Write a review

Go to business site

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.31 (890 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

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

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 (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

Frustrated and insulted

I am somewhat relieved to learn that I am not alone in being rejected for a new John Lewis card, however, I am rather incensed given that I have been a loyal customer since the outset. Obviously having assets and paying off my bill each week means I am not worthy of a new card! Thank you. Reviewed on: 12th September 2022

Rejected

I have held a JL card since the beginning, always paid off the whole amount each month and own my own house. Yet I was rejected for the new card - disgusted. JL will be losing a lot of previously loyal customers. Reviewed on: 12th September 2022

Shocked

I have held a John Lewis credit card for many years, have a credit limit of nearly 8K, paid off my credit card completely each month, own my own home outright - yet have been turned down by the new finance company - disgusted! Reviewed on: 12th September 2022

Rejected for new JL credit card

I have had a JL partnership card for years with a £7000 limit. I was rejected just recently when I applied for their New Day card. I have never gone over my limit and always paid in full my credit card bill each month. I own my own house with no mortgage etc etc. I wonder if they only want customers who don't pay in full. Very disappointed with JL Reviewed on: 12th September 2022

Credit limit slashed 97% with nice to New Day

We've been loyal customers of John Lewis for decades and have had a JL credit card for many years with an £8k limit - always paying the balance. I'm in a very high inches bracket with an excellent credit score. Yet with the move to New Day, or card limit has been reduced to £250. So the message is clear that JL don't want us to use the credit card. We tried to get the king raised but we're just told to complain. Our response is simply not to use the card and not to shop at John Lewis anymore. The company has clearly shown how little it values us as long-standing loyal customers. Reviewed on: 11th September 2022

Rejected for new JL credit card

My wife was rejected by Newday for the new JL credit card. Similar experience to others in that we are financially secure, good income, good credit score and always paid off balance in full. We decided not to even bother complaining or querying why. It was actually quicker to apply to a new card provider than waste time querying the decision with Newday. We’ve now gone for a cash back credit card that provides better returns than the old Partnership card due to our annual spend. We will now also shop around rather than shop almost exclusively at Waitrose. Initially we were very annoyed to be dumped as a customer given our previous support for JL but the silver lining is it that this will certainly be money saving for us. Don’t bother complaining just go elsewhere. In our experience JL is not the organisation it once was. Reviewed on: 11th September 2022

Annoyed and very disappointed with JL

I have had a JL Card since it was George Henry Lee in Liverpool then It changed to a JL Partnership card. I applied for the new card, as requested, and it was declined. I pay the balance in full every month on time, I have just bought all my kitchen appliances from you and I buy all my groceries from Waitrose so I am afraid JL you have lost me as a loyal customer. Worst of all there is no explanation for the new card being declined. Reviewed on: 10th September 2022

Company values

JL&W seem to have lost the plot recently. We have had a JL credit card for many years. We recently applied for a new as requested. We were rejected, something that has never happened before. No explanation. Our situation - assets of mid single figure millions, cash in bank six figure sum, annual income six figures. What has happened? We’re now seriously considering moving to either M&S food or Ocado as the quality of Waitrose fresh food has fallen. Reviewed on: 10th September 2022

Appalling service

Like everyone else I have had to apply for a new card,but as I don't possess a mobile phone( I'm 84) I was informed that I could not have one. I now have one from American Express with no trouble at all. Reviewed on: 10th September 2022

Dark NewDay for John Lewis

I have been allowed a Newday Partnership card but with my previous credit limit halved. This despite many years of operating my J L account in an exemplary fashion, (admittedly not in a way that provided any interest income for HSBC - balance paid in full each month). This also despite a personal Experian credit rating of 996 out of 999. I concur with many others, I suspect ageism is in play here, I am 72 but with a decent pension income made up of two full state pensions and monthly drawdown from a substantial pot of personal pension investments and Isas. The credit limit they have allowed will not work for me, although over the past 18 months I would only have exceeded it on three occasions, I felt the extra confidence the higher limit provided was very valuable, especially in the event of an emergency when travelling abroad. I have not used the NewDay card yet and based on some of the horror stories I have read on the web I am reluctant to start doing so. Time for a new card provider I think, and alternate retail outlets to John Lewis and Waitrose. What a shame. Reviewed on: 10th 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

Credit card
from 118 118 Money 4.86 from 2465 reviews
Clear Rate Platinum Credit Card
from NatWest 4.51 from 18 reviews
Cashback Plus Credit Card
from NatWest 4.40 from 63 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 2.05 from 77 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

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

No new 5 star reviews

20% increase in 1 star reviews

Latest highest rating:

4

Latest lowest rating:

1

About this product

John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (890)

JLP and Newday in cahoots.

Frustrated and insulted

Rejected

Shocked

Rejected for new JL credit card

Credit limit slashed 97% with nice to New Day

Rejected for new JL credit card

Annoyed and very disappointed with JL

Company values

Appalling service

Dark NewDay for John Lewis

Do you have a different John Lewis product?

Want to see more from John Lewis?

Travel Insurance

Breakdown Insurance

Home insurance

Join Smart Money People

News, guides and insight from our team

UK money news stories - 24 July 2024

Your Money, Your Voice: Have your say

Our latest research - customers see little impact of FCA's Consumer Duty one year on

Consumer credit awards winners 2024