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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

No access from iPad

I’m glad JL are moving their partnership card away from HSBC but I think I’ll be gone from it by then. For months the online system has said it was experiencing technical problems. One agent said you have to have a PC/laptop for password reset to work. iPads are no go (try Chrome app they say, though that still doesn’t solve it for me). If password reset still doesn’t work for me tomorrow (that’s their solution - try another day) then I’ll close my account. I can’t have a card account with no app and no transactions Reviewed on: 17th July 2022

Loyal customer

Been a customer for a number of years now, and always enjoy receiving the vouchers in the post! Reviewed on: 1st July 2022

Leaving me stuffed on holiday

Literally just before I'm about to go on holiday, I received a call to tell me they've blocked my card as it's been compromised but are unable to provide me with a new card for 7 working days. I even offered to go and collect the new card. All the representative would say to me "I completely understand but there's nothing I can do". They can't get it to me any faster and won't let me collect it. Thanks a lot John Lewis. I've been a customer for over 20 years but I'll be taking my business elsewhere after this Reviewed on: 30th June 2022

Hopeless J Lewis

When trying to buy online my Mastercard gets rejected. By four separate companies. I rang JL and was told it was not them but the other companies systems. These are companies I have successfully used many times before. When I used my debit card it worked perfectly. As I said hopeless John Lewis Reviewed on: 22nd June 2022

Customer support

Abysmal audio connection quality to customer support, after yet another flagged transaction. Reviewed on: 16th June 2022

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

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