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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.86 (894 reviews)

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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

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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 (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

John Lewis Partnership Card - worst card I have ever used

Keeps getting declined for no reason, meaning I have to waste my time phoning them up and getting it unblocked. Don't have this problem with any other cards I use. Constant aggravation. I would have dumped it ages ago but the wife won't let me because she gets the vouchers. Reviewed on: 22nd July 2018

incompatible with modern banking services

This is a warning for JL partnership card holders – they are incapable of dealing with modern technology and freedom of choice to move accounts. I was told this by their own customer services- “we are behind in our direct debit department and are working on it” It was when I received the warning demand for immediate payment, with the overdue amount from what should have been paid by DD end of June, plus 2 lots of penalties costing almost £50 that I realised my direct debit was not correctly switched in spite of the Barclays letter “congratulations, your account is now set up and all your direct debits are in place” letter of the previous 16th June. After a 60 minute phone call with Barclays it transpires that JL Partnership services had attempted to set up the direct debit on the day they also tried to take the payment, and Barclays duly cancelled the DD because they said there should be at least 4 working days before withdrawals are permitted. So, JL Partnership had “sat” on the details issued to them at the start of June, until they realised they needed it in place to withdraw payment. Another 1 hour phone call, this time to JL Partnership, and still no apology from them. In fact they maintained they did not know of the four working days requirement. To top it all, the only way to re establish a direct debit for me now is to complete a paper form which they had to post to me, send it back, and wait 4 to 6 weeks for it to be set up. So, it seems JL Partnership card services are incompatible with the banks willingness to urge us to consider switching banks and accounts, in spite of the signed instrucitons we provide to the new bank to “do it all for us”. While I wait for an explanation and apology from JL Partnership services, I have received 2 chasers by post for payment even though I paid over the phone the day the threatening letter arrived at the beginning of the week. And I couldn’t use it even after I had settled the payment. Sorry John Lewis but this is not good enough Reviewed on: 13th July 2018

Waiting 5 months for a refund of a cancelled order. Several phone calls. Served last Tuesday instore by a floor manager (no assistants in sight) who had no charisma - no thankyous or pleases and I was spending over £100.

Waiting 5 months for a refund of a cancelled order. Several phone calls. Served last Tuesday instore by a floor manager (no assistants in sight) who had no charisma - no thankyous or pleases and I was spending over £100. Reviewed on: 15th June 2018

Partnership Card

Was excellent, really easy and well thought out Reviewed on: 7th June 2018

Great

Quick loan without any problems. Only took 15 minutes to fill out the application and receive the money. I'm very satisfied. Reviewed on: 4th June 2018

A card for all reasons

I spend a lot on my credit cards and pay them off monthly and wasn't getting any sort of perk so I have switched to a John Lewis Partnership card because now I will at least get some vouchers which I will save for Christmas or hand over to my costly daughters for setting up home. Reviewed on: 3rd June 2018

Refuse a card

Unbelievable credit card company, sent everything that they wanted, tax returns, bank statements, passport. And still not enough, what more , doctor or solicitors sign letter, so my shopping at john lewis is a no no. Paul Reviewed on: 8th May 2018

Good cashback, but poor customer service

The card gives good cashback, but the credit limit I was given is ludicrously low (only £3500, when I have other cards in five figures) and if I pay of part of the month's spending in advance they deduct that from my monthly direct debit, leaving me with less leeway than I had anticipated. I want to clear the card every month in order to start the next month with a full £3500 available to me, but they make it difficult to do that! Reviewed on: 9th April 2018

John Lewis

Quality products. Trusted retailer Reviewed on: 9th April 2018

Almost hilarious how appalling this company is ...

I was sent a promotional leaflet for this card (I shop in Waitrose several times a week). I thought I would apply - I like Waitrose and John Lewis. I tried 5 times to apply online - apparently they had problems. They recommended I 'guess' where the tick box was on the web page and try to tick it to accept the t&c's! In the end I telephoned them and applied that way. That was on 14 February 2018. It is now 19 March 2018 and they've just sent me an email saying they've processed the application! I can't access the decision online because I can no longer remember my 'memorable word'! As a result I called - my application is apparently approved (not a surprise). But because I can't remember my memorable word, the only option is for them to send me a legal agreement ... by post! I can't imagine what they have by way of IT facility - but it's truly shocking. I thought Nat West were bad. And they are. But this lot are actually a laughing stock! John Lewis, you are in serious reputational danger. Reviewed on: 19th March 2018

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