With the Amex Nectar Card you'll earn Nectar points whenever you use it, and subject to a minimum spend requirement (see details above) you'll also earn a very appealing welcome points bonus.
There are a couple of other great ways this card can help you boost your Nectar earnings too. For each friend you refer you'll earn a cool 5,000 points, up to a maximum of 90,000 points per year. You could also opt to take Amex up on the offer of an additional card, perhaps for a partner, so that you'll earn points on all their spending too. If you do this, bear in mind that in the UK credit card accounts can only ever be in one person's name, so you'll be solely responsibly for all spending on the card.
As with all reward point credit cards, if you carry a balance from month to month, what you’ll pay in interest will almost certainly outweigh what you’ll earn in rewards. Clear your balance in full each month, however, and you’ll take advantage of the card’s interest-free grace period on purchases – meaning it doesn’t have to cost you a penny.
With a Nectar credit card, you can earn points while you spend (in addition to those that you'd usually earn when you swipe your regular Nectar card at Sainsbury's and other selected stores), safe in the knowledge that you'll have no trouble redeeming your points at a range of high street and online stores.
| Issuer | American Express |
| Network | Amex |
| Representative APR | 37.8% APR (variable) |
| Annual/monthly fees | Year 1 - £0, Year 2 onwards - £30 per annum |
| Loyalty scheme | Nectar Points |
| Incentive | New welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus Nectar points when you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months. Earn a minimum of 3 Nectar points for virtually every £1 spent at Nectar partners, and 2 Nectar points for virtually every £1 spent elsewhere. |
| Incentive on opening | New welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus Nectar points when you spend £2,000 in your first 3 months. Earn a minimum of 3 Nectar points for virtually every £1 spent at Nectar partners, and 2 Nectar points for virtually every £1 spent elsewhere. |
| Additional Rewards Info | Refund Protection - provides refunds to cardmembers in the event of any retailer, online or offline, refusing to refund the value of any goods taken back within 90 days of them being purchased, maximum £200. Global Assist - 24/7 help available when travelling outside the UK. Access to tickets for must-see music, theatre and film events, often before they go on sale to the general public with American Express Experiences. Eligible for American Express Offers where cardmembers can choose offers from selected retailers to obtain discounts or cashback. |
| Purchases | 31% |
| Purchases interest-free period (days) | 56 |
| Balance transfers | 31% |
| Potential costs | 3.0 ★★★★★ |
| Doing its job | 4.0 ★★★★★ |
| Extras | 4.7 ★★★★★ |
| Overall Finder Score | 3.8 ★★★★★ |
| Minimum monthly payment | 2% or £25 (whichever is greater) or the total of any interest, default fees and charges, 1/12th of annual fee plus 2% of the outstanding balance. |
| Annual/monthly fees | Year 1 - £0, Year 2 onwards - £30 per annum |
| Balance transfer fee | 3% |
| Foreign usage charge (EU) | 2.99% |
| Foreign usage charge (rest of world) | 2.99% |
| Cash advance fee | 3% (min. £3) |
| Late payment fee | £12 |
| Replacement card fee | £0 |
| Duplicate statement fee | £2 |
| Exceeding limit fee | £0 |
| Additional card fee | £0 |
| Dormancy fee | £0 |
| Minimum Age | 18 |
| Residency | Current UK bank or building society account required. |
| Availability | Available to new customers |
Approval for any credit card depends on your status. The representative APRs shown represent the interest rate offered to most successful applicants. Depending on your personal circumstances, the APR you're offered may be higher, or you may not be offered credit at all. Fees and rates are subject to change without notice. It's always wise to check the terms of any deal before you borrow. Most of the data in Finder's comparison tables is provided by Moneyfacts.
You can make manual repayments through American Express's app by logging in to your online banking or over the phone (0800 917 8015). Alternatively, you may wish to set up a direct debit.
A direct debit protects you from forgetting to make a repayment and either damaging your credit score, getting hit with a penalty fee (£12) or losing any promotional rates as a result.
You can arrange a direct debit for repayments when you apply for the credit card. The table below shows the options available.
| Minimum amount | Fixed amount | Fixed percentage | Full amount |
|---|---|---|---|
First, you can use Finder's eligibility checker to find out if you'd be likely to get approved for the Nectar Credit Card. This won't impact your credit score. If it's good news, you can then proceed to American Express's online application, which takes 10–15 minutes to complete.
If Sainsbury’s is your supermarket of choice, and you’re looking to get something back on your weekly shop, the American Express Nectar credit card lets you earn additional Nectar points. You’ll also be able to earn bonus introductory points, and benefit from a generous referral scheme if you have friends or family who also sign up for the card.
Of course, there’s also an annual fee that kicks in after the first year, which means you’ll need to be using your card relatively regularly to come out ahead.
You can earn bonus Nectar points if you spend more than £2,000 in the first three months, and can then get two points for every full £1 you spend using your card. You can also get up to 90,000 bonus points per year by referring friends to American Express, provided they are approved.
You can spend your Nectar points at a range of locations including Sainsbury's, Argos, Caffe Nero, Vue Cinemas, as well as eBay and even Eurostar. Find out what other credit cards offer Nectar point rewards here.
The minimum credit limit is 700, but your specific credit limit will depend on factors like your credit rating and financial situation.
This depends on whether you manage to pay off your balance each month. If not, you'll pay a variable rate of on purchases, as well as a 3% (min. £3) cash advance fee. There's no annual fee for the first year, but you'll then pay £25 for each subsequent year.
Our experts score rewards credit cards to determine their value against similar products on the market. We look at a number of important factors, like welcome bonuses, introductory and ongoing earn-rates, any caps or restrictions on the points you can earn, plus the potential costs involved with running the card both in the short and longer term.
You can read more about our scoring criteria on our credit card methodology page.
