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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

Losing the plot

In the last few years I have seen a gradual decline of John Lewis / Waitrose values. The credit card switch is a typical example. When we contacted the Chairpersons office about the problems we were having switching cards (they did not care). The quality of fresh food has declined at our local Waitrose........food goes off much quicker once purchased as the sell by date is no longer on the packaging. When we complained to the store about repeated problems they were apologetic and said they had no way of monitoring shelf life other than produce going rotten. Head Office didn't seem to care. So as Head Office doesn't care, and staff in local stores don't feel supported we've decided to move our custom to M&S and Ocado. The John Lewis Partnership has lost site of its customer base. Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

Not even good enough for 1 star in reality!

But there's no option to give no stars! I was DECLINED a card with New Day despite having been a loyal customer of JL for 10 yrs. I ALWAY pay off by entire bill when it comes in. I have NEVER defaulted on any loan and have an excellent credit rating. My partner could also use the old JL credit card and he is a high net worth individual. I queried the decicison not to be allowed a new card with New Day - took for EVER of course and finally they said ... we uphold our decision and no we can't tell you WHY you have been declined. Now avoid shopping at John Lewis and Waitrose altogether as we are so shocked by what they have done. We've been loyal - but they don't care. AVOID AVOID AVOID! Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

Unfriendly credit card switch

I ended up between cards. The new style of bill is deceptive. The hsbc version showed a prominent box of the amount spent, and hence the amount to pay. The New Day bill shows a prominent’ balance to pay’. But it is the Minimum payment - not the balance which is in smaller print further down. I so was deceived and ended up paying interest Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

No issues with Partnership card

I have had no issues with the transfer of the Partnership card from HSBC to Newday. No idea why JL made that decision, but it is their business. As long as you follow the guidance for activating the card for the first time, and very occasionally be asked to use your pin no. then no issues. Thoroughly recommend JL and the partnership card. Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

Awful Newday Credit Card

John Lewis have made a huge mistake with this credit card. Since I have had this card it has had to be replaced as it wouldn't accept my correct PIN number! It locks immediately if you get a digit wrong. They don't tell you in there blurb that you can't look up the right website on line or is in the blurb. I have had to make 4 lengthly conversations with NEWDAY which are sadly incompetent. BUT the very worst thing is that as you have taken this card I'm told that I can no longer get any credit for 6 months.....!!!!! Beware if you are thinking of taking this card it is a disaster. Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

Appalling credit card

Impossible to do a balance transfer to Barclays. Customer service poor. Why oh why John Lewis moved to NewDay is a mystery. I will be closing my account as soon as I can and move to a reputable provider. Reviewed on: 19th January 2023

Useless Credit Limit

Bought a TV in JL and new card declined at payment counter. Later discovered new provider had reduced my limit from £2000 to £600. No explanation. Always clear payments monthly. Callcentre no help. App no help. Sending card back and will use my other cards. Reviewed on: 16th January 2023

New credit card is useless

I tried to buy shoes online from a trader I had not used before but the card was refused twice using different security options which all passed. When I telephoned Newday they told me that they block all new traders even though security checks are passed. What use is that? Supposing it was an airline ticket or a hotel and booking was lost. In the end I could not use the card after it was unblocked as the trader would not accept it after 2 failures. This card is ruining JL's reputation. Reviewed on: 14th January 2023

Appalling app and equally appalling customer service

I have held one of the old Partnership cards for 20 years and have been very pleased with both the app and the customer service behind it. The new John Lewis credit card is a disaster - the app is tortuous and almost impossible to get any help from. It takes hours of frustration to get a response to a phone call and the chat facility is a waste of time. I disputed a transaction from Uber in Amsterdam as I never used Uber and hadn’t left the UK in over 3 years. It took hours, literally, to report this and, eventually, after emailing senior executives in Newday and John Lewis, I was told that the money would be refunded, which it was after 3 weeks from the original Uber transaction. Then, on two occasions, my credit card was rejected. After further frustrations trying to contact Newday, I was informed that my card had been frozen due to possible fraud use. Never was I informed about this by either Newday or john Lewis. The CEO of Newday is: Mr John Hourican and his email is john.hourican@newday And the Executive Director (Finance) of John Lewis is Ms Bérengère Michel, Executive Director and she can be contacted via [email protected] Reviewed on: 14th January 2023

WATCH OUT BE CAREFUL USING THIS CARD

As previous reviewers have stated, I too have fallen foul of the reduced minimum time to pay and as everything is online i missed the first payment costing me £42.88 in fees and late payments to date. Be very careful, I am not impressed with this card to date, but will stop using it except for emergencies so JL and the credit card company lose in the end. A little bit more understanding of their customer base would go along way. M&S fortunately is improving - maybe worth going there now? Reviewed on: 13th January 2023

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