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Sainsbury's review

Updated September 28, 2026 · DebitCue Editorial Team · Facts checked September 26, 2026

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Our verdict

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.

Key facts

Best for
Sainsbury's regulars who want a supermarket points card, an annual fee of £0 and a balance transfer option.
Annual fee
£0 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
APR
20.95% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards type
Points (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Rewards rate
2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Balance transfer intro period
34 months (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Balance transfer fee
2.88% to 3.88% (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Perks
Nectar points (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Card kind
Credit (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Legal entity
Sainsbury's Bank plc (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Headquarters
United Kingdom (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Founded
1996 (Source, checked September 26, 2026)
Pricing model
No annual fee
Features
Rewards
Official website
sainsburys.co.uk

Apps and profiles

Get the app
App Store
Elsewhere
WikidataWikipediaX

Pros and cons

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.
  • It matches Varo Believe Secured Credit Card at $0 and Chime Card at $0 on the annual fee, and adds a points reward on top.

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.
Sainsbury's

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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.

Rewards and perks

The reward is points, and the rate is 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere. The supermarket part of that rate is what carries the card, so putting the bulk of card spend through a single chain matters more here than the headline. The perks listed for the card are Nectar points, the same scheme the grocery shop already runs, which means the reward is usable where the spending happens. For a shopper who already collects the points, the card feeds an existing balance. For someone whose card spend is spread across shops, the everyday rate in 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere is the whole story, and the balance transfer offer becomes the more interesting part of the card.

Where it sits among rivals

The annual fee ranking is the flattering part of the picture, with the card placed in 1 out of 301 cards compared on that measure. The APR ranking is less comfortable, putting it in 68 out of 133 cards compared on the rate charged for borrowing. Read together, the rankings describe a card built to be kept and used for spending rather than for long-term borrowing. Anyone choosing on cost alone should weigh the fee ranking against the rate ranking, because the card ranks well on one measure and mid-table on the other.

Fees and currency costs

The annual fee on the card is £0, so holding it open adds no charge. Purchases that are not paid in full are charged at 20.95%, and that rate is the number to watch for anyone who expects to carry a balance. The balance transfer offer is the fee worth planning around: moving a balance to the card costs 2.88% to 3.88%, and the transfer is not charged at 20.95% for the length of the intro period. Set that charge against 20.95% on the same sum over the same stretch, and the fee usually pays for itself, provided the transferred balance can be cleared inside the window rather than rolled into the next statement.

How Sainsbury's compares

Where Sainsbury's is available

Available
United Kingdom

Countries from the brand (Source, checked September 26, 2026)

Frequently asked questions

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.

How long is the balance transfer offer and what does it cost?+

The intro period runs 34, and moving a balance in during that window costs 2.88% to 3.88%. The fee buys the whole window, so the arithmetic only works if the transferred balance can be repaid inside 34. Afterwards the balance is charged at 20.95% like any other borrowing on the card.

What do I earn on spending?+

The reward is points, and the rate is 2 points per GBP1 at Sainsbury's, 1 point per GBP5 elsewhere. The supermarket part of that rate is what carries the card, so a shopper who puts the bulk of card spend through a single chain does better here than someone whose spending is spread out.

Is this a credit card or a debit card?+

It is a credit card, so a statement balance builds up and has to be paid off, at 20.95% if it is carried. Debit alternatives such as Starling Personal Account Debit Card take spending straight from the account balance instead, which suits people who never carry a statement balance.

Who runs the card and how long has it been going?+

The issuer is Sainsbury's Bank plc, headquartered in the United Kingdom and trading since 1996. The card is run by a long established bank rather than a newer entrant, which is useful context for anyone weighing how settled the offer is likely to be.

How does it rank against other cards on fees and interest?+

On annual fee the card sits in 1 out of 301 cards compared, because the fee is £0. On APR the position is 68 out of 133, which reflects a rate of 20.95%. The fee ranking is the flattering part of the picture.

Is there a promotional deal running on the card?+

The card is sold on a no annual fee basis: the £0 annual fee is the standing arrangement rather than a deal that runs for a limited period. Balance transfer terms are separate, and the 2.88% to 3.88% fee with the 34 window is the part worth checking each time a fresh offer starts.

Sources

Compiled from 6 source pages, checked September 26, 2026. We did not open an account.

Not confirmed yet: Currency conversion fee.

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's

Sainsbury's regulars who want a supermarket points card, an annual fee of £0 and a balance transfer option.

9.1/10See alternatives