Write a review

Go to business site

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (882 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

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

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 (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

Switch to Newday?

Having decided to apply for a 'Newday' Partnership Card, I assumed I would be just transfering my account over to the lender. I was advised by JLPC customer services that I would actually have to make a new application. OK I thought. I went through the process only to be have my application declined. I was taken aback to say the least. I was advised by Newday that I may have incorrectly filled in my application form, even suggesting that I may have inadvertantly understated my income! I contacted JLPC services again, and after waiting for 20 minutes before I reached a human being, I was put through to the underwriting team who then confirmed I had filled in the form correctly! What's going on then? I have had the JLPC for over 25 years, and have always paid off the balance every month. Effectively I use it as a charge card, not a credit card - and there's the rub I think. Newday will make no money out of me, as they wont be able to charge excessive interest for a credit balance. That I have a 999 score on Experian is not relevant, they simply dont want me as a customer. Well done John Lewis! Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

NewDay John Lewis Credit Card

Moan I have held the HSBC John Lewis Partnership Card for a number of years, as has my wife, and both of us had heathy Credit Limits; we were extremely happy with their service because one could talk to sensible people in the appropriate department. My wife received an invite to apply to New Day for a new one but I have never received the invite. My wife has a very healthy income but mine is greater than hers; we have no mortgage or debts. According to Experian our credit scores are both 999. These things mean little to me but I think that is the highest. My wife applied first with her invitation code, filled in our details, her income first and then mine as additional household income. She received a credit limit of £20,000 which was a little more than expected being somewhat greater than her existing. I completed my application without the benefit of a code but NewDay found me. The same details were entered regarding address etc and income, but in a reversed order showing mine as the greater and my wife’s as additional. I received a Credit Limit of £5000! That is vastly less than than my old one. I assumed some computer error and tried, by pressing various buttons to get through to credit control. Twice I have found no matter which buttons you press one only ends up at customer services who can only help solve anything by raising a complaint. Moreover, as far as I can see, unlike the HSBC card, one cannot secure message them. Three weeks later I received a very poor quality piece of paper, probably written by an automaton, saying my complaint was rejected- go to the Ombudsman. One month ago, 22 Oct, I wrote to the Chief Risk Officer of NewDay in great detail explaining my disgust at rejection, the reasons and the appalling customer service. I further said I was so disgusted that I would not activate the card, wished then to cancel it and remove the fact that I had recently applied for a new Credit Card from Credit Rating Agencies. I have heard nothing! I copied that letter to the Chief Operating Officer of John Lewis. I have had a reply from someone in Customer Service with the ‘standard’ we value our customers and strive to improve service and have asked NewDay to look into this. In other words, we are not really interested. John Lewis used to be a good retailer but, like others, everything seems to be descending to the lowest common denominator. I have been a loyal and steadfast customer for at least 50 years because I valued their service and standards. I have been prepared to pay a higher price for that standard. No longer I fear, I shall only shop there in extremis. As to NewDay, they are a complete shambles and I recommend that all avoid them at all costs. I doubt they can spell efficiency or good customer service. I do no expect to treated as some idiot punter. I wonder if I will ever get a reply, or an intelligent one which offers an explanation ! Nigel Yeldham Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Losing credit card after 30 years as a loyal customer

My card will expire in 10 days and I do not see why I should have to go to the trouble of applying for a new one Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Payment Taken early

Like many of your other reviewers I have also found the transfer to New Day Ltd very disappointing. Previously my credit card payment was always due circa 12th of the month. This fitted nicely with my pension payment of 6th of the month. I have always paid my credit card off in full. Under the New Day organisation I now have to pay my card by 4th of the month. This month's payment will exceed my balance in my bank account. Thus if I pay my credit card debit on time I will incur bank charges. If I do not pay in full New Day will charge me interest. I was unable to change the payment date for Nov payment. I am hoping that the Dec payment can revert to a later monthly payment. Two previous credit cards I held with New Day as credit provider had also been problematical . As I result I stopped using those cards. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Replacement Partnership card declined

