M&S credit card (A review)
By
HuutiMoney
In this brief blog, we are going to discuss the M&S credit card, its features and what to consider when applying for one.
M&S credit card
The M&S credit cards are provided by the M&S bank which is the Marks and Spencers bank from the flagship high street retailer.
The M&S bank offers 3 main M&S credit cards but they are all offered with the same APR but different introductory offers. The APR for the 3 M&S credit cards is :19.9% APR
representative variable this is on an assumed credit of £1,200.
What are the benefits of an M&S credit card?
Some of the benefits of an M&S credit card are:
Introductory purchase rate
Introductory balance transfer rate
Balance transfer feature
Earn points whilst shopping
Preferential rates on travel money
55 day interest-free
Bonus vouchers and points
Is the M&S credit card Visa or MasterCard?
The M&S credit card is provided by MasterCard. You can use it wherever you see the Mastercard logo.
What is the minimum payment on a M&S credit card?
The minimum payments on your M&S credit card are calculated in one of two ways, depending on when you applied for the card: If you applied before 1 March 2011, your minimum payment will be 2.5% of the balance, or £5 per month.
Is the M&S credit card contactless?
Yes, your M&S credit card is contactless. This means you can use it for transactions up to £30 without having to input your pin at the terminal.
Can you use M&S credit card anywhere?
Yes, you can use your M&S credit card anywhere you see the Mastercard logo as they are provided by Mastercard.
The three M&S credit cards are:
The shopping plus offer
The rewards plus offer
And the transfer plus offer.
The shopping plus offer credit card
The M&S shopping plus offer credit card is a purchase, rewards and balance transfer card all in one.
The main features of this card are:
You get 0% on shopping for 20 months. This means you can shop wherever you see the mastercard logo and you won’t be charged interest. You may have to pay your minimum monthly payment each month for this offer to continue.
You get 0% on balance transfers for 20 months, available for 90 days from when you open the account although there is a 2.9% fee or minimum charge of £5.
You will earn Marks & Spencer points every time you shop anywhere in the world. The card will give you 1 point for every £1 you spend in Marks and spencers and 1 point for every £5 you spend everywhere else.
You will also receive a bonus points offer of 500 points which are worth £5 when you spend on food and clothing in Marks and spencers. This voucher will be posted to your house alongside your new card. Terms and conditions apply here so be sure to read the terms.
The APR of this card is Representative 19.9% APR variable
You will get up to 55 days interest-free whenever you pay your credit card balance in full and on time each month.
You can use your M&S credit card to order money from Marks and spencers with preferential rates and no cash advance fee.
You can add an additional cardholder to your M&S credit card.
The M&S credit card has an advanced fraud detection system which means you can shop in peace and confidence.
You can see how much you may potentially earn reward points with this nice tool on the M&S website.
You can work out the cost of transferring a balance to the M&S credit card with the calculator here.
You will also get an extra £20 in voucher for Marks and Spencers.
You can go online(online banking) to view your statement, pay your bill or even check your M&S points balance. You can do this here.
You can apply for the M&S shopping plus offer credit card here. You can also apply for this M&S credit card by calling 0800 997 996.
The rewards plus offer credit card
The M&S rewards plus offer credit card is a purchase, rewards and balance transfer card all in one.
The main features of this card are:
You get 0% on shopping for 6 months. This means you can shop wherever you see the MasterCard logo and you won’t be charged interest. You may have to pay your minimum monthly payment each month for this offer to continue.
You get 0% on balance transfers for 6 months, available for 90 days from when you open the account although there is a 2.9% fee or a minimum charge of £5.
You will earn Marks & Spencer points every time you shop anywhere in the world. In your first year you will earn 2 points for every £1 you spend in Marks and Spencers.The card will give you 1 point for every £1 you spend in Marks and spencers and 1 point for every £5 you spend everywhere else after the first year.
You’ll also receive a joining bonus of 2,000 M&S points worth £20 if you use your card within the first 90 days. This will be sent to you as a voucher with your quarterly rewards statement. Terms and conditions apply here so be sure to read the terms.
The APR of this card is Representative 19.9% APR variable
You will get up to 55 days interest-free whenever you pay your credit card balance in full and on time each month.
You can use your M&S credit card to order money from Marks and spencers with preferential rates and no cash advance fee.
The M&S credit card has an advanced fraud detection system which means you can shop in peace and confidence.
You can see how much you may potentially earn reward points with this nice tool on the M&S website.
You can work out the cost of transferring a balance to the M&S credit card with the calculator here.
You will also get an extra £20 in voucher for Marks and Spencers.
You can go online(online banking) to view your statement, pay your bill or even check your M&S points balance. You can do this here.
You can apply for the M&S shopping plus offer credit card here. You can also apply for this M&S credit card by calling 0800 997 996.
The transfer plus offer credit card
The M&S transfer plus offer credit card is a purchase, rewards and balance transfer card all in one.
The main features of this card are:
You get 0% on shopping for 6 months. This means you can shop wherever you see the mastercard logo and you won’t be charged interest. You may have to pay your minimum monthly payment each month for this offer to continue.
