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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (876 reviews)

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1.33

Based on 876 reviews, last reviewed 25th Sep 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

20% decrease 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

If your phone is stolen, you cannot verify anything. I had my phone and card stolen, to cancel your card you need your phone... to do anything, you need your phone. So then decided to used the chat servi... Read more Reviewed on: 25th September 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 (876)

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

John Lewis loosing loyal customers including me

I have had a John Lewis card for about 25 years and have had my application for the New day refused. I am blaming John Lewis as they decided to abandon their card and make everybody reapply. If they found that their bonus system was too generous then be honest and say so, don't put us through this huge inconvenience. They have now lost my custom along with many others, don't want to see them go under, but they need to rethink this whole business before it is too late. Reviewed on: 17th October 2022

Card holder for 42 years - but no longer

I have had a John Lewis card since 1981. I have been a loyal customer recommeding the store for quality and customer service The new card falls far short of the Partnership Card - and the Customer card before that. The website has been down - my details have not been recognised - i had to re set a passcode 3 times and each time i was locked Such a shame that a company like John Lewis can let is reputation for quality and customer service fall Has the new CEO not realised the store is successful becuase of customer loyalty ? Short term cost cutting measures will destroy the reputation built up over decades- Sadly the store may follow the route of Army and Navy and the banks .... A short term view Reviewed on: 16th October 2022

Loyal no longer

Having been a JLP card holder for over 20 years, I applied for the new card but as with many others was rejected, therefore I shall withdraw my loyalty like they have to me. Reviewed on: 15th October 2022

Sex discrimination

My husband recently applied for a new JL credit card, was asked for his income, and received a card. I have just applied for a card and had to give my own income but was astonished and disgusted to be asked for his income as well as my own (It was not a factor of income size, as putting in a large income as a test did not change things). I also have friends who have retired, are wealthy, but not yet drawing a pension. As they have no 'official' income they are rejected for a card despite being loyal customers who have always paid the bill every month. Reviewed on: 14th October 2022

REJECTED FOR NEW DAY CARD FOR NO REASON

I have just tried to apply for a new partnership card with John Lewis as the old one expires at the end of the month. I have an excellent credit history ( all cards paid off in full every month) and been a cardholder for more than 20 years. My application was rejected for no reason whatsoever. Having looked at other reviews of this card I feel I may have had a lucky escape although I regret allowing John Lewis to share my personal details with what appears to be a somewhat cavalier organisation. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

Longstanding loyal customer rejected for new Credit Card

I applied on line today for a new John Lewis credit card and was rejected. Phoned the helpline and was told to check experian credit reference agency. I have no debt and always pay off the cc balance every month. After many years this is unfortunately the end of my relationship with John Lewis Partnership. Having read some of the other comments it sounds as if One Day is totally inefficient so perhaps it is a lucky escape. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

New Day cheating customers

I have now had the New Day card since September 1st. ( It is now Oct 12th). I have so far spent £1423.00 on the card but in their statement to me they have calculated me to only have 526 points. I should have 1120 . I have complained but they have not responded. They are cheating customers out of the points. In addition, they say that for the first three months it is triple points but now they say that ' this won't be calculated until the end of the three months'. Why did John Lewis choose New Day !! Absolutely disgraceful. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

Another Very Disgruntled Customer

I also will not be using my John Lewis card again. I have been a card holder for very many years and use it constantly for both large and small purchases and pay the balance in full by Direct Debit every month. My new credit limit is less than half of the previous one, like others I assume John Lewis are not interested in people like me who do not have outstanding credit balances to charge the interest rates. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

New Day declined my application for thd new card

Like many other peoples recent reviews, was astonished that my application was declined. I use John Lewis and Waitrose as a preferred shop. Have tried to contact John Lewis who transferred me to underwriters. I was made aware that it would be a long wait which I was happy with. After about 10 minutes waiting, they hung up on me! JL did not seem concerned about the decline - suggesting I did something wrong. I pointed to the reviews posted here but they still did not care. Time to find a new preferred store Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

Appalling credit card

Impossible to set up payment details from bank to show JLP. Receiving text messages to say a payment is due when it has been paid and no statement received at that time. Call centre unhelpful and slow to answer. Seriously considering changing to another provided. Why on earth did they change something that seemed to work so well. Have held a JLP card since they started. Reviewed on: 12th October 2022

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