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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.32 (862 reviews)

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1.33

Based on 862 reviews, last reviewed 24th Dec 2024

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

67% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

5

Customer satisfaction They are vgery focussed and always go the extra step to ensure we are happy Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Disaster of a credit card company - total fail! We recently tried adding our John Lewis Partnership Card to Apple Pay, only to find it blocked by NewDay, the card provider. Shockingly, this happened... Read more Reviewed on: 24th December 2024

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About this product

Read our John Lewis Finance Partnership Card reviews to help you to find out about the pros and cons of taking out the Partnership credit card. What kind of features does the John Lewis Partnership card have? What do people think of John Lewis' customer service? Does the card have great benefits?

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John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (862)

Review of the John Lewis, Partnership Card:

JLP and Newday in cahoots.

Told I'm ineligible - despite >50 years loyal JLP customer, 5 figure credit limit and score excellent - I have after communications with JLP managers concluded that this oust has been orchestrated by JLP. From sources including JLP and Newday websites,, I speculate: JL stores are in financial difficulty, currently supported by Waitrose itself on the brink. It’s not that JLP doesn't want higher spending loyal customers, it sure does; but what it wants is custom that doesn’t sap profits.    With the HBSC JL Partnership card, each £1 spent qualifies for a point, whose number depends upon whether spent at JL and/or W or elsewhere. The more elsewhere the less JLP gets the more it costs JLP. I think it used to be one point for every £1 spent in JLP, two for every £1 elsewhere. Nowadays for some eligible purchases at JL and W 5 points for every £4 spent; and for other eligible purchases at JL and W 1 point for every £4; 1 point for every £4 spent elsewhere. Fewer vouchers for spending elsewhere is not a deterrent. For example, if a card-holder with £5,000 credit limit spends £4000 a month elsewhere then JLP issues vouchers. Vouchers can only be used in JL or W but it doesn't follow the purchase price has to exceed the vouchers value. A cardholder could amass a substantial sum in vouchers without having spent a penny at JL or W. When using vouchers to buy in JL or W not have to buy anything involving any extra payment for the difference between the vouchers and price. JLP would make a loss. JLP says that over the last five years £230m has been issued in vouchers. How much of approximately £126,000 a day average has gone to customers that haven't paid JLP anything. By enlisting Newday to either render higher credit limit existing Partnership cardholders ineligible or where the applicant is eligible a substantially lower limit JLP is reducing the value of vouchers issued. JLP is probably getting a share of any interest paid by new card-holders and paying a lower commission on receivables (transaction sales). JLP I suspect envisages that where an existing Partnership cardholder is rejected that person would obtain a desired credit limit from another card provider and continue to buy from JL/W whenever. Whether enough existing Partnership cardholders would want to continue loyal to JLP is a separate issue. A JLP partner qualifying for discount told me that for most goods and services there are cheaper deals elsewhere. Not a deposit-taker Newday hasn't any revenue beyond credit cards. It borrows to re-lend, loan note interest between 2% and 6+% a year - with interest rates rising costs will go up: for how much longer its business is sustainable is anyone's guess. To finance JLP's transaction, Newday has taken out a loan of £650M. Any cardholder paying the whole balance monthly is getting an interest-free loan from the date of purchase to balance payment date - if you time it carefully then up to 45 days - so for that reason alone an existing JL Partnership cardholder is ineligible. Newday plans to float shares on the stock market next year so boosting the number of cardholders is to impress shareholders. A £5000 credit limit to one card holder (unlikely to pay interest) is akin to £500 limit to 10 card holders (likely to pay some interest). The net proceeds of a stock market float (rumoured capitalisation £2.5Bn) would provide a injection of interest-free cash. The sad part is that JLP could increase its profit margin and number of loyal customers without having to resort to destroying long-term customer relationships with JLP. Instead of the vouchers issued regardless of where a JL Partnership cardholder spends, the vouchers should be linked to the myJohnLewis and myWaitrose cards. Show or scan a my-card before paying and have the voucher value credited to the my-card - and since printing on paper is costly to administer, to issue every JL and W customer a my-card which can be produced by the customer at the check-out for credit and debit with the points/voucher value. Reviewed on: 5th September 2022

new credit card

i have now ditched the John Lewis card. the service from the new provider is nil can’t discuss with John Lewis and New Day say they give you 15 days to pay. the date of the bill is 15 days but they don’t allow for 7 working days to reach you and if this is a weekend? i cannot use a card that gives you 7 days to pay! Reviewed on: 27th February 2023

