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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (874 reviews)

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1.34

Based on 874 reviews, last reviewed 25th Jul 2025

100% increase in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

25% increase 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

Terrible Customer Service and Fraud Support We have had a fraud claim on out account since May 2025, we have made 5 calls to try and get this resolved, spoken to 4 different Customer Service age... Read more Reviewed on: 25th July 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?

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John Lewis Partnership Card reviews (874)

Impossible to obtain any reliable information from Customer Service

New Partnership card received and activated 17.05.22 along with the card reader. Had problems with the initial use of the card reader when purchasing a small TV from John Lewis the end of last week. I had to resort to ringing customer service who processed the order. On 6th June I used my card to pay two small amounts to local suppliers in person, in both cases my card was blocked.I had to use my debit card to pay. Rang customer services and was advised that as my card had been blocked, I should go into a branch of HSBC and could unblock it at an ATM. andl that was the only way to unblock the card. I bank with HSBC and visited a local branch, and was advised that they could not do this, as the credit card operation was completely separate from other HSBC functions, and they would not share information with the bank network. This was a total waste of time and erroneous information provided by the Customer Service Representative (Mustafa) who I spoke to. He appeared to try and help, he told me that this was the only way to unblock the card. I was then told that a new pin number would be sent to me, even though I said I knew my number, the assumption was that I had forgotten it. The pin arrived on Saturday 11th June; it is the same number as I had previously. I tried to use the card today and had a message to use my card reader, I put the card in as requested, but when I put in my PIN, it was immediately blocked. I logged onto the John Lewis Financial Services web page and followed the instructions, only to be told that they did not recognise my details. Strange that I had received my statement a few days previously with a bill for over one thousand pounds due to be paid by 28.06.22 which will be paid, but am seriously considering cutting up the card. I have been a loyal John Lewis customer for many years and have had their credit card for some time with no problems, it is only since the revised credit checks have come in that problems have arisen. Local mobile signals are poor in this area and it seems that rural dwellers are being discriminated against. To be told when I try to log onto to my account that they cannot recognise my details is somewhat strange, when I have just had my statement in the post. I appreciate J.Lewis are changing their credit card supplier, but this mess cannot go on for much longer Reviewed on: 13th June 2022

Hopeless,

I've had a couple of texts with a OTP to use on an online purchase. However I've not attempted to make a purchase. Texts come on usual Johnlewisfs number and look genuine. Message said call them if not recognised. So I did. They claim its a scam. I don't believe them as there is no way a scammer could benefit. This has happened twice and each time I get the same from JL. Patronising to say the least. I've asked for a new card, but I think.i should dump.them. Possible good news is that JL is switching from MBNA later this year. Reviewed on: 11th June 2022

Unbelievably Inefficient

Transactions pending suddenly had over 21 payments to an American company plus various for Apple Pay. I don't shop in America and don't use Apple Pay. Card blocked a new one arrived after a week. Activate new card, try to use in to pay £4.20 in the post office, card was "declined". Rang JL to be told the card had been blocked on 28th May. I didn't receive the new card until the 1st June so why was a new, inactive card blocked?! The card was in bloc but within 30 mins of it being activated there were 11 fraudulent pending payments...how was that even possible? So, no credit card since 26th May...what an appalling company. I wish I could speak to someone in the UK, not someone in a call centre on the other side of the world, and someone who has English as their first language... Reviewed on: 9th June 2022

Big problem with their new credit card security system

Have been using the Partnership credit card for years. In the last few weeks, numerous problems with their security system. Online purchases ( concert tickets, pharmacy purchases, I tunes, everything online really) have been problematic. When I try to purchase online, the vendor says my card has been declined. When I called JL to ask why my card has been blocked, they say it isn’t blocked. Frankly, I’ve just given up and started using another credit card and my debit card instead. If you can’t rely on a credit card when you’re well inside your limit, what is the point of having it? I think I will pay my balance and close down the card. Shame really, I’ve been a customer for years. Reviewed on: 22nd May 2022

Won't accept payment on credit card

Made a couple of large purchases using the JL credit card, want to pay it off in full, every time says payment is declined. I had more than enough money in my current account to cover it. Contacted my bank, they say the issue is at JL end....this has been going on since Thursday! This also happened a couple of months ago, seems to be linked to their change of credit service provider Reviewed on: 21st May 2022

Useless

My earlier review reported that I am intermittently unable to log into my Partnership card account, because it is falsely claimed that my 'details do not match' their 'records', This is now invariable. I am unable to investigate fraud on my account because I cannot see the transactions. Reviewed on: 18th May 2022

Worse fraud protection customer services ever

Appallingly bad customer services. 2 days to unblock a card that triggered a security alert. Endless repetitive security questions to verify my ID... question after question. Ask for impossible to remember details about transaction dates and amounts. Their weekend staff are even worse. Avoid this card you could be stuck with a non working one in a difficult situation. Reviewed on: 9th May 2022

Customer Service agent did not have a clue what he was doing.

I had a wrong booking from JL Financials / HSBC on my credit card. Instead of a notification that my 0% period had ended, by making both a debit and a credit booking that would cancel each other out, they booked a charge of £10 twice, leaving me having to pay £20 for the notification that I hadn't asked for. The customer service agent, working from home in Cairo in Egypt, had to talk to his supervision several times, and after 38 minutes of trying stuff, he still didn't know how to resolve this. When I asked to speak to a supervisor or a more experienced colleague, he initially said they were not available, even where he had been talking to them several times. Only after I threatened with a formal complain to both JL Partnership and th HSBC, was it suddenly possible to talk to the manager. At leat that is what he said. Some 20 mintues later and a full hour into the call, I gave up and hung up the phone. Next steps: formal complaint to HSBC (of which John Lewis Financial Services is a subsidary) and to John Lewis Partnership, whose brand is being used on this credit card. Reviewed on: 29th April 2022

Rejected chargeback claim

JL rejected my claim, saying they don’t cover bad quality of service. My claim was not about bad quality, it was about a service that was not as described, and therefore in breach of contract. Absolutely useless, would not recommend using their card. I will be closing my account. Reviewed on: 20th April 2022

Refused chargeback claim

I was advised to submit a claim online. I did this but it only allowed me to upload 4 documents. After not receiving any kind of notification about the claim, I called them a couple of weeks later to be told they had rejected my claim. They had classed it as ‘bad quality service’ not being covered. My dispute was not about ‘bad quality service’. My claim was about a service received that was not as described and clearly in breach of the contract. Would not recommend using this card - they are absolutely useless. Reviewed on: 20th April 2022

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