Write a review

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.32 (862 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

1.33

Based on 862 reviews, last reviewed 24th Dec 2024

100% decrease in 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

67% decrease in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

5

Customer satisfaction They are vgery focussed and always go the extra step to ensure we are happy Reviewed on: 24th August 2024

Latest lowest rating:

1

Disaster of a credit card company - total fail! We recently tried adding our John Lewis Partnership Card to Apple Pay, only to find it blocked by NewDay, the card provider. Shockingly, this happened... Read more Reviewed on: 24th December 2024

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 (862)

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

An unreliable credit card

Ever since the credit card has been managed by New Day, I have repeatedly had my transactions (in a store or online) declined, even when I have validated the transaction by logging into the app. I had raised a complaint with New Day but it was closed, saying that they followed the processes. I have zero confidence in using my card. Rubbish. Reviewed on: 16th June 2023

Great offer

The 0% offer was a lengthy period of time and I await my vouchers. The app is reasonably clear to use and many options to pay swiftly. I had 1 error of when a payment said it failed but it didn't. Otherwise, no issues. Reviewed on: 15th June 2023

NewDay ClownShow

I received my first statement on my John Lewis Partnership Card, managed by NewDay in December 2022 and paid off the balance, in full, the day after it arrived. However, on the 19th January, this year, I received a letter from NewDay, informing me that my John Lewis account had been suspended because I had not made a payment the previous month. I wrote to them in February about this matter, enclosing copies of the receipt that the bank issued, confirming the payment had been made and an extract from the relevant bank statement, showing that the money had been taken from my current account. Four months after providing physical evidence that I had paid off the balance, in full, I am still awaiting a reply. Despite this, the threatening letters from NewDay continued to arrive. So far, a total of 12 letters from this ClownShow have dropped through my letterbox, each of them threatening me with court action and/or passing the matter on to a debt collection company. Each letter also informs me that my credit rating has been adversely affected by this non-debt. I have an excellent credit rating and have never in my life defaulted on a payment to John Lewis or anyone else This matter is having an adverse effect on my mental health. I have had an account with John Lewis for over 40 years but I will never spend another penny in any John Lewis of Waitrose store, ever again. I an taking this matter up with the Financial Ombudsman Reviewed on: 8th June 2023

Nightmare with new John Lewis card held by AnyBank

I;m cancelling my card as a result of errors not corrected and threats from complaints handler Reviewed on: 7th June 2023

Let down by JLP credit Card Switch

Long term JLP credit card user now very fed up with new service. Discovered it will not handle tap and pay outside UK for me this is a significant dis-improvement in the service and forced me to use a different card that does support this function abroad. Frankly Furious. Reviewed on: 1st June 2023

A few teething troubles but!

The change JL undertook to New Day could have gone much more smoothly if perhaps it had been more widely trialled (maybe it wasn't !). However now all is well and we've had no issues and the excellent standard of JL has been recovered Reviewed on: 31st May 2023

Closing account

As a JL card holder for many years the service from New Day is not good. On two occasions in the middle of important transactions I have not received the verification code, and have had to switch to my Barclays card. This afternoon I spent 40 minutes on hold only to be disconnected! Tomorrow I close my account. Reviewed on: 23rd May 2023

Why Change when it was working fine.

Their new credit card account management is Shambolic. Every month I have issues, on the phone for ages trying to sort out their latest error! Lost payments, constantly chasing them, having to follow-up and get my account credited, get charges refunded trying to keep my credit score accurate and as good as it always was. Their Incompetence is quite incredible. I've contacted the Financial ombudsman........ Don't go anywhere near this credit card. Reviewed on: 21st May 2023

Poor service

I have had a John Lewis partnership card for decades. I receive a paper copy of my monthly account - received one but did not receive the next and my account has been suspended. I am finding it extremely difficult to contact this organisation whilst currently abroad - this has not been an issue with the previous provider of this service. Its a very poor service and thinking I will simply close the account Reviewed on: 17th May 2023

Not a good decision JLP!

I have been a John Lewis Credit card owner since it’s launch as Partnership Card. I have to say the change to NewDay has been one of the worst decisions I think JLP have ever made. I have closed my account because of the ridiculousness of this new provider. I am now calling to get a refund on interest and I have hit the 35minutes waiting time, listening to the same automated message with no indication of how much longer I will wait. To be honest I am not surprised their complaints contact number is so busy given its current reputation for poor service. One day I hope to get through! Reviewed on: 15th May 2023

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 Bank of China (UK) 5.00 from 2 reviews
Choice Rewards Credit Card
from Lloyds Bank 4.17 from 13 reviews
PayPal Credit
from PayPal 4.92 from 30759 reviews

There's still more to see!

John Lewis has a range of products available. Check the ratings of each product to find the right one for you. 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