Having been a John Lewis partnership card holder for more than 20 years I was advised that John Lewis was moving to a new credit card provider and that I should follow the easy application process to apply for the new card provided by New Day. The process was indeed simple until I was DECLINED. To say I am gobsmacked is an understatement. I have been a loyal customer of JL ( which I previously thought was a company that valued loyalty) and used my card regularly. Every month the card was cleared in full. I called the number advised to find out the reason that my application was declined and was advised I had to write an actually letter to post, to appeal this refusal. 28 days later I am still waiting for any contact. This is not the sort of service I would expect if John Lewis wishes to keep my custom. I hear I am not the only one to experience this. Yours from a very frustrated previous customer. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

My loyalty to John Lewis sadly gone with the credit card

I’ve had a John Lewis credit card for over 15 years, with a credit limit of £5,000, had to reapply (which was an excruciating experience, only topped by the ‘activation’ palaver which was a sheer waste of hours of my time) to only get £750 credit. I called to complain - was told I couldn’t complain yet - it had to be done in 15 days time… So I explained politely that the card was next to useless and I would be cutting it up and putting it in the bin. What a shame JL have got it so wrong after years of good service. A poor decision just to save money if that’s what it was. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

NewDay/Partnership card

Oh dear, can only hope it gets better. After over 30 years with John Lewis with their HSBC financial bank, our credit limit was reduced even though we always paid our outstanding monthly balance and told it will take six months to reinstate it. With a very bad previous experience, concerning a late payers fault with NewDay when they were backers for a defunct Debenhams store card. Another disappointing feature with dual cardholders NewDay statements do not show which card was used in transactions. John Lewis’s reputation has received a serious blow! Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Very disappointing

I have started using the new JL partnership card. The balance on the old card (c£1,500) was paid by direct debit in mid-October as usual. I was surprised to receive a statement for the new card yesterday which informed me that the balance due on that card (c£750) would be taken on the 31st of this month. I contacted New Day which confirmed that the new card offers only 15 days credit. I am in the fortunate position of being able to cover this extra outlay in a month but I suspect many people will suffer hardship as a result of this reduction in the length of credit. I am tempted to cancel the card, having been a cardholder for many years. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Complete indifference.

In June my husband died and as he was the main credit card holder with John Lewis my card was cancelled. To my horror they would not issue a new card until they had changed banks. Subsequently Trailfinders paid into my cancelled account a sum of money owing to me even though I had told them the debit card account had been cancelled. This money has been sitting in a holding account since July with neither John Lewis nor Trailfinders accepting responsibility. John Lewis had assured me that I would be the first to receive a new credit card but of course I have not heard from them and it is now the middle of Oct. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

My letter to Dame Stella

I concur absolutely with all the comments on this section. I wrote to Dame Stella when we had to deal with NewDay, a shocking experience and I had experience of them also through Laura Ashley. This is it Dear Dame Sharon, Thanks for your acknowledgement, but apart from further accountability shuffling and palm-off's from Iain Stewart I've yet to see any empathy with the Customer view whatsoever. As I said in my original email I served on a multi-national Board for some 12 years before retiring and we operated a customer-centric organisation which placed the customer at the top of the tree, and the internal management structure and business processes playing second fiddle to the "front line" or customer interface. I certainly don't get a customer-centric feel from the replies I've had in this exchange recently, and clearly Iain seems to put his relationship with NewDay before those of his customers. John Lewis doesn't seem to get it! When your service levels don't deliver, we don't want to hear from your suppliers, we need John Lewis to take primary accountability and go out on a limb to put things right quickly and decisively. It hit me as Déjà vu that my original complaint written to you on 17th October is absolutely consistent with the cacophony of complaints echoed in the article in today's Sunday Times, and the customer comments it refers to on the Smart Money People website. There's a world of JL customers of long standing out there shouting "you've got it wrong" and nobody seems to be listening. Where on earth has the John Lewis we used to have confidence in gone?? A good first start for one or more of your senior team would be to “mystery shop” by phoning a query to New Day, and try to speak to a human, you might then get a bit closer to understanding the problem. See how easy it was, and how long you had to hang on. I can't find today's article on the web so I've scanned it for you, but I'm sure you've seen it. I've also added the link to the Smart Money People page Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

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 Debenhams 2.49 from 13 reviews
Select Credit Card
from Nationwide 3.44 from 10 reviews
Everyday spending credit cards
from Halifax 3.93 from 72 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 2.08 from 75 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