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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

Very Poor Service

Despite receiving emails to activate my new Partnership Card no card has been received . When I called to enquire when it will be sent I was told there was a 45 min wait to deal with my query. Simply not good enough! Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

Declined New Card - Sharon White has abdicated her responsibility

Loyal customers for 40 years - spending around £10k a year. Declined for new card. Complained to Chair. Totally inadequate response. Places all responsibility on New Day, thus abdicating her responsibility. John Lewis seems to have a 'death wish'. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

New credit card taking a long time to arrive

Despite receiving emails asking me to activate my new card as it should have arrived by now - sadly it has not. When I called the customer services line they say the wait is 45 minutes. This is not a Freefone service either. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

New Partnership card: Cannot speak to a human being.

First statement received for the new card. Payment to be taken appeared incorrect. Called the number provided with what should have been a simple query. Not one of the automated options, so option to speak to a human being so sent in circles around the automated options. Tried the Complaints number instead - exactly the same experience, no human beings even on the Complaints number. About to cancel card. Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

Hopeless!

I discovered that my card had been frozen this weekend. It turned out it was because I hadn’t made the minimum payment on time, even though opi had no email or paper statement sent to me! Paid off balance completely, which I always do every month on old card but card is still not working. It’s impossible to contact anyone on the phone and the app is rubbish, no way to ask questions or have a web chat. Also now getting emails saying firstly that payment from my bank way successful then a second email saying it wasn’t, even though the money has been taken from my account. Step up John a Lewis this is way below you usual standard of customer care Reviewed on: 27th September 2022

New Day Partnership card

Appalling mess with their new partnership mastercard. You can't speak to anyone, there's a phone number but it just cancels itself just when you've got through the automated options, you can't pay your bill as the options to pay vanish as soon as you are about to click on it. Tried to add the payment account details to my bank but the account and sort code provided isn't recognised as a business. The old partnership card worked so well, wish I'd never applied for this one as I'm now stuck between the two. What a shame as I love John Lewis! Reviewed on: 26th September 2022

I just want a new pin number the one sent unclearo

It took ages on the phone with no luck speaking to anyone. I did not have luck on line Reviewed on: 26th September 2022

Credit card cock up

Applying for the New Day card with John Lewis has been a joke there is clearly a very poor web application site that has not been tested managed to get to the end and verification code did not work, so frustrating. Phone application equally as bad told the is a wait of 45 mins, maybe this is how John Lewis are going to increase their profits by charging for the phone calls, will be taking my custom elsewhere. Reviewed on: 26th September 2022

Refused x 3 !

Why was I refused it makes no sense I wish I could speak to someone but have given up.. Reviewed on: 25th September 2022

Declined

I like so many others had my application for a NewDay Credit Card declined. Having had a John Lewis Partnership Card for more than 15 years with a high credit limit paid off in full each month. I am appalled at the way John Lewis are treating loyal customers. It is a disgraceful situation and I too will be taking my custom elsewhere. L Jones Reviewed on: 25th September 2022

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