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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

Goodbye JL

Like so many others, good income, excellent credit score, have had JL card for years and always paid off in full but retired and so rejected for replacement card. JL and Waitrose will lose the over £10,000 spend a year from this household. Shame on you. Reviewed on: 23rd September 2022

I was a loyal customer

I was happy to go through the process of applying for the new JL card. Appalling decision John Lewis to change. I have had my old credit card for 10+ yrs. credit limit 10k. Paid off each month. New credit limit £250! A joke. Just because my husband earns our money and despite saying what our household income is - this is all you can offer me? If you really wanted to put off loyal customers from shopping at Waitrose and John Lewis you have succeeded! Reviewed on: 23rd September 2022

Finally got accepted

After a month of complaining to John Lewis Finance about being rejected and getting nowhere, I saw someone on here say email John Lewis Press Office. Their website says it’s only for press - ignore that and write and complain. They handled my complaint in 24 hrs by passing it to the press office of Newday. I got a reply same day and a review. Apparently as a “responsible lender” they’d turned down my application due to a problem with my data - but to reapply. I tried tonight assuming another rejection (given other peoples experiences) - but they had obviously flagged my record - got my monthly £10k monthly limit matching my old card. So if you are struggling to get anyone in John Lewis to deal with your complaint, (and in my case that included the CEO - who never even acknowledged my email) then try this email address: (Ignore the bit that says journalist and press only) [email protected] Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Pathetic

The renewal of a new card is absolutely pathetic. Cannot understand why they cannot look at the history of the cardholder. Have now decided after 30 years that I shall not be making any major purchases from John Lewis or Waitrose. Same goes with their insurance. Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

New Partnership card? Seems it's not to be ...

Having had a JLP card for over 40 years (storecard initially, then Partnership Card) I have been refused a new-style card by New Day, so my average 1K/pcm spend on the card will have to go elsewhere (probably Sainsbury's). JLP's loss ... Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Poor management

Problems which I experienced in being refused similar to others, More generally a decline in standards visible in a number of areas in John Lewis since arrival of current Chief Exec. Perhaps there should be a review of management Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Appalling experience with NEWDAY for John Lewis

First of software did not work properly, then rejected application despite having previous card over 10 years with good credit management record. Very high credit score (I checked) but they said they could not collect any information when I complained. Poor customer service. Took under five minutes to replace this card with one from a more reputable supplier, a major bank. Much less likely to use John Lewis now Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Partnership card, Absolute fiasco.

Some "partner/partners" should be fired for this.Card stops workingin two weeks.One emailm telling us that. One sheet bof paper with todays statement. My wife, principal card holder, has not been issued witha new card or even been invited tp apply. Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Very poor substitute

Cheap-looking card, not at all in line with the JL brand. Also, does not show a start date for the card, something required by many online retailers. After a hopeless web-chat, I called up and was eventually told my card’s start-date. Not impressed! Reviewed on: 22nd September 2022

Very mixed experience with NewDay so far

My application (primary cardholder) was processed swiftly. But although I applied for a supplementary card for my partner at the same time, this was not processed. Tried to contact them by web-chat, doesn;t work. Call centre are hard to reach (idiotic menus that waste minutes of your time). Operative who answered my phone was clueless. Really not a great start Reviewed on: 21st September 2022

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