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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.31 (890 reviews)

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1.31

Based on 890 reviews, last reviewed 27th Mar 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

20% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

4

The JLP card offers cashback based upon spending and... The JLP card offers cashback based upon spending and it is possible to generate £100+ cashback per year. Managing the account is straightforward via t... Read more Reviewed on: 22nd January 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

I used my card to pay for petrol at my local Sainsbu... I used my card to pay for petrol at my local Sainsbury's. Later that day I received a message saying there was a suspicion of fraud. A simple glance a... Read more Reviewed on: 27th March 2026

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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 (890)

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

So sad

Where do I begin? Drowned in introductory emails Very confusing info. regarding statements Slightly threatening emails Lack of info. about payment Attempt to pay over the phone failed No info. on account details for setting up a direct debit. Worried about how to pay How could one of the icons of British retail businesses fail so badly? Once payment has been achieved it is bye bye John Lewis after many years of receiving an quality service and being a loyal customer Reviewed on: 3rd November 2022

Their site is now 'unavailable'!

I have never dealt with a more useless company. Having failed miserably to download their app (they're asking for the expiry date of my card which I STILL haven't received and the temporary details do not include the expiry date). I tried to contact them and now the site is unavailable. All evening it has been saying 'System currently unavailable, please try again'. If my card ever does arrive I shall probably send it back. I don't choose to deal with inadequate companies. Reviewed on: 3rd November 2022

Shocked and disappointed

Been loyal with JL for over 30 years. ALL my house items from small to large are from their store at Milton Keynes I food shop at Waitrose online for 10 years so my monthly credit cards average was £2000 which was always paid in time. Saved the vouchers to spend in the store which we always top up. My last purchase was a £2000 TV. We were then offered a credit of £500 per month which would not even pay for our monthly food bill at Waitrose. My wife and I feel very let down so we phoned new card supplier and a very stern man said. He was sorry but his company could not increase our credit until we have proved we are a good payer. So after a few comments and what we thought he said we could always find a new card supplier, which we did and now have a credit of £5000. We will now always shop in other stores for food and house items first before looking at JL. What a shame that JL partners are dumping all their loyal customers. I have since wrote to JL and they sent me a reply saying that they have no control over what has happened and I need to contact the new suppler. I am disappointed but my new online food supplier are great and slightly cheaper and is local to me. So thank you JL for making me change.. Reviewed on: 3rd November 2022

What have you done?

John Lewis what are you thinking? We have been loyal customers for many years and were very happy your partnership card. Why the change? And why New Day? After reading the reviews for John Lewis' new credit card provider - New Day - which were generally awful, we sought an alternative option. M & S came out top in independent reviews and have a loyalty scheme we'll use. Consequently no more John Lewis. (It is interesting to note that the M&S card is issued by HSBC who were John Lewis former card issuers.) It was a simple online application and we were offered an comparable first credit limit. Reviewed on: 3rd November 2022

John Lewis Partnership Card - a joke

I am a loyal John Lewis customer and have been 100% satisfied with my John Lewis partnership card (HSBC backed). The credit limit offered by the new provider (NewDay) is an insult to customers who pay off their credit cards in full each month. I shall be taking out an alternative credit card. Choosing NewDay as your credit provider was an extremely poor management decision. Reviewed on: 2nd November 2022

Agressive text messages

If you eventually get a new John Lewis credit card be prepared for unwanted agressive text messages! Reviewed on: 2nd November 2022

John Lewis what have put done !

Why oh why has John Lewis transferred their credit card to this company ! I’m a loyal JL partnership card holder Of ten years plus and trying to transfer my credit card to New Day has been dreadful . I’m now Looking to move to a new credit card . Such a shame as The old HSBC Partnership card was excellent with great customer service and ease of use . I think JL are going to lose lots of loyal customers . If I could give them a zero stars review , I would . Reviewed on: 2nd November 2022

Useless

Card works OK at John Lewis but useless else where and can't set up payment from my bank account as not recognised. I had to search for acct details finally found on online statement. Will stop using this as not worth hassle. Another loyal customer lost JL Reviewed on: 1st November 2022

Appalling

Took hours to get through on the phone. Told them app won’t work as it says my phone number is wrong (which it isn’t). Still can’t use the app. My card eventually came but has a different number from the one on my bill (both different from my original number. Don’t know how to pay my bill as haven’t had a cheque book for years. I have been with John Lewis over 50 years but I am certainly not using them any more. Reviewed on: 1st November 2022

Good grief, what is happening at John Lewis?!

Just to repeat other reviews- I've found New Day are terrible, nothing to recommend the card. Unlike others I was approved for a card quickly (and my credit limit was increased, which I didn't actually want). But that is where the 'good' news ends. Whereas I always found the previous customer service via HSBC outstanding and easy to speak to an actual person, its almost impossible to find a contact or speak to anyone at New Day (or at John Lewis to raise a complaint). Like others, I struggled to find a way to pay directly via bank transfer. New Day are constantly emailing or messaging to encourage me to a) download their app b) set up a direct debit and c) transfer a balance, but its very much a one-way communication flow! Some online retailers don't 'recognise' the card and won't accept it, but I can't of course contact anyone at New Day to find out why this is. I'm disappointed that John Lewis haven't spoken out about the poor experiences so many loyal customers have been having and explained their decision to change providers, re-assure people the service will improve etc. Clearly the days of customer service being important to John Lewis are long over. And last week I had an email from John Lewis to say they were closing down their broadband operation. I'm looking to take out a new card and close this one as soon as I've got my last vouchers! Reviewed on: 1st November 2022

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