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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.32 (863 reviews)

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1.32

Based on 863 reviews, last reviewed 20th Feb 2025

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

40% 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

Ever since NewDay took over it has been chaos. Ever since NewDay took over it has been chaos. This happens frequently. I receive messages stating my bill was not paid on time, when it was.. All fi... Read more Reviewed on: 20th February 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?

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John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (863)

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

JLP forever tainted by association with new provider

Further to my post of yesterday, I would like to add the following comments: I wonder if Sharon White is aware of the proverb: “He who lies down with dogs, catches fleas”. Thanks to the knock - on effects of JLP’s association with New Day, on her watch, I very much doubt if JLP will ever recover from the “fleas” gained from this ill - advised link, nor should it. As far as I am concerned, ceasing the association with HSBC and getting into bed with New Day is tantamount to treating loyal customers with contempt, and what business can afford to do so in these financially difficult times? Anyone who is accepted for this card can also expect to receive what I consider to be aggressive, bullying texts, should they decide not to pay via Direct Debit. Before deciding to leave this disappointing, shambolic scheme, I had considered setting up a Direct Debit so that I wouldn’t incur further unwarranted ( in my opinion ) charges, but having read several comments, I am very glad that I didn’t. It will be a faff having to yet again go through my regular payments from the card, and to change the payment method on the websites of all of the businesses that I use, but it will be worth every second that I spend doing so. Again, if I could award no points, as a very disappointed ex - customer, I would. Reviewed on: 27th November 2022

JLP customer no more since New Day

I would have liked to be able to give this company no stars. I have had a Partnership Card for years, and paid the balance off in full every month as I do with my other credit card. HSBC was very easy to deal with, and I never had any problems. The New Day card has been nothing but trouble from the word go, having been blocked without me being informed, causing much embarrassment. Fortunately I have a card from a reliable provider, so was able to use that. Thanks to the difficulty I encountered in arranging payment, I have now incurred a £12 late payment fee, as well as over £18 in interest. No doubt there will be even more to pay once I receive my next bill. I have now cut my card up and will be closing my account. That is pretty bad going for an account that I have had for about two months. I have spent many thousands of pounds in John Lewis and Waitrose over the past four decades, but this is the end of the line for me. That JL even considered using New Day as their credit card provider tells me that they have lost sight of the people who matter - their loyal customers. I thought it was a shame when several John Lewis stores closed, but at this rate, having alienated their core customers, they will no doubt be heading for well - deserved failure, and will have only themselves to blame. Reviewed on: 26th November 2022

Utterly hopeless

Ok, I understand fraud protection is important. However, NewDay decided to lock the credit card after suspecting fraud, stopping the card working for the whole weekend. Guess what, only way to lift the block was to call them, but their phone lines are closed at the weekends. Honestly, did no one think this might be a problem? Really stupid things like this are so infuriating I wont be using my JLP card anymore. Off to M&S and credit provider with more common sense. Why on earth did they switch away from HSBC. Reviewed on: 26th November 2022

Oh John Lewis what have you done?

This has been a disaster from the start. Today is the final straw. 3 weeks after complaining I have now been advised by Mr David Land, “Head of Service Delivery “, that he “has been unable to identify an error by NewDay” despite having checked all the details of my complaint carefully. If this is the level of incompetence that NewDay endorses then I will not be using this account again. Reviewed on: 26th November 2022

Good payers not wanted

Had a jlp card for many years. Paid full balance monthly and a five figure credit limit. New Day not interested. Reviewed on: 26th November 2022

Contactless and card scan does not work

Ever since we have the card the contactless option does not work! Additionally you can not take a scan of the card to make payments so it is now back to all being manual.John Lewis has gone way down in my estimation,will look to replacing the card with one that works.Have been a customer for over 15 years.They are now more interested in being 'woke' than resolving real issues.Another brand that has gone down the pan. Reviewed on: 26th November 2022

NewDay

NewDay card failed on line to EasyJet. NewDay said it was not their fault but fault of other providers who don’t have updatedBIM software. Not up to them to sort it out. Wrote to JL to advise disappointment in this credit card. Reviewed on: 25th November 2022

Poor service from New Day

After being locked out from registering my card and a New Day representative talking me through and problem still occurring the card got blocked and advised me I'd missed a payment when we've always paid our balance in full on time for over 15 years. I asked at local Waitrose and drove 70 mile round trip to John Lewis who basically didn't want to know. I emailed JL head office who just didn't wish to know and redirected me to New Day. They still charged me although bill cleared as soon as able once I was able to get registered. Contacted to make a complaint - interest was reimbursed but the email acknowledging my complaint with reference nos didn't materialise! I chased this up with a fobbed off solution by New Day! As soon as New Day acknowledge my complaint I will cut my card up and never shop at John Lewis again. This was not the customers option to change card but John Lewis who should take some responsibility for this. Appalling service by both companies. Reviewed on: 24th November 2022

Poor experience with NewDay credit card

The app is awful. My bank is not listed so can't pay my bill online. NewDay has felt underprepared from the start. In all my years with John Lewis Partnership Card never had any problems. Now sadly considering changing to a new credit card company if things don't improve. Reviewed on: 24th November 2022

utterly appalled by very poor experience at NewDay after many good years with my John Lewis card

I forgot my pin number and requested a reminder. When it eventually arrived the accompanying letter told me I needed to put the card in the machine and use the pin before contactless would work. I tried this but the card was declined causing awkward situation in shop. When I rang New Day I could not speak to an associate straight away but when I eventually got through to someone I was told the card did not work because it had been blocked so I would have to go to an atm to unblock it. When I suggested that it might have been helpful to tell me that in the letter with the pin reminder I was told that doing so might cause confusion for some customers whose card had not been blocked. At the very least I should have been told that my card might have been blocked and the procedure to follow if it had been! This was the second time I have had cause to phone New Day. The first time I waited ages to speak to someone about my direct debit. New Day has also reduced my credit limit to a third of the old one when I cannot recall ever missing my monthly payment of my complete balance with my old card. No explanation was given. While shopping at Waitrose in Putney and Chichester the cashiers have told me that many customers are unhappy with the new card so it seems that I'm not the only one! Reviewed on: 24th November 2022

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