Shame on J-L

I'm a big John Lewis fan but their recent change of credit card provider has been a shambles. I've no idea what they have changed provider but for a company that claims to be service focused they have got this so badly wrong. Reviewed on: 27th February 2023

Rip off

So, you get to fix your payment date at application stage. But its not fixed, it changes by up to 4 days each month, so they can charge you default and interest. Never been so annoyed! Reviewed on: 24th February 2023

Missing money on balance transfer £4.4k

Did a 0% 0% fee balance transfer from JL newday to HSBC. HSBC sent money to right card...Newday cant find it...meanwhile took money from account...so paid it twice. 21 days on from raising it with them hours on the phone, emails and basically a groundhog experience getting nowhere with both banks. One says its gone through...Newday say can not find it...need more info in an endless loop with them. Awful awful awful. Stuff the points. Bad decision John lewis. Agree payment dates keep changing. 1st now 6th March!! Customer service ... you can not speak to staff who can deal with the issue...as for the "something else" telephone queue...you end up shouting at the automated system. Awful avoid avoid avoid. Reviewed on: 23rd February 2023

worse experience ever

I switched to the new provider,unfortunately this is the worse experience ever. The statement dates continuosly changing, interest rates applied on the amount already paid, offers not respected (ballance transfer free of charge fo 6 months- I paid interests from day 1). I will pay the remaining amount and cancel the card. That's a shame that john Lewis picked such a poor provider! Avoid at any cost!!! Reviewed on: 21st February 2023

Bad Day Finanancial services

Had the old John Lewis card for a number of years and always been very happy with it, however JL took the decision to change provider to a bunch of cowboys called New Day Financial services. Presumably this was done to save them a few quid as previously administerecby HSBC.Well, the old adage of paying peanuts and getting monkeys is certainly true for these. Almost impossible to get hold of, and random unrequested freezes on the card, leaving you looking stupid in a shop making the card little better than pointless to have.. Worst thing is after eventually getting through, they conduct an "investigation" and finish up saying the cardholder requested the freeze. How can they when didn't know it was possible and have no idea how to do it? Save yourself some trouble anf get a different card Reviewed on: 21st February 2023

the new provider is rubbish

The customer support representatives are nice but the product once taken over by the new supplier took a steep dip. Anyone today would offer me double the limit they do and they can't explain apart from some bs why they are afraid to offer a decent limit Reviewed on: 20th February 2023

rubbish service & lack of customer contact

Card was locked up after several swipe attempts & pin insertion. The card is a total waste of space. Phone to customer services says it offer contact to unfreeze on selection of items but the only option is to freeze which is not acceptable as it does not permit any payments. You cannot speak to anyone or email them with your problem . Their chat line is not working. When I have paid outstanding balance the card will be cut up & the account closed. My other cards work perfectly in stores without this irritation or online. Wrote complaint to John Lewis direct about NewDay but all they did was send it on to Newday who unethically texted my wife about the complaint I had made. What an awful way to conduct a business. Reviewed on: 15th February 2023

Awful

Unable to use unless you speak to someone,No good for online payment. Reviewed on: 14th February 2023

If it's not broke don't fix it

I have ditched the card, appalling service as tried to pay in full and it went pear shaped. Now have a ' real bank ' credit card, easy to understand and 4 weeks to pay .. John Lewis should be ashamed Reviewed on: 13th February 2023

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