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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?

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.

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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

Worst service ever - refused to deal with suspected fraud

I have this credit card and have recently noticed an unexplained transaction on my statement relating to an overseas payment which I did not make. I followed the John Lewis Partnership Card instuctions for querying a transaction, a process for which I will be penalised to the tune of £5 if John Lewis can prove me wrong. According to the procedure I downloaded and printed a form then posted it to John Lewis. I did not receive any acknowledgement of this and I have been waiting two months. I then logged on to my account on the John Lewis website and used the online messaging service to query the transaction. Again I have had no response. I have tried calling the John Lewis telephone line many times but have never been answered despite me holding for over an hour each time and incurring large call charges. There now appears to be no way for me to report what I believe to be a fraudulent transaction Reviewed on: 22nd November 2016

Simply horrendous

I recently moved house, trying to get them to answer the phone is a joke, the website doesn't work and they don't reply to letters. Reviewed on: 21st November 2016

Gone to the Dogs!

UTTER DEBACLE! For many years, JLFS could be trusted to deliver prompt professional service but gradually, over the last 18 months, this has degenerated into a complete shambles. I need to order a new card and am currently 28 minutes into an endless repetition of muzak, while waiting to speak to someone. This is my third attempt to speak to someone.....I abandoned the last attempts after 44 and 53 minutes respectively! Finally answered....They are unable to send out a new card with a longer expiry date without reporting my card stolen! (Even though it hasn't been!) So, I would have to be without any card at all for about two weeks. What a complete waste of time and effort........Time to move on, methinks. Reviewed on: 21st November 2016

Appalling Service

I have had a JL credit card for years. l always paid off in full every month by direct debit. Last month there was a fraud of several hundred pounds on the account. JL said they woud refund it - it took 5 phone calls to get it done - then promised my direct debit would not include the amount of the fraud. But it did, and if I had not had enough in my bank account I would have been embarrassed with the bank, and sustained bank charges. JL Then denied saying the direct debit would not include the fraud, even though I had the name of the person who said it and the time of the call. They eventually agreed to refund the sum to my bank account - they did - and to credit my account with a number of points as compensation - they didn't. Rang today. No record of the points to be added. Told them to listen to phone calls. Eventually they agreed to give me what they promised over a week ago. We will see if this transpires. What a waste of time and energy this shower are. As soon as this gets sorted, I will look elsewhere for my financial needs. Reviewed on: 18th November 2016

Used to be good. Now appalling

I used to like Partnership Card and have spent many thousands on it. This year, for the first time I needed to dispute two transactions. The customer service on the two occasions - just the time you test the quality of protection a card supposedly provides - was complex, very slow and extremely unhelpful. More recently, if you try to get hold of them on the phone you will be left waiting for over an hour. Try to log into your account using the new website? Forget it. It's almost impossible to even create a new user name. I have learned to my cost to finally cease being so loyal and find another card company... Reviewed on: 18th November 2016

Appalling customer service!!!

Been on the phone for over 30 minutes trying to pay my JLF credit card, had the same issues last month and they charged me interest on top!!! A complete and utter abysmal and amateurish service. Reviewed on: 17th November 2016

So The Problem Is This...

When HSBC changed systems for the Partnership card, they only migrated the card details of active cards, not ones that were previously used on the account. So when anyone with a replacement card tried paying, they rejected the payment. This is why so many people have got a problem at the moment, myself included. The solution is to set up a new payment from your bank with the new card details, and the payment should go through. If you call them (I used +44 121 214 5732) then they will immediately credit you with the late fee and the interest. At least, that's what they told me - I'll find out next month if that was cobblers or not. Moral of the story? Migrate old card details. Or at least tell your customers. Reviewed on: 17th November 2016

This has gone from great to disastrous

I always found JLFS great - customer service was prompt and friendly and efficient. But the new website is a disaster and the response times when you call are terrible. 35 minutes on hold so far and still no response or even any indication of when my call will be answered other than "as soon as possible". I'm now looking for an alternative card provider. Reviewed on: 15th November 2016

Good value rewards

The Partnership Card has one of the best Reward schemes currently available in a credit card. By using it regularly I expectto get almost £100 in John Lewis vouchers each year. Reviewed on: 14th November 2016

Blocked payments

Not informed of changes, payment accepted and later rejected, twice. Received letter complaining that I hadn't paid. On phoning 03453003833 asked to key in card number..."I'm sorry, there appears to be a problem" phone rings but no answer. On phoning 03456080764 get an immediate reply which was unhelpful. I was told to use a different authorisation code and that my card number had changed...it hadn't! Paid using my debit card...still not sure if accepted! Reviewed on: 12th November 2016

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