How can I convert Nectar points into Avios points?

In January 2021, Sainsbury’s became the official Avios supermarket partner. That means you can now convert your Nectar points into Avios and Avios into Nectar points.

What is the conversion rate between Nectar and Avios?

The conversion rate is:

• 400 Nectar points = 250 Avios
• 400 Avios = 400 Nectar points

You will notice that this rate is NOT equal. If you convert Avios into Nectar points, and later move them back to Avios, you will have fewer Avios than you started with.

How to convert Nectar points into Avios points

You can convert Nectar points to Avios via the British Airways website here.

You must convert a minimum of 400 Nectar points which will get you 250 Avios. You can also set up your account to autoconvert Nectar points to Avios on a regular basis.

How long do Nectar point transfers to Avios points take?

The transfer is INSTANT if you are transferring from Nectar TO Avios.

If you are transferring TO Nectar from Avios, there is a 10 day delay. This is deliberate due to previous issues with hackers accessing British Airways accounts and emptying the Avios onto untraceable Nectar cards.

What value are you getting for your Nectar points?

Let’s look at the maths here.

400 Nectar points, if spent at Sainsburys, eBay.co.uk, Argos etc would get you £2 off your shopping. As you are getting 250 Avios instead, you are effectively ‘paying’ 0.8p per Avios. (200p is given up in return for 250 Avios and 200/250 = 0.8.)

0.8p is a very cheap price for buying Avios. I have a spreadsheet of all the Avios I have redeemed for the last nine years, and I have got 1.2p of value per Avios based on my own valuation of the flights I took. I take a very realistic valuation, based on how cheaply I think I could have got the same trip if I’d booked in a sale or taken an indirect flight on a different airline.

Of course, if you can’t find a good value flight redemption which gets you more value than the Nectar points you transferred, you can simply transfer them back – but you will take a loss because of different exchange rates.

(This article is part of our ‘BA Q&A’ series which explains how British Airways Executive Club works.  You can see all of our ‘BA Q&A’ articles here. )

(Head for Points is the UK’s biggest frequent flyer website with 2.6 million monthly page views.  Want to learn more about earning and spending Avios?  Click here to read our latest news stories and click here to join the mailing list for our weekly or daily email newsletters.)

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How to earn Avios from UK credit cards (October 2024)

As a reminder, there are various ways of earning Avios points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous 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:

There are two official British Airways American Express cards with attractive sign-up bonuses:

You can also get generous sign-up bonuses by applying for American Express cards which earn Membership Rewards points. These points convert at 1:1 into Avios.

Run your own business?

We recommend Capital on Tap for limited companies. You earn 1 Avios per £1 which is impressive for a Visa card, along with a sign-up bonus worth 10,500 Avios.

There is also a British Airways American Express card for small businesses:

There are also generous bonuses on the two American Express Business cards, with the points converting at 1:1 into Avios. These cards are open to sole traders as well as limited companies.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Platinum is increased to up to 80,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 80,000 Avios. You will receive 8 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

SPECIAL OFFER: Until 22nd October 2024, the bonus on American Express Business Gold is increased to up to 40,000 Membership Rewards points, worth 40,000 Avios. You will receive 4 points per £1 spent for the first three months, on up to £10,000 of spending. The card is FREE for your first year. Click here to read our full card review. Click here to apply.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which earn Avios. This includes both personal and small business cards.