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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.86 (894 reviews)

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1.86

Based on 894 reviews, last reviewed 30th Apr 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

700% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

4

High interest although you gain points using your cr... High interest although you gain points using your credit card whilst shopping in John Lewis Reviewed on: 17th April 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

Zero TRUST, and HONESTY Customer service is shocking. A distinct lack of ANY rewards for points earned. You call to say you have recieved zero vouchers depite clocking up ove... Read more Reviewed on: 30th April 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 (894)

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

No thanks for loyalty after years of continued business

Like many others I have been refused a new Partnership Card after years of using one and paying the amount off every month. I am now deliberately shopping elsewhere and I have to say saving money, JL do not deserve their customers. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

New Mastercard is terrible.

I cannot imagine why John Lewis has put its reputation on the line by transferring its Mastercard from HSBC to NewDay. My credit limit was reduced by two thirds despite an absolutely perfect credit history for tens of years. NewDay refused to increase it. I called yesterday about another matter and waited 40 minutes before the phone was answered. When I queried the long wait I was told "We handle other cards - not just John Lewis"!!! I shall move away from John Lewis Partnership card as soon as practicable. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Stressful

Although customers were given plenty of notice of the changeover, NewDay do not seem set up to take over running this credit card business. The card arrived two weeks after they had sent out a PIN number, there appears to be no Live Chat available to speak to customer services. Although I requested a hard copy bill/statement, none has arrived. The setting out of the online statement/balance is very, very unclear. A shabby and unprofessional set up. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Rubbish card provider

Why oh why did JL switch?.. surely not to save money??? I’ve had nothing but trouble from New Day. Completed on line form, then cards never arrived. Worried about them being stolen in the post, but no contact number readily available to report lost cards. Eventually, after many attempts to get through, managed to speak to someone who said they would cancel old cards,(which still hadn’t arrived), then received new cards in the same post as the PIN number!,,Also, new day reduced my limit, despite the fact that I have a 999 rating and always pay by DD for the full sum each month. I shall not be using the card needless to say Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Chaotic trying to change card

On proceeding to apply we were offered £2k credit limit when we already had £10k. We phoned them but they insisted we had to complete the form before we could find out how much credit they would allow. Eventually it was £10k. Completed the form for my husband and myself. He got his card and I didn’t get one. Phoned and requested a second card for me. A card eventually arrived but despite trying to verify it on line and many phone calls which went unanswered we have had to write them a letter to try and get them to sort it out. This is wasting our time just to save JLP money and it’s rubbish customer service. Thinking of just getting our accrued points and changing to a cash back card instead. Very disappointing. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Nil rating from me - negative rating, if possible.

What a disaster - switching providers from HSBC to New Day has proved itself to be completely chaotic, mismanaged, ill-advised, unprofessional, disorganised, time-wasting, ill-considered, poorly pre-planned and more likely to detract severely from business for John Lewis, Peter Jones and Waitrose than even to leave it unaffected, let alone increasing it. I've been an account customer for over 50 years, and am bewildered, dismayed, confused and maddened by the methodology of New Day: confusing and duplicated e-mails, inextricable wording in their messaging, no answers on their customer support telephone lines.........the whole procedure equates to madness. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

Credit card chaos

We’ve left JL credit card due to the appalling way they handled the change over. Very unhappy, been with them for 20 years. Reviewed on: 23rd October 2022

How wrong could i be??

Change of credit card forced on me, but no worries it's JL, it'll all be seamless and we carry on as normal. Erm, no.... Interest free period dropped to 15 days Confusing statements urging you to pay the contractual minimum Hopeless customer service line Impossible to pay by bank transfer Contactless doesn't work in France Not accepted at major outlets Stuff your rewards, not worth it for the hassle. Onwards with M&S and Amex, both of whom show their customers some respect. JL what are you doing?? Reviewed on: 22nd October 2022

John Lewis - Sort this out

New partnership card needs sorting asap. Banks don`t recognise the account you need to pay . New Day clearly can`t cope with the volume of phone calls. No other way of contacting them. How did John Lewis choose New Day ? We expect better from John Lewis. Reviewed on: 22nd October 2022

Poor service on all fronts

I like to pay my cc direct from my online bank (1st Direct), but the details in the paper statement don't explain who to pay and the details I put in didn't match anything. I phoned First Direct who were prompt to answer (as always) and said that apparently the payee is Debenhams! Now who would have thought a defunct department store would be involved... Also, 1st D said they'd been told to use the cc number as ref, while the statement says to use the a/c number, which is different. I tried to phone New Day/JL to check which number to use, but gave up after dire warnings of long waits and the most unhelpful, useless options menu I have ever come across. We deserve better service! Reviewed on: 22nd October 2022

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