Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team
Virgin Money vs Sainsbury's
Virgin Money
Higher score in this comparison
Sainsbury's
Where Virgin Money and Sainsbury's differ
| Compare | Virgin MoneyReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives | Sainsbury'sReviewSee alternativesSee alternatives |
|---|---|---|
| APR | 27.9% | 20.95%Lower |
| Rewards type | Cashback | Points |
| Balance transfer intro period | 21 months | 34 monthsHigher |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.95% | 2.88% to 3.88%Lower |
| Perks | Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases, Money transfer option, Virgin Money Cashback offers in the credit card app, 24/7 in app chat support with Redi, Virgin Money Rewards and Virgin Red offers | Nectar points |
| Annual fee | Not confirmed | £0 |
| Currency conversion fee | 0% | Not confirmed |
| Rewards rate | Not confirmed | 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere |
Same on both: Card kind (Credit).
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Key differences
- Virgin Money scores higher overall: 9.5 vs 9.1.
- APR is lower at Sainsbury's: 20.95% vs 27.9%.
- Balance transfer fee is lower at Sainsbury's: 2.88% to 3.88% vs 2.95%.
- Balance transfer intro period is higher at Sainsbury's: 34 months vs 21 months.
- Perks: only Virgin Money offers Up to 21 months 0% interest on balance transfers, Up to 21 months 0% interest on purchases, Money transfer option.
- Perks: only Sainsbury's offers Nectar points.
- Features: only Virgin Money offers Travel.
- Features: only Sainsbury's offers Rewards.
Our verdict on each
Virgin Money
Virgin Money suits UK readers who want a free everyday account and foreign spending at a currency conversion fee of 0%. The provider pairs a debit current account with a cashback credit card, so the same name covers day to day money and borrowing, and the account costs nothing to keep.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's is a points credit card for shoppers who already spend with the supermarket and want no annual charge, paying 20.95% on borrowing. The balance transfer offer, with a fee of 2.88% to 3.88% across a 34 intro period, is the reason to look past the everyday card when old balances need clearing.
Score breakdown
| Area | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.4HigherA monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, with the credit card APR of 27.9% the cost drag. | 9.2Annual fee of £0 helps, but 20.95% interest and a 2.88% to 3.88% transfer fee keep costs mid-range. |
| Offer | 9.6Higher | 9.0Points as the points reward plus a 34 balance transfer window cover everyday spend and old debt. |
| Trust | Not confirmed | 9.0 |
Moving a 3,000 balance
Virgin Money
88.5
2.95% of 3,000
Sainsbury's
86.4 to 116.4
2.88% to 3.88% of 3,000
Sainsbury's comes out 2.1 lower in this example.
Worked out from the stated prices and rates; your own total depends on how you use it. Facts checked September 26, 2026.
Which one suits you
Pick Virgin Money if offer matter most.
Pick Sainsbury's if apr, balance transfer intro period, and balance transfer fee matter most.
Availability and regulation
| Country | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Not confirmed |
Available in 1 country for both.
If neither fits
HSBC UK has balance transfer intro period at 17 to 36 months, against 21 months for Virgin Money and 34 months for Sainsbury's.
HSBC UK reviewHow they place
| Ranking | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Credit cards | 77 of 1020 | 171 of 1020 |
| Balance transfer cards | 2 of 35 | 13 of 35 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Not confirmed | No annual fee |
| Features | Travel | Rewards |
| Legal entity | Nationwide Building Society (trading as Virgin Money) | Sainsbury's Bank plc |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom | United Kingdom |
| Founded | Not confirmed | 1996 |
| Support channels | Phone, Email, Help centre | Not confirmed |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fee | Not confirmed | £0at the median | £0 |
| APR | 27.9%highest quarter | 20.95%above the median | 19.39% |
| Currency conversion fee | 0%below the median | Not confirmed | 1% |
| Balance transfer intro period | 21 monthsabove the median | 34 monthshighest quarter | 15 months |
| Balance transfer fee | 2.95%below the median | 2.88% to 3.88%below the median | 3% |
Median across 312 listed cards.
