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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

Make it impossible to pay off your card then charge late fees

Every month had to reset password to pay card balance online to point my login was locked each month and eventually gave up paying online, then tried paying over phone but either phone lines would be down or when calling them up would get interference on the line and other people in another language talking whilst it was ringing which seemed extremely fraudulent so gave up on that method in end. Eventually settled on paying by cheque each month which was a hassle itself so was relieved when they informed all customers that the card company was changing and to continue using the partnership card would have to reapply. Took the opportunity to switch to a different credit card company (M&S) which in comparison make it super easy to pay off credit card and check account balance whenever like via their secure app. Was then bombarded with letters, texts and emails from John Lewis for several months despite blocking their number asking me to apply for their new credit card. Out of spite they then charged a late payment fee of £15.67 on the very last payment I made to them (having never incurred any late fees in the 7 years I owned a partnership card) this was a cheque payment during the 2022 December Royal Mail postal strikes so I ensured I sent cheque extra early and the date written on the cheque corroborates this. The fact they would not take the postal strikes into account for their service users who can now only pay off their accounts by cheque due to their incapable and inefficient online and phone services shows what a despicable company John Lewis has become. They can have the extra £15 they decided to squeeze out out of malice as it’s good riddance to a sham company who is clearly on its a**e. Reviewed on: 2nd January 2023

useless

What has JL done/ Absolute chaos I am going to cancel my card this week HNY Reviewed on: 2nd January 2023

We have been thrown to the lions

This changeover to a new card has been an absolute disaster. I have numerous accounts that had the old card details and I am continuing being notified that some renewal or other has failed. The app is unpredictable and I can’t even open it now. What a PR disaster for John Lewis Finance. They must be run by a bunch of incompetents. Reviewed on: 31st December 2022

Balance transfer not actually zero percent

I used the John Lewis offer of transferring my old balance from the HSBC provided card to tye new card provided by New Day. Thinking I would have the extra period to pay this off. Imagine my surprise when I see interest on my next statement. After calling and speaking to a New Day rep on behalf of John Lewis I was advised the only way not to pay interest was to clear the whole balance including the interest free balance transfer. I was advised that the company used money I payed to cover both the retail spend and balance transfer spend. I have put in a formal complaint as I said this is against what is advertised. Plus no other credit card works thi.s way. I am now waiting on a response from my complaint. But after being a John Lewis customer for 35 years I am on the verge of closing my account. Reviewed on: 31st December 2022

Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!

It seems like I am one of many loyal and long-standing John Lewis Partnership Cardholders who have been truly and utterly sold down the river. The change in credit card provider from HSBC to New Day has been nothing short of farcical. The whole process has been confusing, complicated and hugely stressful. Like others have said the 0% Balance Transfer option is a scam. After years of clearing the balance each month I am now being hit with interest charges left, right and centre and I have been left seriously out of pocket at a time when things are hard enough as it is with soaring inflation and the cost of living crisis. The Customer Service was New Day has been non-existent. With this disastrous change John Lewis has shown nothing but contempt for its customers. If I could give them a 0 out of 5 rating I would but unfortunately I can't proceed with this review without giving them at least one star. Reviewed on: 30th December 2022

Waste of time, lies all the way down

Offered a massively worse APR than the previous card despite the offer to transfer over with a comparable APR. Totally pointless. Reviewed on: 30th December 2022

The 0% transfer from the old John Lewis credit card is a scam

We paid a transfer fee equivalent to 2% of the balance left on our old John Lewis credit card account to New Day, having been attracted to the "0% on balance transfers for up to 6 months" promotion advertised by John Lewis Financial Services. Our intention was to clear the transferred amount over six months at 0% interest and also use the new card for current purchases, subject to the usual interest charges if not paid off in full each month. Our first statement from New Day shows that not only our current purchases are subject to an interest rate, but also the balance transferred, totally contradicting the workings of a 0% transfer deal. The only way you would therefore be able to pay off the balance transfer without incurring further interest, would be to not use the card until the original debt is cleared! This surely will not be in John Lewis' interest. We have lodged a complaint through one of New Day's agents, but the complaint will not be processed until after the payment is due. Will escalate this to Trust Pilot, John Lewis and Money Saving Expert. Reviewed on: 29th December 2022

Help desk a complete failure

Unable to unblock my card despite speaking to a person. No statements issued either by post or e mail so unable to view statents or make a payment. New Days chat line a complete waste of time as all they want you to do is ring again without providing any help. Reviewed on: 29th December 2022

is a con with the 0% transfer don't do it

Took the 0% transfer offer pay the fee but I got charged interest if I don't pay in full amount That doesn't make any sense what so ever Stay way from John Lewis card If I can I will give 0 rating Reviewed on: 28th December 2022

If it ain't broke, don't fix it

They had a credit card that worked. They changed it. It is now impossible to manage my account or to pay my balance. Also there's no way of reducing credit limit. No customer service email address, have ring or write. Frustrating waste of time. Will be closing my account after nearly 20 years of having it. Sad, but necessary Reviewed on: 28th December 2022

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