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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

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
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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
Keith 's avatar
Keith

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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JohnLewis Customers

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" aka Just Lost Plot.

1
Thanks to Newday telling me I am ineligible for the new JL Partnership card despite excellent credit score, 5 figure credit limit, etc, etc 31 October 2022 will mark the end of my JL Partnership card and circa 50 years loyal relationship with JL/W. Thereafter I won't be think of JL or W as my first port of call whenever Ii buy anything, No more recommending JL and/or W. It'll be just another shop which once upon a time had what it took but is no more. I have extolled the virtues of Newday on this board and other sites so the high esteem in which I hold Newday is renowned. As a gesture of goodwill to anyone that may not know this - I didn't until last week - a credit score fluctuates, depending upon how much of one's credit limit has been used at the time. For example if your credit limit is £10,000 and according to the soft check (meaning that your credit score isn't affected) the score is excellent, it doesn't matter that you pay the whole of the balance on each statement. What matters to the credit score is how much of the credit you have used at the date/time you check your credit score. Paying the whole of the balance is past performance: it does not create a binding precedent for the future. Until you receive your next statement and pay the balance on that statement, as far as the credit score is concerned you owe x% of the limit with no certainty whether the amount owed would be repaid in full by the payment date. The existing JL Partnership card can be used as an ordinary credit but really it's a store card that, because it is provided by HSBC, can be used as credit card anywhere. (Unlike Newday's version which can't.) JLP is not the most worldly organisation so probably would never have envisaged let alone intended that its cardholders would spend perhaps the bulk of the credit limit elsewhere and only a relatively small proportion at JL/W. But by so doing cardholders get JLP vouchers regardless, meaning that over the course of a year a high spending cardholder could easily accumulate more than £100 in vouchers to be redeemed at JL /W without having bought anything at JL/W. (I used to get more than £200 vouchers which I saved for use at Christmas.) It is advisable to close your credit card account with JLP before the expiry date otherwise the credit score might be told the bank has cancelled it in which case your credit score would be affected adversely. Just for fun, I am considering this paying all but £1 of the balance due and leave the £1 outstanding and gathering interest for years to come. Or until HBC write it off which the earlier. Reviewed on: 9th October 2022

Losing the plot

1
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!

1
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

1
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

5
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

1
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

1
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

1
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

1
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

1
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

1
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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