Write a review

Go to business site

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (876 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

1.33

Based on 876 reviews, last reviewed 25th Sep 2025

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

No new 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

Read all reviews See your review

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.

Smart Money People is the UK's leading financial services review and insight hub. Together, we can make financial services work better for everyone.

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

Terrible phone communication

There seems to be no one answering any phones at any time. All three telephone numbers just go round in circles and eventually you will hear 'I'll connect you with an associate' and then it cuts off entirely. Shame on John Lewis for bad judgement in card services. Reviewed on: 20th September 2022

New credit card is rubbish - shame on you JLP

JLP has just lost a loyal, high earning, high using customer who pays off her balance every month. Plus, my £10K limit on the old card was reduced to £4K. Given that I use my card for all my payments, roughly £2K per month, I have little left for large single purchases. Then I tried to use my card contactless and Chip/PIN and the message said that the card was unsupported. Off to another provider - goodbye for ever. Reviewed on: 18th September 2022

Bad Idea

We have been JLS card holder for many years and I use it for my Waitrose shopping always paid in full at the end of every month. Always buy from JL for major items. My husband was excepted me not so the new card is a complete waste of time as he never uses his,so no more Waitrose or JL for us.It is a complete disgrace, and someone should be ashamed for having the idea. Margaret Reviewed on: 18th September 2022

When will JL react to all these complaints?

My experience is the same as all the others; acceptance for new card declined even though I had always paid at the end of the month. I called my bank, Natwest who arranged for a credit card to be delivered within 5 working days, and it only took 10 minutes on the blower. Job done! I will NEVER go to JL or Waitrose again. Reviewed on: 17th September 2022

Refused

Like others, high earner, loyal customer. Refused for no reason. Off to M&S Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

incredibly bad service

rejected for no reason, my personal income is >GBP 100k/year, no defaults, perfect credit history. AVOID and STOP BUYING FROM JOHN LEWIS! Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

Derisory credit limit

It seems odd that when facing a £100M loss and the fiscal challenges of recession and a cost-of-living crisis, that JLP chooses to alienate its wealthy, loyal customers who manage their credit cards impeccably. I, for one, have had an inexplicable 87% reduction in my credit limit, which is now insufficient to cover even a month of groceries. So I have shifted to spending on my M&S card and Amex (and, I hasten to add, not in JL/Waitrose anymore). Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

Lost it's way

The switching of JLP card from HSBC to Newday seems indicative of the fact the whole John Lewis partnership has lost it's way in recent years. Customer service, once the bedrock of JLP, now takes a back seat to cost cutting. I've even heard staff in store bad mouthing the company and even arguing on the shop floor, in front of customers, suggesting all is far from rosy in the world of JLP. I for one won't be applying for the new credit card and as a consequence will be spending less with John Lewis. Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

new credit card - declined !

Our experience is similar to many here which I find comforting ! turned down for new card as “not eligible” The usual, it seems- previous high credit limit , pay off each month and over seventy and financially secure.. I rang up to try and get an explanation, “You want to register a complaint ?” “No I don’t want to make a complaint.. I just want to try and get explanation” “Can’t do that, sir other than you saying are not eligible.for a card.You would have to make a complaint to find out anymore” “Would you like me to put you through to complaints?” “Well, if it is the only way, yes then” Click … Music plays ….and plays . Speaking to the music ..”Actually, sod you Jl and your stupid card!” I hang up. Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

Won't bother to apply for new John Lewis Partnership card

A few days after getting the letter inviting me to apply for the new Partnership Card I went online and tried to log in to the application site. Could not connect at all. Now, having read all the problems that others have had I will not bother - I can use a different credit card without any difficulties. As a retired academic, on a modest pension, who has always paid off in full every month, I expect I would be rejected anyway. John Lewis is not the store it used to be. Far too much cheap Chinese-made stuff is stocked. I tried to buy one of the Siemens Gigaset cordless phones there recently, because the consumers' magazine Whick? had rated it highly. The staff told me that they no longer sold Gigaset phones. Reviewed on: 16th September 2022

Do you have a different John Lewis product?

Share your experiences with products to help others make smarter financial decisions and learn more about different products available. Write a review

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Balance Plus
from Capital One 3.64 from 3 reviews
Credit card (discontinued)
from Wave (inactive) 2.54 from 3 reviews
Everyday spending credit cards
from Halifax 3.95 from 72 reviews

Want to see more from John Lewis?

Travel Insurance
from John Lewis 4.75 from 3 reviews
Breakdown Insurance
from John Lewis 4.00 from 1 reviews
Home insurance
from John Lewis 2.20 from 72 reviews

View all products

Join Smart Money People

Keep up to date on ratings of your favourite businesses. Find out about our awards and write new reviews with ease

Create an account

News, guides and insight from our team

View resource hub