Sainsbury’s Travel Money Guide
Who Sainsbury's Travel Money is for
Sainsbury's Travel Money fits two specific shoppers really well. First, regular Sainsbury's customers who already collect Nectar points. Second, anyone who wants a single provider that does it all: cash, a prepaid card, and a way to sell unused currency back at the end of the trip.
The standout reason to use Sainsbury's is the Nectar Card discount. Most rivals only give you a better rate when you sign in online or scan an app. Sainsbury's extends the better rate to online, on the phone, and at the counter in-store. If you're a Nectar member buying any meaningful amount of currency, that consistency across all three channels makes it the most generous loyalty programme in UK travel money.
If you don't have a Nectar card, or there's no Sainsbury's near you, the offer is more standard. Worth comparing rates against rivals before you commit.
What you can buy and how
Sainsbury's offers the widest range of services among the UK supermarket travel-money providers:
- In-store at one of the 200+ bureaus. Walk-in service, full currency range, knowledgeable staff. The bureaus are inside the larger Sainsbury's stores.
- Click & Collect. Order online at today's rate, then collect from your chosen bureau. Free, no commission.
- Home delivery. Sent by Royal Mail. Free on orders £500 or more, £4.99 below. Order before 2pm Monday to Thursday for next-day arrival.
- Travel Money Card. A prepaid Mastercard you load before you travel that holds several currencies at once. One of the few providers still offering this; the others are Post Office, Tesco, Travelex and Eurochange.
- Click & Sell. An online way to lock in a buy-back rate for unused currency. You reserve the rate online, then take the notes to a bureau within the holding window.
That mix of cash, card and buy-back makes Sainsbury's a one-stop travel-money shop few rivals match.
How Click & Collect works
Order online, pick a bureau, pay, then collect. The mechanics are standard:
- Order at the rate published on the Sainsbury's Travel Money site. Nectar members enter their Nectar number to see the discounted rate.
- Pay by debit or credit card.
- Collect from your chosen Sainsbury's bureau.
When you arrive, bring the email confirmation, the card you paid with, and a photo ID. The ID check is standard for buying foreign cash in the UK; every bureau asks for the same.
The Click & Collect maximum at Sainsbury's is £4,500, one of the highest in the UK market. Most rivals stop at £2,500 or £3,000. For a larger family holiday or business trip, that means fewer split orders.
Home delivery
Sainsbury's home delivery is competitive but not the cheapest:
- Free on orders £500 or more
- £4.99 delivery fee below £500
- Royal Mail delivery (signed-for, insured)
- Next-day delivery for orders before 2pm Monday to Thursday
The £500 free-delivery threshold matches Post Office, Asda and John Lewis. The £4.99 fee under £500 is in line with Asda. Where Sainsbury's stands out is that the Nectar discount also applies to home delivery rates. Most rivals' loyalty programmes don't extend that far.
The Mon-Thu cutoff is a quirk worth knowing. Order on Friday after 2pm and the delivery slips into the following week. Plan ahead if you're flying on a Monday morning.
Sainsbury's Travel Money Card
The prepaid Mastercard is one of the strongest reasons to choose Sainsbury's over rivals without a card:
- Holds several currencies at once (the Sainsbury's product page lists which ones; it covers all the major holiday destinations)
- Chip and PIN protected, plus an app you can use to freeze and unfreeze the card
- Additional card available at purchase, which is handy for couples or family travellers
- Customer Services line for lost-card emergencies, with the option of an emergency cash advance up to your available balance depending on where you are
When the trip ends, you have several ways to close the card cleanly: pull the balance out at an ATM, take it to a bureau for a refund in pounds, or call Card Services for a refund into your UK bank account. There's also an option to donate any small balance left over to charity, which saves you the hassle of withdrawing a few quid.
The card competes head-on with the Post Office, Tesco and Travelex cards. Sainsbury's is competitive, but worth checking each card's specific fees (overseas ATM fees, inactivity fees, fees for spending in a currency you didn't load) before you settle.
