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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (882 reviews)

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1.32

Based on 882 reviews, last reviewed 12th Nov 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

75% increase 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

Lost my £3000 payment to my Partnership card Lost my £3000 payment to my Partnership card through their app for 2 weeks, causing much stress and many phone calls trying to get my money back - as ... Read more Reviewed on: 12th November 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?

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 (882)

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

Another sad nail in John Lewis's coffin

Like many loyal JLP customers I have noticed that service (and stock availability) has got worse year by year. I was also surprised and disappointed to have to go through the inconvenience of reapplying for the credit card. I did so and was given a card with the same credit limit. Little did I realise how much it had changed with just 15 days credit. I'm not sure how it helps anyone who is paid and plans their finances monthly to have this credit card. My old statement would be dated about 4th of the month and I would pay on the last day so I could set up a month's budget in the first week of the month. Now, I have to wait and see what I have spent up to 20th of the month, before paying my balance on the 4th. That is no help to me as I try to ensure that I have enough in my current account to pay the month's bills and clear my credit card balance without going overdrawn. Time to find a proper credit card that operates more like the old Partnership Card. Reviewed on: 26th October 2022

Death wish

Same experience as many. High income, high credit rating, held JL card for years, paid off monthly. Rejected by NewDay, who apparently only want people they can milk for usurious interest rates. Why would JL want to trash their own reputation like this? I'm now an ex-JL customer and won't be coming back. Reviewed on: 26th October 2022

Some reward for 20 years of in store loyalty

Like many others, I have had my renewal for a Partnership card of over 20 years rejected by New Day. I have no mortgage, no debts, an excellent credit rating, a significant income, have always paid back in full. Moreover, John Lewis has always been my store of choice. Shame on them. Reviewed on: 26th October 2022

Institution of NewDay as a Card Provider

NewDay claim that they base acceptance based on '(A) affordability & (B) credit score'. I confirmed in my application with evidence, that in terms of affordability - I'm in the top half a percent of earners & my credit score is high at 991 out of 1000. On this basis...I was refused. I complained to JL & was refused a second time with JL stating that they could not intervene? Having been a loyal, trouble free Customer for over 15 years, against NewDay's criteria...I should not have been refused. But the growing chorus of opinion indicating that NewDay are 'profiling' Customers who may have difficulty in clearing monthly payments....since they are more likely to pay interest. Loyal, long-standing Customers are clearly being disenfranchised using credit status & affordability (fraudulently) as an excuse to deny existing Customers the ability to retain their association with JL. JL have sadly lost their way. They have allowed a Credit Provider to usurp their reputation which is bizarre. Given how long it takes to build a reputation & in a matter of months for this to be discarded for no good reason. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

Refused newday card

We've held John Lewis credit cards for years but had application for Newday card rejected despite excellent credit rating (checked on Experian yesterday). This is despite a generous retirement income etc Very disappointing but the John Lewis loss will be M&S's gain.. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

Refused new credit card

Applied for new card and refused apparently because I clear my balance monthly and am therefore a severe credit risk. American Express welcomed me with increased credit limit as Experian rate me in top 5% for credit risk Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

NewDay Ltd John Lewis credit card

On 22 October 2022 my NewDay Ltd John Lewis Credit card was rejected. Just didn’t work. No explanation. Good job I had my debit card with me. Please get this sorted John Lewis or go back to HSBC. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

NEW CARD

Credit Limit on new card is 38% less than I have at present and have had for many,many years. My credit rating by Experian is the highest possible - 999. I have always paid off my account in full each month. I will use my other cards in the future. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

A VERY SAD DAY

I did not want to even rate this new John Lewis credit but had to,to enable me to write this review. Even one star is an exaggeration for this new credit card company. Having had a John Lewis credit card for many years and never having had any financial difficulties, I have been refused the new credit card with no reason given. I am disgusted that John Lewis have allowed their loyal customers to be treated so badly.I, along with many other customers, I am sure, will boycott them. I see many more of their stores closing. VERY DISAPPOINTING JOHN LEWIS. SHAME ON YOU. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

Arbitrarily excluded

After years of blameless credit dealings and loyalty I am excluded from applying for the new partnership card because i don’t have a mobile phone. At the end of the month I shall therefore be joining all the disappointed people of Sheffield in boycotting John Lewis. Nul points. Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

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