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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

New card application problems

I have had a JLP credit card and previously a store card for decades. I have been a stay at home parent for the past 18 years but my husband has a good salary. I have a credit limit of £12000 (given without question when we needed a large purchase) and we always pay off the total each month regularly spending £2000+ each month and often more for holidays, Christmas etc. I have just started my application for my new card and reached the question about my occupation. The option I would have to choose is `Homemaker with no personal income' but then there is no option to state household income or where I get my money from to pay my bills (on the previous JLP card application there was space to give household income). It is quite obvious from reading everyone else's reviews that if I proceed with my application I will be rejected. I have just tried to phone the helpline and was told more than 45 minutes wait and to try again later as they are busy... I wonder why. There seems very little point in proceeding with something that will probably only damage my credit rating and cause even more frustration. Fortunately I still have my M and S credit card which I hadn't used as much recently but have a good credit limit so time to be more loyal to them again. After 7 years of food shopping at the Waitrose next to my son's school, I think I will return to M and S. What a sad situation. John Lewis has always been my go to shop and was for my parents before me. What are they playing at? Another loyal customer gone. Reviewed on: 29th September 2022

Rubbish

Have had a JL card, and used it, but paid off in full when statement arrives. They have now moved to New Day to supply cc and they refused me. I have 100% credit rating bit it seems they only want people who incurr interest charges. So short sighted of JL as many many people have vowed never to shop there again after being slighted by them. Such a shame as I enjoyed shopping with them..especially for euros, enabling me to get rewards to use in store. They obviously don't value their customers any more. Reviewed on: 29th September 2022

New Credit Card Fiasco

I have been a faithful customer with John Lewis for many years, with an excellent credit rating. Like thousands of others, I recently applied to renew my credit card and was rejected. I managed to contact NewDay, but the advisor, although as patient and helpful as he could be, could only advise that I would be unlikely to be successful if I applied at another time and agreed to raise a formal complaint. I now understand that many of we rejected customers tend to clear our bills monthly or at least promptly, thereby paying little or no interest to the finance company. I have been unable to email John Lewis directly as, oddly enough, my login details are no loner recognised. I am totally disappointed, disgusted and tempted to go into my local (Glasgow) branch and make my complaints very vocally I store, if only to vent my pent up rage. Reviewed on: 29th September 2022

Very upset

i have been a customer of John Lewis and have used their credit card ever since it's instigation. I have paid the outstanding amount by direct debit every month. I have been refused the new credit card despite having a substantial income. This is an appalling way to treat your loyal customers. I have always thought John Lewis as a reputable company but not anymore. I am moving house and planned to buy new furniture from John Lewis but not now. I will not be buying anything from John Lewis again. It is now a dreadful company. Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

Name and shame John Lewis

I've been a JL credit card holder for 10 years with an impeccable credit reference. I have applied for a credit card with their new provider - I've been rejected. The new provider, New Day, are impossible to get hold of. When I finally got through, they said the only way to help me was to make a complaint. I never thought it would be possible to be treated in this way by someone with reputation of John Lewis. John Lewis say they can do nothing for me. An absolute disgrace. Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

Let down change in Credit Card provider

Like many others we have been a loyal Customer of John Lewis and Waitrose for over 30 years. We've always paid our monthly bill in full on time. We've also tended to purchase through John Lewis for the warranty and their Voucher scheme, and of course for their honest reputation. We are a reasonably large consumer, have a high credit score rating and cannot understand why we have been refused for the new credit card now on two separate occasions. It's a big shock and a disappointment. From all the complaints it would appear that this may well bring significant repercussions for future business for the company. We will be using Amazon etc and other supermarkets in future. Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

NEW JOHN LEWIS PARTNERSHIP CARD IS APPALLING

Decent customer service with the old John Lewis Partnership credit card (which I had for about 20 years). Not so the new one. Does their phone line have an staff at all. I cannot get through to them. Reviewed on: 28th September 2022

Transfer took 15 minutes

Code provided and application took less than 15 minutes. Also got higher credit limit. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

fallen out of love with John Lewis

My husband and I found the whole process of applying for the new credit card totally frustrating and confusing. 2 hours of our lives wasted going around in circles on this complicated application. When we finally received our cards my husband's on line payment for car insurance was declined and then his on line payment to the DVLA for car tax was also declined. He contacted NewDay customer services to be told that his insurance company hadn't processed the payment properly and that they were also having problems with all Government sites and this was an on going problem. He had to use another credit card to complete the transaction meaning he lost out on the points he would have earned using the John Lewis credit card. When he received his statement for payment it had to be made within 12 days. A much shorter period than the old John Lewis credit card. Today he tried to settle the statement on line from his bank on a date of his choosing but the NewDay account number and sort code was not recognised by his bank (LLoyds). He was reluctant to make payment through the credit card app as that involves yet another bank(Nat West) and making the payment on that day and not his preferred day, Not in the slightest impressed with this new card and we know of many other people having had similar problems. Have fallen out of love with John Lewis and would not consider any of it's other financial services. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

Credit card changes are an insult to loyal, longstanding customers

John Lewis Partnership (JLP) are trying to force me to change to their new Partnership Card with NewDay (which, I recall from my professional finance days, used to be something of a sub-prime lender, maybe it still is?). I have had my current Partnership Card (managed by HSBC) for many years and their customer service has been exemplary. Reports of the New Day experience are not encouraging and, having retired recently, I am concerned that my credit limit will be slashed due to my drop in income, even though, in asset terms, I remain a high net worth individual. I rarely use the full credit limit and always pay off the balance at the end of the month, but the credit limit is important to me when paying for occasional big ticket items such as trips to visit family in Australia. Therefore I'm not prepared to risk an application to NewDay who appear to take no account of one's track record with the existing Partnership Card. I'll look for a card from another provider instead. Sadly this fiasco is indicative of the tone deaf management style of the JLP's current CEO, Sharon White, (who recently, very publicly, accused us self-funded early retirees of being the cause of labour shortages and wage inflation!). Ms White seems to be determined to alienate JLP's core customer base, which is a strange business strategy indeed. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

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