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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.31 (890 reviews)

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1.31

Based on 890 reviews, last reviewed 27th Mar 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

20% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

4

The JLP card offers cashback based upon spending and... The JLP card offers cashback based upon spending and it is possible to generate £100+ cashback per year. Managing the account is straightforward via t... Read more Reviewed on: 22nd January 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

I used my card to pay for petrol at my local Sainsbu... I used my card to pay for petrol at my local Sainsbury's. Later that day I received a message saying there was a suspicion of fraud. A simple glance a... Read more Reviewed on: 27th March 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 (890)

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 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

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

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