Pros and cons
Virgin Money
Pros
- The current account carries a monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, so holding it and spending abroad are both free.
- Balance transfers run interest free for 21 with a fee of 2.95%, a cheap way to clear old card debt.
- Support runs on phone, email and help centre, and the card side adds round the clock in-app chat support with Redi.
Cons
- The credit card charges 27.9%, so a balance left past the interest free window of 21 is expensive to clear.
- Cashback belongs to the credit card, so debit account holders lean on Virgin Money Rewards and Virgin Red offers instead.
- A monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0% apply to the current account, while the card side runs on 27.9%, so the two halves need judging separately.
Sainsbury's
Pros
- Spending in the supermarket earns the stronger rate set out in 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere, so card spend in a single place is worth more.
- Clearing an old balance is possible: the transfer window runs 34 and the charge for moving the balance is 2.88% to 3.88%.
- The card is issued by Sainsbury's Bank plc, trading since 1996, rather than by a newer entrant.
Cons
- Borrowing is not cheap: 20.95% applies to anything carried from one statement to the next, so the card only pays when balances are cleared.
- The balance transfer is a paid deal rather than a free one, with 2.88% to 3.88% for the balance moved and 20.95% charged outside the 34 window.
- The reward is points tied to a single supermarket chain, and the thinner part of 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere covers everything else.
Who each suits
Virgin Money
Who it suits
- Readers in the UK who want an everyday account with a monthly fee of £0 and a currency conversion fee of 0%, so a trip costs no more to run than a week at home.
- Anyone clearing an old balance, who can move it for a fee of 2.95% and pay no interest for 21.
- People who want a debit account and a cashback card from one provider, with phone and email support (phone, email and help centre) when a payment needs checking.
Who should look elsewhere
- Chime Card (Secured Visa Credit Card), for readers who want a card tied to a deposit; its monthly fee of $0 comes with that secured card rather than lending at 27.9%.
- Varo Believe Secured Credit Card, for readers whose limit should track a deposit; its monthly fee of $0 comes with a secured card instead of credit at 27.9%.
Sainsbury's
Who it suits
- Shoppers who put most of their card spend through the supermarket and already collect Nectar points.
- Borrowers clearing a balance on another card who can use the 34 window and pay the 2.88% to 3.88% fee.
- People who pay their statement in full each month and want a credit card carrying an annual fee of £0.
Who should look elsewhere
- Starling Personal Account Debit Card, where everyday spending comes straight from the account balance instead of accruing 20.95% on a credit card.
- Varo Believe Secured Credit Card or Chime Card, which also charge an annual fee and suit anyone focused on secured credit building rather than points at 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere.
- Anyone who spends little in the supermarket, since the thinner rate in 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere then covers most of the card use.
Country by country
| Country | Virgin Money | Sainsbury's |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Yes | Yes |
Questions about each
Virgin Money
What does the Virgin Money current account cost to run each month?+
The current account has a monthly fee of £0, so there is no charge for keeping it open. Spending abroad is covered by a currency conversion fee of 0%, which means changing money on a trip does not add a markup either. The two figures most people compare before choosing an account are the two this one keeps at nil.
Is there really no extra charge when I use the card abroad?+
The currency conversion fee on the current account is 0%, so the amount that leaves your balance is the amount the card screen showed, with nothing added by the provider. You still pay what the shop or restaurant charges, and the exchange rate a network offers can move. Virgin Money simply does not layer a foreign transaction charge on top of it.
Sainsbury's
What does it cost to keep the card open?+
The annual fee is £0 on the main card, so there is no charge for holding it year on year. That applies to the card as issued; the balance transfer deal is the only other fee the terms set out, at 2.88% to 3.88% for the balance moved. Borrowing, not holding, is what costs money here.
What rate is charged if I carry a balance?+
Purchases that are not cleared each month are charged at 20.95%. That rate is the card's real cost, and it applies whatever the rewards are doing, so the card suits someone who pays in full each statement rather than revolving a balance month to month.
Other options to compare
Other matchups
Virgin Money
Sainsbury's