Write a review

Go to business site

John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.86 (894 reviews)

View other John Lewis products

1.86

Based on 894 reviews, last reviewed 30th Apr 2026

No new 5 star reviews

in the past 90 days

700% increase in 1 star reviews

in the past 90 days

88%

Latest highest rating:

4

High interest although you gain points using your cr... High interest although you gain points using your credit card whilst shopping in John Lewis Reviewed on: 17th April 2026

Latest lowest rating:

1

Zero TRUST, and HONESTY Customer service is shocking. A distinct lack of ANY rewards for points earned. You call to say you have recieved zero vouchers depite clocking up ove... Read more Reviewed on: 30th April 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 (894)

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

AVOID AVOID AVOID

I have 3 disputed transactions with JL Credit card, amounting to £2,500 which is a lot of money to lose out on. They deny receiving disputed transaction forms and try their hardest not to help in any way. Their on-line dispute form is just as difficult to manage. I am now using AMEX for large purchases as their chargeback scheme is so much more manageable than JL. I've been a loyal customer and JL credit card holder for many years but not for much longer. Their customer service has gone severely downhill, it isn't even worth hanging on for the vouchers that they give! Disappointed is an understatement. Avoid this credit card, with so much choice out there please don't choose this one! Reviewed on: 14th May 2021

Complaints process incompetent

I filled a dispute over non-arrival, and then arrival with damaged goods. Partnership Card mishandled this opening a closing the complaint twice, not reading emails that I sent before responding and then wrote a patronising letter calling me a liar over the order of events. Complaint now with the Ombudsman. Reviewed on: 3rd May 2021

Earning vouchers is fun.

It's always a nice treat when your points reach a voucher threshold. Prior to using the app, the online banking was a nightmare and would regularly shut me out. Reviewed on: 29th March 2021

AVOID, avoid, avoid.... at all costs

What a decline for such a well respected company of so many years service and 'service' is once what they were once all about, not any more unfortunately as our experience highlighted. In good faith we decided to open a JL Partnership card as brand new customers who often shopped in the stores and online for over many years we decided to go for a credit card with them. Much filling in of required information followed when applying, we were of course approved and then duly received our new cards. We 'activated' them as requested, online and then again when they didn't work, via the telephone to Customer Services........ guess what they still didn't actually work(!) and have been declined whilst out shopping for goods. Not the sort of experience anyone wants, we have a gold star credit history and if anything are probably the very kind of customers JL dearly would like to attract and keep. We are left with little choice but to close the account before we could even use it due to their lack of resolution to the ongoing technical issues with the card, in fact we were advised it can take up to 8 weeks to resolve a problem. Unbelievable, who would honestly wait 8 weeks to use a credit card! This is the very opposite of SERVICE. Stay away and save your time there are much better credit cards out there who offer a professional and efficient service. JL get your act together before people continue to leave in droves, check your reviews below from other reviewers, not a good feedback?! Reviewed on: 11th March 2021

Disastrous experience times two

Following numerous refusals of my card when paying online, I jettisoned this credit card after over 40 years with John Lewis and a rock solid credit history. The final straw was a refusal of payment when buying a £50.00 Christmas gift from John Lewis online. My husband is now having the same problem and is looking to jettison it after a similar time with them. HSBC, the card supplier, is clearly not interested in JL customers and hides behind 'security' which is a synonym for inadequate IT systems and poor algorithms that do not recognise bona fide transactions. The only way they will get their act together is by customer feedback and fewer customers in future. AVOID this credit card and go with a better company than HSBC. Reviewed on: 11th February 2021

Disputed transaction re hotel refund covid

I booked a hotel via booking.com and paid in full. I had to cancel due to covid and the hotel nit being open. They agreed a refund but said that they could not refund to my card. Two calls to John Lewis partnership card said shouldn’t be a problem. Raised dispute with card in June still awaiting a response. Was told initially 8 weeks then 16 weeks now over 20 weeks waiting. Lady email to them on 9 November still no response. Any response received as been paying lip service to my complaint and not doing anything about it. I have friends who have had to make claims via their credit cards and have all bedd Ed n sorted out ages ago. You just expect the kind of personal service which you come to expect from John Lewis but it is just nit there! Reviewed on: 15th November 2020

This is not an ethical company.

You can raise disputes with them until the cows come home but they will take money which ever way they can. Service is shocking. Manners do not exist. The only reason I am with them is because we shop at Waitrose. So I ask Waitrose to consider having a credit card of their own, please. Thank you. Reviewed on: 7th October 2020

Poor system

I received a card 2 days after my application. It seems smooth and easy, but it took me two weeks to set up my online account and still did not happen. I rang their customer service team more than 20 times asking for help, unfortunately they could not help. I then stop using it. Reviewed on: 30th September 2020

Total time wasting

Since the change of the login method, I have been unable to login to the John Lewis banking system. Contacted customer services on many occasions to reset the login. With the aid of a service agent's, this is impossible. "Your details do not match our server records". Got many emails thanking for changing login details, yet still haven't received any replies from management on how to resolve the constant ongoing problem. I now have the answer. If John Lewis Finance isn't bothered, why should I. Just been informed the reward system is changing, and card is due for renewal, told them not to bother. Life is to short to constantly mess about with this shower. Reviewed on: 18th September 2020

dont understand customer needs

I wanted to buy a hotel deal in Oct but my card expires in Sept had to call JL to ask for my new (post Sep) card to be sent to me now but they will only do this by cancelling my existing card which I need to use until the new card arrives 7-10 working days later surely there are some smart people in JL who know that this degrades their brand and alienates loyal customers Reviewed on: 17th July 2020

Are you a business? Get insights, reply to reviews, invite customers and understand their needs

Alternative products

Purchase Credit Card
from Halifax 3.48 from 19 reviews
Classic Credit Card
from Capital One 4.11 from 293 reviews
Nectar Credit Card
from Sainsburys Bank 3.66 from 97 reviews

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