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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.33 (876 reviews)

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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

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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 (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

Loyal Customer Says AVOID NEW DAY JOHNLEWIS Card

Amir Goshtai What were you thinking when you chose New Day? Post transfer issues assumed to be teething problems, which were pretty painful at the time, but these simply get worse and worse. Other reviews detail the years of loyalty that I will add another 30 years to. Declined transactions, cessation of OTP codes to buy simple items is simply a failure to understand your customers needs. We too have had enough and will look for a new main card provider. Amir and team. Read these posts and understand what your customers need. Equally understand the value of good service and the cost of the current poor Service you have chosen to provide. App deleted. Card will be cancelled. Good bye secondary sales in John Lewis and Waitrose. Reviewed on: 26th July 2023

How the Mighty Have Fallen - The John Lewis Partnership Credit Card is Rubbish

John Lewis used to be a brand you could trust and my wife and I have had Partnership cards in excess of 20 years. However, since John Lewis switched to Newday last year, the service has become absolutely appalling with the latest problem being they insist I have the John Lewis App on my mobile phone - something I refuse to do, so now I cannot make on-line purchases with the card. As a consequence we will are looking for an alternative credit card supplier. Our advice to anyone thinking of applying for a John Lewis Partnership card is DON'T, and to John Lewis Company is ditch Newday as soon as possible and find a reliable bank that customers can trust Reviewed on: 25th July 2023

Useless credit card

The app is not allowing me to authenticate a purchase. I've tried to sort this out with customer service but they're as useless as their app! First they said my phone software needed updating, then their app needed updating, then the device that I was using to make the purchase was faulty. The third person said my account has been blocked due to suspicious activity. All seem complete rubbish! So now I have a card I can't use online. Previously I've had problems with the card being declined probably about a third of the time. A few cashiers have commented that's a common problem with the new John Lewis card. Reviewed on: 25th July 2023

No confidence in John Lewis as a trusted provider anymore.

I have had a Peter Jones (John Lewis) card for over 40 years and enjoyed exemplary serive and support when needed. I then had to move to NewDay. Unlike many others on reapplying I retained my previous credit limit, although was hugely irritated at being asked my spouse's income (I've had my card longer than I've known my husband) so where is the relevance of this? I am now on my third credit card, the first inexplicably ceasing to work. I tried to use the second for an under £100.00 purchase recently. Contactless wouldn't work, nor would chip and pin - two tries down - not wishing to have the card blocked I switched to my trusty Lloyds CC. NO problem. Later I checked my NewDay account online to find that payment had gone through after all. The helpful vendor identified 5 attempts at paying with my NewDay card when I had only attempted two. It was impossible to convey this information to customer services who couldn't explain why payment had gone through or why five attempts had been made to pay, indeed worringly they couldn't locate this detail at all. They recommended I disputed the transaction and had a new card. This I have done, and although an email has arrived explaining a refund will be forthcoming, so far, nothing. The card took 10 days to arrive, just as well I wasn't planning on going away and needing it. I've scaled down my use of my card hugely. Previously I used it for almost all my purchases but I've lost confidence in the service and sadly this is reflected in my views of John Lewis overall. It used to be my go-to shop......but no more. Reviewed on: 22nd July 2023

No customer service to contact after 7pm

No customer service to connect with after 7pm. It used to be 24 hour service. Unlucky for you if you need urgent help. Reviewed on: 21st July 2023

My experience is like many other reviewers - hopeless

The original HSBC underwritten card was pretty faultless with excellent fraud protection and really good customer service. Since John Lewis foolishly changed their provider to Newday it's been hopeless. Very poor/rude customer service with no ability to resolve anything. Randomly declined transactions, particularly problematic with subscriptions/continuous payments, like Dart Charge, so I've had to change all those to another card or face fines. Transport for London wouldn't even allow the card to be used for automatic ULEZ payments so presumably the problems are not new with Newday which means JLP failed to do due diligence. I will be dumping this card and replacing it with one direct from HSBC and in future avoiding all JLP financial services products. Reviewed on: 21st July 2023

Partnership Credit card - ditch at all cost

Absolutely atrocious customer service, fraud team is incompetent, card been blocked for over 1 week now. Will definitely pursue with ombudsman. All these problems began when Newday came along. Keep well away... don;t say you weren't warned. Reviewed on: 18th July 2023

Shocking!

Randomly blocks card but doesn’t inform why. Call centre a nightmare. I will be cancelling my card. Had old card for 15 years without issue. Don’t bother. A total shambles JL- not the service you expect Reviewed on: 17th July 2023

Great for the JL vouchers, nothing else

Tried to increase the imposed credit limit to pay for a holiday, computer said no. Online chat with an agent, computer said no but call to speak with an agent who they were sure would help. Had 3 goes but couldn't get beyond the automated voice responses. Gave up. Reviewed on: 12th July 2023

Ditch Newday Amazon did

Never had a credit card like it odd amounts added to balance not on statement. This month shows I haven't paid requested £5 well that's correct as I paid £289.11 early July!!! Balance us near as it should be but its a few £ up on last night?? Can't get answer on phone. Is there a Chat with a person online if so where. When probably sorted out will be closing which us a shame as I have had J/L store card since 1976/7 Reviewed on: 9th July 2023

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