You get 0% on balance transfers for 28 months, available for 90 days from when you open the account although there is a 2.9% fee or minimum charge of £5.
You will earn Marks & Spencer points every time you shop anywhere in the world. The card will give you 1 point for every £1 you spend in Marks and spencers and 1 point for every £5 you spend everywhere else.
You will also receive a bonus points offer of 500 points which are worth £5 when you spend on food and clothing in Marks and spencers. This voucher will be posted to your house alongside your new card. Terms and conditions apply here so be sure to read the terms.
The APR of this card is Representative 19.9% APR variable
You will get up to 55 days interest-free whenever you pay your credit card balance in full and on time each month.
You can use your M&S credit card to order money from Marks and spencers with preferential rates and no cash advance fee.
You can add an additional cardholder to your M&S credit card.
The M&S credit card has an advanced fraud detection system which means you can shop in peace and confidence.
You can see how much you may potentially earn reward points with this nice tool on the M&S website.
You can work out the cost of transferring a balance to the M&S credit card with the calculator here.
You will also get an extra £20 in voucher for Marks and Spencers.
You can go online(online banking) to view your statement, pay your bill or even check your M&S points balance. You can do this here.
You can apply for the M&S shopping plus offer credit card here. You can also apply for this M&S credit card by calling 0800 997 996.
How do I pay my M&S credit card?
You can pay your M&S credit card by direct debit. You can choose to pay the minim balance required or your statement balance.
You can arrange for your direct debit through online banking or by calling M&S on 0345 900 0900
To set up a direct debit for your M&S credit card, log in to online banking here, click ‘M&S Credit Card’ which is found under My Accounts’ then under ‘Make a Payment’ select ‘Set up a Direct Debit’.
You can now set it up online or download a direct debit mandate and send it via post.
You can sign up for online banking here.
What to consider when getting your credit card?
Whilst the M&S credit card may be right for you, there could also be other potential credit cards which suit you better. It is always advisable to use a credit card eligibility checker
Which provides you with all the credit cards you may be eligible for outside of the M&S credit card.
When comparing multiple credit cards; below are the things you should look out for before applying.
Eligibility
Each card issuer will have its own lending criteria that you will need to meet before they will provide you with an offer of credit. There are now credit card eligibility checker platforms which let you know which credit cards you are eligible for and which you have a high probability of getting on application.
Most credit card providers now have their own credit card eligibility systems in place which will let you know if you will be approved for a credit card with them or not. These tools use a soft credit check t pull your credit file data and hence does not leave any footprints which are visible to the public or harm your credit score.
You should avoid applying for a credit card if you are not confident you will be accepted as rejections for credit could damage your credit score and history. This may then affect your ability to get further credit in the future.
Interest rates
When getting a credit card, the interest rates on the credit card are a very important factor and you should always lookout for the APR figure. The interest rates on the credit card are the rates that will be charged on any outstanding credit card balance which you carry over from one month to another. If you pay your credit card balance in full each month then you will not have any interest to pay.
Credit cards typically come with up to 55 interest-free days on purchases if you don’t carry a balance month-to-month.
Credit limits
You should look at the credit Credit limits when choosing a credit card provider as the credit card limits will determine how much you can spend on your credit card. Most credit card providers may offer you a credit limit increase if you can show good credit behaviour over a few months.
Rewards and perks
Credit card providers offer various rewards and perks but usually, these are reserved for applicants with high credit scores.
Fees
Some credit card providers will have annual fees on their credit cards but these are usually for credit cards with high credit card limits and lots of rewards or perks.
You should always check what fees are attached to your credit card. These can include annual or monthly account fees, cash advance (withdrawing cash using the card) fees, overseas transaction fees and others.
How to get your M&S credit card
To get your M&S credit card, check to see if you have a credit score first.
If you are unsure of what your credit score is then you should check your credit score from the four credit bureaus in the UK: Experian, Crediva, Equifax and Transunion.
Some of these credit bureaus may charge you a fee to view your credit report so what you can alternatively do is request a statutory credit report which is a free credit report which each credit bureau must provide to you upon you requesting it.
Alternatively, you can also use credit score services such as Checkmyfile and clearscore to check your credit report.
Once you have done this you should then check on a credit card eligibility platform to see what credit cards you are eligible for and then apply for the best credit card. This may be the M&S credit card or it could be another credit card from a different provider which suits you better.
How to contact the Marks and Spencers bank?
Via phone:
Applications only: 0800 997 996
Monday to Friday: 8am-9pm
Saturday: 8am-8pm
Sunday: 10am-6pm
Lost/stolen cards: 0800 085 2411
or +44 (0)1244 879080 from abroad
Customer Services/Complaints: 0345 900 0900
Internet Banking help: 0800 363 459
Lines are open 24 hours
Card Security teamFootnote 2†: 0345 602 1568
Monday to Saturday: 8am-9pm
Sunday: 9am-9pm
Via post:
M&S Bank
PO Box 10565
51 Saffron Road
Wigston
LE18 9FT
If you have any questions or comments please let us know.
If you need financial advice and you live in the UK then you could contact the Money Advice service over the phone or via chat for impartial advice.
You can also contact the debt charity “Step Change” if you are in debt and need help.
