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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (876 reviews)

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1.33

Based on 876 reviews, last reviewed 25th Sep 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

5

had a partnership card for years now. had a partnership card for years now. love the rewards vouchers on spends and the points you are awarded for using their credit card which i normally ... Read more Reviewed on: 12th June 2025

Latest lowest rating:

1

If your phone is stolen, you cannot verify anything. I had my phone and card stolen, to cancel your card you need your phone... to do anything, you need your phone. So then decided to used the chat servi... Read more Reviewed on: 25th September 2025

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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?

Find out more about the Partnership card by reading our reviews from the Smart Money People community - people like you. You can also write your own John Lewis Partnership Card review to share your own experiences.

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John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (876)

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

Very poor

Originally turned down for the card as I’m retired but then accepted when unearned income was taken into account. Card keeps getting blocked, often for small payments. Friends think they’ve been turned down because they pay the whole balance each month. Moving to a different provider and would not recommend to others. Reviewed on: 22nd January 2023

Very poor customer service

Only 1 customer service number with myriad of automated prompts which do not work. Very concerned at fraudulent activity on my account, tried 3 times to select this option with ridiculous responses such as 'was it your Pin you want to change?' The Web chat was not much better. Given misleading information, took over an hour of repeated attempts/web chat to get through to an actual person. Appalling service especially in such distressing circumstances. Reviewed on: 22nd January 2023

Sharks

It's not that they (see Sandy Garfield, below) can't tell you why. It's that they won't tell you why. And they won't because it's precisely people who pay in full every month that they don't want. They want people who will build up debt. Reviewed on: 22nd January 2023

I have had no issues

In the interest of rebalancing a bit I have had no issues with the new JL credit card. My credit limit was retained and I have found the app straightforward to use. Reviewed on: 21st January 2023

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

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