How to get Waitrose gift cards with Amex Membership Rewards points

It has always annoyed me that you cannot redeem Amex Membership Rewards points for Waitrose / John Lewis gift cards.  I thought that things may change when John Lewis finally abandoned paper gift vouchers for gift cards, but it hasn’t.

There is, however, a solution!

Step 1

American Express Membership Rewards is a partner with Nectar.  You can move your Membership Rewards points to your Nectar card at 1:1, with no minimum transfer.  (This is, by the way, the best way of emptying out an odd amount of Amex points if you are closing your card.)

Step 2

Nectar is a partner with eBay.  You can convert your Nectar points into eBay credit, at the standard Nectar conversion rate of 0.5p per point.

This is an instantaneous transaction – your eBay credit is immediately available for use in your eBay account.

Step 3

There are lots of people selling Waitrose / John Lewis gift cards on eBay.  You should expect to pay 99% of face value, including postage.

I have done this in the past, when my Membership Rewards pile got a little too large to make sense, and it worked perfectly well.

You do not earn Nectar points via eBay when you buy gift vouchers, please note, so there is no extra ‘kicker’ from that.

0.5p per Amex point is not a great deal, of course.  However, it is better than the 0.4p you get if you redeem them for statement credit and it is better than the 0.45p you get if you redeem them for travel credit.

You can get the same deal on pretty much any other retailer gift cards as eBay is awash with them.  There is no need to be restricted by the range of stores offered by Amex directly.

Nectar also runs targetted offers a couple of times a year offering a bonus for converting your points to eBay.  This can substantially increase the value you get from your Membership Rewards points.

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Want to earn more points from credit cards? – March 2025 update

If you are looking to apply for a new credit card, here are our top recommendations based on the current sign-up bonuses.

In February 2022, Barclaycard launched two exciting new Barclaycard Avios Mastercard cards with a bonus of up to 25,000 Avios. You can apply here.

You qualify for the bonus on these cards even if you have a British Airways American Express card:

Barclaycard Avios Plus Mastercard

Get 25,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £10,000 Read our full review

Barclaycard Avios Mastercard

Get 5,000 Avios for signing up and an upgrade voucher at £20,000 Read our full review

You can see our full directory of all UK cards which earn airline or hotel points here. Here are the best of the other deals currently available.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on the ‘free for a year’ American Express Preferred Rewards Gold card is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 30,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (30,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 27th May 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to a huge 80,000 points. Points convert 1:1 into Avios (80,000 Avios!) and many other programmes. Some people may see even higher personalised offers. Click here to apply.

American Express Preferred Rewards Gold

Your best beginner’s card – 30,000 points, FREE for a year & four airport lounge passes Read our full review

British Airways American Express Premium Plus

30,000 Avios and the famous annual 2-4-1 voucher Read our full review

The Platinum Card from American Express

80,000 bonus points and great travel benefits – for a large fee Read our full review

Virgin Atlantic Reward+ Mastercard

18,000 bonus points and 1.5 points for every £1 you spend Read our full review

Earning miles and points from small business cards

If you are a sole trader or run a small company, you may also want to check out these offers:

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased from 50,000 Membership Rewards points to 120,000 points. You receive 80,000 points when you spend £12,000 within three months and a further 40,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 8th April 2025, the sign-up bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased from 20,000 Membership Rewards points to 60,000 points. You receive 40,000 points when you spend £6,000 within three months and a further 20,000 points if you spend on the card between Month 14 and Month 17. Points convert 1:1 into Avios and many other programmes. Click here to apply.

American Express Business Platinum

Up to 120,000 points when you sign-up and an annual £200 Amex Travel credit Read our full review

American Express Business Gold

Up to 60,000 points sign-up bonus and FREE for a year Read our full review

Capital on Tap Pro Visa

10,500 points (=10,500 Avios) plus good benefits Read our full review

Capital on Tap Visa

NO annual fee, NO FX fees and points worth 1 Avios per £1 Read our full review

British Airways American Express Accelerating Business

30,000 Avios sign-up bonus – plus annual bonuses of up to 30,000 Avios Read our full review