Marks and Spencer are tempting new customers with a generous £45 to spend in store.

M&S Bank is offering the money to new customers to spend in store or online.

All they have to do is open credit card account and sign up to Reward Plus.

A £20 voucher is given as a reward for the first spend on the card by 31 March 2018, and 2000 M&S loyalty points, worth a further £20, if you use the card within the first 90 days.

But that’s not all. There is a welcome bonus of 500 points, worth £5, as yet more reward for the first card spend too.

The bank's Reward Plus offer gives cardholders double points on M&S shopping for the first 12 months and 0 per cent interest on purchases and balance transfers for six months - before reverting to an APR of 18.9 per cent on both.

A balance transfer fee of 2.9 per cent applies, with a minimum of £5.

New customers will get double points - two points for every £1 spent in M&S - for the first year.

Spending outside of Marks earns one point for every five pounds spent.

M&S points are automatically converted into M&S vouchers and sent to customers each quarter. 

Now is a good time to collect M&S points, as they are currently still on sale.

The great selection of deals is across departments including cookware, furniture and some clothing.

Classics for women such as skinny jeans and chunky jumpers are discounted.

Across homeware, pans, bedding and home fragrance are reduced.

M&S faced closure controversy late last year, revealing under performing stores would shut, and the expansion of the Simply Food chain would slow down.

The group said it would further "reshape" the clothing and home arm to focus on the most successful locations, while also driving more online sales.