John Lewis launches rental subscription service for children's clothes - here's how it works

John Lewis has partnered with rental clothing brand The Little Loop to this week launch a subscription rental service for children's clothes. Shoppers will pay a monthly, quarterly or six-month fee to borrow between six and 14 items a month for babies and children up to the age of 12. This won't be money saving for everyone, but we explain everything you need to know below.
You can also see our Cheap shopping tips guide for more info on how to shop for less online.
You can borrow up to 14 items a month depending on your package
Shoppers will have the choice to sign up to one of three packages. As part of each package you'll be given a certain number of credits each month, which you can then use to select which clothes to rent:
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Want to borrow between six to seven items a month? You'll need a '100 credits' package. This costs £18 a month, or £50 every three months (equivalent to £16.66 a month), or £90 every six months (equivalent to £15 a month).
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Want to borrow 10 to 11 items each month? You'll need a '150 credit' package. This costs £27 a month or £75 every three months (equivalent to £25 a month) or £135 every six months (equivalent to £22.50 a month).
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Want to borrow between 13 to 14 items each month? You'll need a '200 credits' package. This costs £36 a month, or £100 every three months (equivalent to £33.33 a month), or £180 every six months (equivalent to £30 a month).
If you want to purchase more credits you can do so. Additional credits are charged according to the plan. For example, for a quarterly plan costing £50 every three months, an additional 10 credits costs £5 each quarter.
Clothes will be categorised based on wear and tear
There are currently 51 items in total available to rent, though John Lewis plans to add more in future.
How many credits you'll need to "spend" on an item depends on how much they’ve been previously used. Clothes will be put into three categories: "brand spanking new", "gently worn", or "well-loved". You can choose items from different categories if you wish; you aren't limited to just the one.
You have to pay to receive and return items - but your first rental will be free
Once you've selected the items you would like to rent online, you'll check out your basket like you would when shopping online normally - and select the delivery method. The credits used will then be deducted from your account.
Once you've used the item(s) and would like to send them back, you can log in to your The Little Loop account, visit 'your closet' and select the items you no longer need. You can then 'swap' them for new ones by selecting new items you'd like to order. New clothes will then be sent to you, along with a reusable bag, and returns label to send your old items back.
You'll need to pay to receive and return items and that charge will be taken when you place an order, although your first return will be free. Delivery and returns costs vary depending on the type of delivery selected and how many items you're returning.
The service is currently only available online; any rented clothes cannot be returned or borrowed in store.
Insurance is built into package prices, though you may be charged a fee for damage
Your package includes insurance, which will cover wear and tear. But if an accident happens, you should email The Little Loop at hello@thelittleloop.com before sending the items back. Be warned you may be charged a fee for any damage incurred.
You can cancel any time, penalty-free
Subscriptions will auto-renew, though you can cancel any time, penalty-free. To cancel your subscription, either send an email to hello@thelittleloop.com or print off this form and post it to the address highlighted on the form. You can also pause your subscription and restart it at any time by sending an email to the same address above.
To pause or cancel a subscription you just need to send any clothes back - otherwise the cancellation or pause won't take effect. The clothes must have arrived on or before the last day of your current billing period to avoid being charged for another month or quarter.
We've asked if you'll be partially refunded if you cancel mid-way through a subscription and we'll update this story when we know more.