeemed in a rolling 12-month period, resulting in all accumulated points being lost. Worth keeping in mind for anyone still holding legacy Nectar points.

To redeem Nectar points at a particular Sainsbury's store, you must have previously shopped and earned points at that specific store within the past 12 months. This can catch people out when visiting a larger or different branch than their usual one.

Current alternatives for earning Nectar points on a credit card

American Express Nectar Credit Card

The Amex Nectar Credit Card lets cardholders earn Nectar points through credit card spending. It earns 2 Nectar points per £1 on all eligible spending (not just at Sainsbury's) with a welcome bonus of 20,000 Nectar points (worth £100) for new cardholders who spend £2,000 in the first three months. The card carries a £30 annual fee, waived in the first year. The main limitation is acceptance: Amex is not accepted everywhere, so a Visa or Mastercard backup may be needed.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.1% p.a. (variable) and an annual fee of £30 (waived in year one), the representative APR is 35.8% variable.

NatWest Nectar Credit Card

NatWest offers a Visa-based Nectar card, which earns 1 Nectar point per £2 spent at Sainsbury's, Argos, Habitat and Tu Clothing. The earn rate is lower than the Amex option but the Visa network is more widely accepted. No annual fee.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 24.9% p.a. (variable) with no annual fee, the representative APR is 24.9% variable.

For general spending rewards

The Platinum Cashback Everyday Card by American Express earns 0.5% to 1% cashback on all spending with no annual fee, paid as an annual statement credit. For those who shop across multiple retailers rather than primarily at Sainsbury's, a general cashback card may return more over time — though the same Amex acceptance caveat applies.

Representative example: Based on an assumed credit limit of £1,200 at a purchase rate of 29.1% p.a. (variable) with no annual fee, the representative APR is 29.1% variable.

Card details for current products correct as of July 2026. Terms, APRs and availability are subject to change — always verify current details directly with each provider before applying. This article is for general information only and does not constitute financial advice. ClearScore is a credit broker, not a lender.