They railed against consumerism, but the Sex Pistols will now be helping to oil the wheels of the capitalist machine as the band’s name and artwork are to feature on a range of credit cards.



Virgin Money, the bank backed by Sir Richard Branson, has launched a series of Sex Pistols credit cards, including two featuring the artwork for the band’s 1977 album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols, in its full uncensored glory.



A third card features imagery relating to the single Anarchy in the UK.



It is not clear that own-brand credit cards were what John Lydon had in mind when he spat out the line “Your future dream is a shopping scheme” on that debut single, released in November 1976. More recently, he starred in a TV advertising campaign for Country Life butter.



However, Virgin Money said it was “time for consumers to put a little bit of rebellion in their pocket”. Michele Greene, the bank’s director of cards, said: “In launching these cards, we wanted to celebrate Virgin’s heritage and difference. The Sex Pistols challenged convention and the established ways of thinking – just as we are doing today in our quest to shake up UK banking.”



The band first signed to Virgin Records in May 1977, after being dropped by both EMI and A&M Records. “Even after nearly 40 years, the Sex Pistols’ power to provoke is undimmed,” Branson said.



While some fans of the band may take issue with the decision, others may be tempted to sign up – not least so that they can cause outrage in National Trust shops and other genteel establishments by flourishing a credit card featuring the word “bollocks”.



Most of the cards have a representative interest rate of 18.9% APR.