What it costs
- 0% commission on currency exchange
- No admin fees
- No surcharge for paying by card
- Click & Collect: free
- Home delivery: free over £500, £4.99 below
The fee structure is one of the easier-to-understand offerings in the market.
How Sainsbury’s Travel Money compares to the UK market
Sainsbury's stands out on two things: the £4,500 Click & Collect ceiling (joint highest in the market), and the Nectar loyalty programme that gives members a better rate online, on the phone, and in-store. The 223-branch network is mid-pack.
| Metric | Sainsbury’s Travel Money | UK market |
|---|---|---|
| UK bureaus | 223 (6th of 10) | avg 579; leader Post Office (3,784) |
| Free home delivery from | £500 | avg £570; £500 is the most common |
| Home delivery fee below that | £4.99 | typically £4.75 to £6.95 |
| Maximum online order | £4,500 | one of the two highest; leader Travelex (£4,999) |
| Travel Money Card | Yes | offered by 5 of 10 providers |
| Loyalty rate | Nectar Card (online + phone + in-store) | most loyalty programmes are online-only; Sainsbury's leads |
| Trustpilot rating | 4.5 | avg 4.5; leader Eurochange (4.8) |
In plain English: Sainsbury's gives you the widest range of services among the supermarket-loyalty group. The Nectar discount across all three channels is the clearest single advantage, and the £4,500 Click & Collect ceiling makes Sainsbury's a natural fit for larger family or business trips.
When Sainsbury's isn't the right choice
A few situations where another provider serves you better:
- There's no Sainsbury's bureau near you. 223 bureaus is fewer than Post Office's nearly 3,000 walk-in counters. If your local Sainsbury's doesn't have a bureau, home delivery is your route. Compare the rate against Post Office or Eurochange before deciding.
- You need a less common currency in stock. Sainsbury's stocks the popular currencies reliably. For very rare currencies, No1 Currency or Travelex airport bureaus carry a wider range.
- You want same-day Euro or US Dollar pickup outside Sainsbury's hours. Post Office is the only provider with same-day EUR and USD pickup at selected branches.
Frequently asked questions
Do Nectar Card holders really get a better rate? Yes, and unlike most rivals' loyalty programmes, Sainsbury's extends it to online, phone, and in-store transactions. Enter your Nectar number when ordering online, or present the card at the counter.
What is Click & Sell at Sainsbury's? A way to lock in a buy-back rate online before you visit a bureau. You reserve the sell-back rate online for unused currency, then bring the notes to a Sainsbury's bureau within the holding window. Useful if you're worried about the pound moving while you find time to drop the cash off.
What's the maximum I can order online? £4,500 on Click & Collect, one of the highest in the UK market. Home delivery caps at £2,500.
What if my Travel Money Card is lost or stolen abroad? Call Card Services straight away to cancel it. If you have an additional card, you can still access your money. Card Services can issue a replacement or arrange emergency cash up to your available balance, depending on where you are.
Can I close my Travel Money Card and get my unused balance back? Yes, three ways: pull the balance out at an ATM, take it to a Sainsbury's bureau for a refund in pounds, or call Card Services for a refund into your UK bank account. You can also donate small leftover balances to charity.
What's the latest I can order for next-day home delivery? 2pm Monday to Thursday. Order Friday afternoon and the delivery slips into the following week.
The verdict
Sainsbury's Travel Money is at its strongest for Nectar members, and for anyone who wants a single provider that does cash, card, and buy-back. The Nectar discount works across every channel, the £4,500 Click & Collect ceiling is generous, and the Travel Money Card competes well against rivals.
It's less competitive if you're not a Nectar member or there's no Sainsbury's near you (the 223-bureau network is smaller than Post Office's). Worth comparing today's Sainsbury's rate (with your Nectar number entered if you're a member) against the rest of the market to see whether it's actually the best deal for your trip.