Write a review

Go to business site

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (878 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

1.33

Based on 878 reviews, last reviewed 23rd Oct 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

33% decrease in 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

REALLY SHOULD BE BETTER SERVICE AND COMMUNICATION They have just changed their bank account details, however the informing letter is written in the smallest font with no hint about how important the m... Read more Reviewed on: 23rd October 2025

Read all reviews See your review

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.

Smart Money People is the UK's leading financial services review and insight hub. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (878)

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

NewDay is trashing of the John Lewis brand

Just another example of deterioration in the service quality branded under John Lewis. Ever since NewDay took over the old JL card, the amittedly few occasions we have had to contact them have led to poor customer experience and a total lack of human service. Their processes such as for fraud prevention are lamentable. They blocked a small regular monthly payment to our mobile phone service provider as it was a suspected fraud, even though the same amount had been paid each month under all the same process many times before. We had to launch a complaint to be heard properly, but all this resulted in was a standard 'we didn't make any errors' complaints decision. Their processes are too automated and designed by people who really don't seem to be very experienced as customers at all. And there seems to be very poor understanding of what the JL brand has meant in the UK psyche for so many years. We would say NewDay is possibly going to be viewed as the final nail in JL's coffin over the next few years. Reviewed on: 12th September 2024

Please dump Newday for a more reliable supplier

I couldn't agree more with the person who reported "New Day are Trashing John Lewis's reputation ". Trying to prepay for a large item is virtually imposible. Getting a credit limit anywhere near the one available with the previous card supplier (HSBC) is impossible and to add insult to injury, today my card is not being accepted, although it is nowhere near the credit limit. I have just tried to look at my transaction history and the site is "currently unavailable".PleaseJOHN LEWIS, PLEASE DUMP THIS USELESS NEWDAY CROWD. Reviewed on: 12th September 2024

New Day are Trashing John Lewis's reputation

Since John Lewis moved to New Day as their Partnership card service provider, I have had nothing but trouble using the card. They decline some of my purchases for what they say are “Security reasons”. The latest decline put me in difficulties at the start of a family holiday where they declined the charge that was required to cover the damage deposit on the car hire. This would have meant I couldn’t hire the car, even though I’d paid for the hire of it in the UK using the same card. Luckily, I was able to juggle my finances apps and made sufficient room on another car to complete the hire. New Day say on their website that I didn’t need to inform them when travelling abroad, but maybe I should have tried anyway. Why do I not have any issues with any other credit card? Having returned to the UK, I called “New Day” to complain and to understand why I keep getting my card declined only to be told by the handler that “there is a lot of fraud about”. They also said I should have called them to “get permission” to make the purchase. I pointed out that I was abroad, and a credit card is supposed to be a convenience not a hindrance. Unfortunately, from my point of view, “New Day” are also trashing John Lewis’s reputation at the same time as their own, so will be steering clear of both “New Day” and John Lewis in future. Reviewed on: 28th August 2024

Customer satisfaction

They are vgery focussed and always go the extra step to ensure we are happy Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Rubbish card

It takes 5 days from when my direct debit is paid from my bank to clear my account with this credit card provider. So if I’ve used it to its limit I am unable to use it again till 5 days into the new month. Also I am unable to pay into the account by a bank transfer if I want to make an extra payment. This was a useful credit card till it was changed to New Day. Reviewed on: 23rd August 2024

Just love the rewards with this card

Just love the rewards with this card Reviewed on: 16th June 2024

Good rewards

Love the fact that I get rewards for using my card Reviewed on: 28th May 2024

Excellent on clarity and reward

Like the reward and the very clear website and online account management. I have borrowed cash recently. This needed to show on my statement but did not appear quickly enough. However, easy to get the money! Reviewed on: 24th May 2024

Great benefits with John Lewis vouchers, with increa...

Great benefits with John Lewis vouchers, with increased cash back on spend at John Lewis and Waitrose stores. Good app for managing card account, for security checks when making on line transactions and reviewing spend against credit limit Reviewed on: 24th May 2024

Great for Waitrose customers

Great if you shop at Waitrose and John Lewis Reviewed on: 24th May 2024

Do you have a different John Lewis product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Credit Card
from thinkmoney 1.40 from 2 reviews
Chrome Card
from Vanquis 4.18 from 8 reviews
Purchase Credit Card
from Bank of Scotland 4.56 from 10 reviews

Want to see more from John Lewis?

Travel Insurance
from John Lewis 4.75 from 3 reviews
Breakdown Insurance
from John Lewis 4.00 from 1 reviews
Home insurance
from John Lewis 2.16 from 73 reviews

View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub