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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

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

John Lewis Credit Card

Both myself and partner are disgusted with New Day. Credit Limit halved, wrong information given, application lost and one application not completed by them. Spent hours on the phone and have now applied for a credit card from our Bank, accepted and received by return of post. After years of being a loyal customer and paying in full we are disregarded and insulted by New Day and John Lewis Partnership. We have abandoned our applications and as always will pay our balance in full and wave goodbye! Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

Partnership card refusal

Have had partnership card for many years and always paid off balance every month. Recently retired. Enough money in bank, but not drawing a pension yet. Now refused new partnership card, because not getting a regular income. Called John Lewis customer service, but the answer is a “computer says no”! Thanks JL! Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

Shocking customer service

I have spent hours trying to manage the change to New Day and encountered long fruitless waits for someone to answer the phone. I was told I had received a code to use online, but this was not the case, so I could not get any further than the opening page on the website.. I have decided I have no more time to spend on this matter, and after 40 years with a partnership card, I have given up. This whole affair has left me very disappointed and dissatisfied and. very sad that John Lewis should oversee such a fiasco. I have always praised it for its reliability and customer service but this reputation has been severely damaged Reviewed on: 25th October 2022

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