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John Lewis: Partnership credit card reviews

Name: Partnership credit card
Rating: 2.06 (899 reviews)

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2.06

Based on 899 reviews, last reviewed 22nd Jun 2026

300% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

87%

Latest highest rating:

5

Problem free credit card Problem free credit card which makes it easy for me to budget my every day expenses without the worry of being saddled with unsustainable debt. Reviewed on: 12th June 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

Poor customer experience Received a text message to call New Day urgently re suspected fraud when trying to renew my car insurance online and payment was blocked. Immediately... Read more Reviewed on: 22nd June 2026

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About this product

With the John Lewis Partnership credit card, you earn points on eligible purchases to get John Lewis and Waitrose gift cards.

You can check your eligibility in minutes without affecting your credit rating. There are also John Lewis Partnership cardholder offers, prize draws and opportunities to boost your points.

John Lewis Partnership credit card reviews help you find out what it’s really like to be a customer. If you’ve used John Lewis before, you can also leave a review and share your experience.

John Lewis Partnership credit card reviews (899)

Review of the John Lewis, Partnership credit 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

Friendly customer service but card operation nearly utterly useless

Since receiving the new card I have had to contact customer services three times. Their system to get through to an actual person is beyond ridiculous. Once answered they are friendly and helpful but be sure to ask them to promise to call you back if you get cut off, otherwise you'll go through the whole soul-destroying process over again. The reasons for the calls have all been the same - the card has not been accepted on a number of websites which is very unhelpful, especially just before Christmas. Having been a JL customer since the early 80's I'd like to stick with them but I confess that wasting my time having to phone them is making me think twice, I feel that if they can't get the card to work then I think I may have to give it up. Such a shame they didn't do this change-over more successfully, especially as HSBC delivered good service, as did their customer service in the past. Reviewed on: 7th December 2022

Worried about NewDay credibility

I've had the misfortune to be scammed on a purchase made on the NEWDAY credit card. Dealing with customer services has been so poor I'm beginning to wonder if this company is working properly. Since reporting the problem and sending in relevant documentation over a week ago I have received 1 text saying they were now going to send 4 questions. I haven't received them. I contacted them again and spent over an hour getting through. When I did I was told to wait for them to come through. They still haven't. I'm worried. What is going on? Reviewed on: 7th December 2022

Rubbish provider - New day

absolute nightmare with the new provider. No statements at all for nearly 2 months as others has mentioned. Payment due date is the 20th and new statement date is on the 5TH OF DECEMBER!!!! DUE DATE 20TH DECEMBER!!! what sort of credit card company is this? 15 days to generate a statement - such a big gap and payment is requested in 15 days!! I was under the impression you need to give customer at least 21 days to pay.. List can go on.. totally disappointed with John Lewis choice of underwriter.. Loved the HSBC backed partnership card. Reviewed on: 7th December 2022

Total rubbish since moving credit providers

I was happy with HSBC as the card provider, always very helpful and queries sorted out with minimum of fuss now they have moved and OMG what a change. (1) No statements for past 2 months - have to keep going on-line to print them (2) Mysteriously they have now shortened the time between statement production date and date bill to be paid - watch out for that as you will get stung charges and no doubt get a "non payment" on your credit record if you miss the shortened deadline, (3) No longer able to show purchases by card number - all my family use the account - now we have to have a family meeting monthly to sort out whose transaction is whose - pain in the rear (4) I tried to pay online via Bank - my bank could not even identify their account, (5) It would appear that this new provider is a credit line you get for store cards etc not a mainstream "bank" or financial institution and boy does it show. Are John Lewis trying to do things on the "cheap" ? - Chairman Sharon please take note. You are losing the goodwill of customers you wish to keep, (6) Display of what you owe is poor and misleading. Make sure if you pay off monthly to pick the right balance. (7) Stores and services where I used to tap my card now seem to require a pin every time - once again a pain in the rear. Their systems should be by now building your profile of use. All in All very poor substitute for HSBC and I regret after over 30 years with various JL cards I am now thinking of seeking an alternative. I wonder what it will be like if you try to use it abroad................ I certainly wont be taking this card as my sole credit card whereas before I had no fear. Come on John Lewis sharpen up - you are not going to increase use of your Financial Services with providers of this calibre. Reviewed on: 5th December 2022

Down hill

Since changing card whole Process has went down hill Cancelling account with John Lewis, customer service now very poor, how a company so respected go down hill so quickly is beyond belief. Reviewed on: 4th December 2022

Hopeless

No statements arrive despite two phone calls have spoken to several people who are going to stop using it and unless there is a almighty sort out so will I. Reviewed on: 4th December 2022

Worst credit card ever

Nothing going for this card. Shame on John Lewis for failing to negotiate the exact same terms that were offered on the old card to the new card. I was offered an interest free balance transfer on the new card - fee 1.99% very good rate - for 6 months so I transferred my old card balance to the new card. I take it on the chin for not reading the terms & conditions. If you leave the interest free deal in place they take 5% off your monthly payment to reduce this balance and for as long as the interest free balance remains there is no grace period for interest on purchases with interest being charged as soon as you’ve bought an item. Not in line with other card providers. The statement date to date payment is required is also very short. Shocking card provider. Reviewed on: 4th December 2022

New Day card appalling

I had no problems with my previous John Lewis partnership card which I had for many years. Had a healthy limit. Paid off the balance in full each month. Since moving to New Day. I have been given a tiny credit limit. Barely enough to do a weekly shop. It took me 5 attempts of calling the very frustrating new day customer service number to speak to a representative who could actually help me make a complaint. My limit has not been increased and with no satisfactory explanation. I have an excellent credit score and can see no reason for it. I can see no alternative but to cancel the card. Reviewed on: 4th December 2022

what a mess

Bought food for food bank on my card. 6:30 Sunday morning a text from CC company listing that plus my online Christmas shopping as potential fraud. I replied confirming all OK only to find payments stopped. Hilarious (not) is that I am required to put in a code sent to my phone to complete these purchases, and then the message saying 'is this fraud' is sent to same number. With previous card-provider, all went smoothly, including my spending abroad. Now, I can't even spend at a supermarket in my home town without a problem. Reviewed on: 4th December 2022

The new JL credit card and the App are a disaster

I can’t make a monthly payment . I transferred money which was sent back to my bank the next day and I was charged interests , this was in October. Same happened in November. I tried to pay online following the directives on the App and it caused my bank debit card to be blocked (another hour on the phone to sort this out) , again I could not transfer , so I paid over the phone , and because I am not told when I should pay, I am now paying over the phone twice a month to avoid any further charges. I am livid at having been charged interests or late payment charges twice after 40 years with JL store card and credit card . I have now ordered another credit card , which has been delayed due to the postal strike , and I am hanging on until I recover these totally unfair charges. But the App is the worse of all banking Apps, the monthly statement is printed too small to be read and doesn’t say when you should pay nor how. There is no customer help contact in any form. I had to write them a physical letter to claim the charges back. I contacted JL customer services who said they would forward my grievance to them. In the past 6 weeks, I have received 2 texts saying NewDay will soon contact me with details of their complaint procedures ! Reviewed on: 3rd December 2022

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