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John Lewis: Partnership Card reviews

Name: Partnership Card
Rating: 1.32 (862 reviews)

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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

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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 (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

Logging in is a nightmare

It took me nearly an hour to pay off my monthly statement. The process is a total hassle of registered names, passcodes and security checks. You need to have your mobile fully charged and close at hand. I have never had so much difficulty making a simple payment. I think John Lewis make it difficult on purpose because they want you to set up a direct debit - and the system keeps advertising that option. Reviewed on: 12th May 2023

Incompetent and mannerless

After getting the new card, I received no statement , no notice to pay. I tried to pay twice and twice the money was returned to me, then twice i was charged late payment fees. I wrote to them by post, since no human answers the phone and they have no email address !!! I received the most clumsy and rude letter which told me I was lying !!! and they would repay only one lot of charge . So I went and got another credit card and have now transferred all my debit payments. I still use JL card for JL and Waitrose , but I worry about the lack of clarity of the app, the lack of a website, the lack of communication. With my new credit card, statements and payment due dates are absolutely clear and payments are dead easy. With JL card , I am so worried that I pay it off as soon as I have used it because I don’t trust them. It is difficult after 45 years of JL store card and credit card to move to other companies and other shops, but if they play another nasty trick on me , I will do it.. I am old enough to know that all good things come to an end and we have to adapt , but this has been a sad one for me. Reviewed on: 3rd May 2023

Poor details

To get card was quick ..paperwork ok ..pathetic comment but the glue on the card is wrong - stickers come off leaving the glue which makes me think that I don't want to use it Reviewed on: 27th April 2023

Comlete rip off service

Received a voucher for spending using card. Voucher code obliterated when scratched off with coin. Tried to call to get help but: after going through navigation, first call routed to a dead line. Second call acceptable. BUT They charge for calls and spend 1 1/2 minutes providing unrequested balance and other information and navigation instructions at our cost. Not a John Lewis advert but then they've outsourced to NewDay Reviewed on: 20th April 2023

Awful in every way

That’s it. Avoid! Am not even allowed to stop there as they need more superfluous characters to lodge this review Reviewed on: 15th April 2023

0% balance transfer warning.

Have had a John Lewis Mastercard for years. As happy with the supplier transferred to New Day when change happened last year. Took advantage of their 0% balance transfer from another card. As usual I paid off the balance in full every month, but then started to be charged interest on my purchases. When I phoned was told as I had a balance transfer all my purchases would be charged interest, even if paid in full by due date. Told it was in the terms and conditions I agreed to when I made the transfer. I have now stopped using the card for purchases and will pay off the balance transfer when the six months is up. Will not use this card again. Reviewed on: 28th March 2023

Short window to pay the balance

Finally having got through to an adviser, they told me the payment window was 14 days. Far too short, and agree with others, why change providers - it was so much better before. Statements clearer, customer service so much better. Please go back, otherwise I will change credit cards. Reviewed on: 27th March 2023

Problems with new day credit card

My card is blocked and although I spoke to a lady at customer services today, she tells me there was nothing she could do and that new day will contact me. When, she didn’t know. This is really annoying as I’m wondering what on earth has happened and are they thinking I’ve been fraudulent? Frustrating! Reviewed on: 26th March 2023

New Card is very hard to work with

It's over six months now since I reported the new card would not load into Samsung Pay. That means I have to carry it with me when I want to use it - I thought we had all moved on from that. I have loaded it into Google Pay (Wallet) but it always fails when I try to use it (including in my local Waitrose). If I don't have my wallet on me I have to use another card instead from Samsung Pay. And although I use the new card four or five times a week at the local Waitrose I am getting fed up at how often contactless is refused, meaning I have to insert the card and type in the PIN. Also, they have removed the ability to pay your monthly bill by BACS from your bank account. All in all, it's very hard work compared to the old card, and compared to other cards I have. The only positive is the reward vouchers but I see that there are other cards that offer similar so am investigating those. Reviewed on: 24th March 2023

Disgraceful treatment

Used my John Lewis card to pay for concert tickets that turned out to be a scam. Nearly 1 year on they ignore all my correspondence since refusing to refund my card. Disgraceful and inhuman treatment. Reviewed on: 24th March 2023

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