Where you shop
You’ll really benefit from the rewards points scheme if you regularly spend at John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
MoneySuperMarket is a credit broker not a lender. You must be 18 or over and a UK resident.
John Lewis Finance is the financial services arm of the John Lewis Partnership. The John Lewis Partnership is an employee-owned co-operative which has been running its famous high street brand since 1864. The company incorporates the Waitrose supermarket chain.
John Lewis offers a single credit card – a rewards credit card that offers you points every time you use it, which can be exchanged for vouchers at John Lewis and Waitrose. You’ll earn points at five times the normal rate if you do your spending at John Lewis and Waitrose stores. The same John Lewis credit card also doubles up as a balance transfer and purchase card – you’ll typically get a fixed period at 0% interest on purchases and balance transfers when you take out the card.
Here are some things to think about if you’re considering getting a John Lewis Partnership Credit Card:
You’ll really benefit from the rewards points scheme if you regularly spend at John Lewis and Waitrose stores.
If you can’t keep up with the minimum payments on your credit card, then you will be charged a fee. This can also hurt your credit score.
It’s important to read the terms and conditions for any fees the card carries. For example, you’ll be charged a late fee if you don’t make payments on time.
MoneySuperMarket has won the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, an independent seal of excellence, which recognises businesses that consistently deliver a world-class customer experience.
To be eligible for a John Lewis Partnership Credit Card, you’ll need to meet the following criteria*:
Be a UK resident aged 18 or over
Have 12 months of UK address history
Have an email address and UK mobile number
*Meeting the criteria does not guarantee acceptance
Comparing credit cards couldn’t be easier with MoneySuperMarket. Our eligibility checker tool will show you the cards you’re most likely to be approved for – and we'll protect your credit using a soft search.
We'll ask you a handful of simple questions about you and your financial circumstances, and what you need from a credit card
We'll sift through dozens of offers from across the market, and show you the cards we think will suit you best
You'll be shown a range of cards, which you'll be able to sort according to APR, features and your chances of being approved
Unlike some providers, such as Barclaycard and Ocean Finance, John Lewis doesn’t offer credit cards tailored to the needs of people with bad credit, such as credit-builder cards. That may make it harder to get accepted for a John Lewis credit card, if you've got an impaired credit rating.
So if you’ve got bad credit and think you’d like a credit card, you might want to see if you can get a credit-builder card first. These are easier to get accepted for, but with the critical proviso that you’ll almost always pay pretty high interest compared to standard cards.
However, provided you use your credit-builder card sensibly and make all your repayments, you should find that your credit score improves over time. Which may, in turn, boost your chances of getting a John Lewis credit card in future.
John Lewis sends out vouchers in the post three times a year – in February, June and October.
You can get in touch with John Lewis Money on 0330 175 9829. Opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm, Saturday 9am - 6pm and Sunday 10am - 4pm.
It’s best to pay off your entire credit card balance every month if you can afford to – this way you won’t pay interest and you can avoid building up debt. If you can’t afford to pay off the full balance, you must pay off at least the minimum monthly payment – ideally more.
Avoid missing credit card payments – credit card providers will often charge a penalty if you miss a payment and you also risk harming your credit score.
Setting up a direct debit could be a good way to ensure you pay off at least the minimum amount of your credit balance each month.
Each time you make an application for a credit card, it leaves a record – known as a ‘hard search’ - on your credit report. Too many applications can make lenders think you are in desperate need for credit and your application may be rejected.
Some credit cards have extra benefits that reward you when you use them a certain way. While some of them can be tempting, it’s better to get a credit card that will give you rewards for the way you spend already.
For example, an airmiles credit card. or one that earns you Avios travel-related points, is only going to be useful if you’re a regular flyer, but if you’re a regular shopper at a particular high street store, there might be a credit card that gives you cashback for shopping there.
If you’re planning to use your credit card overseas, check whether or not you’ll be charged for doing so. Many credit cards charge fees for foreign transactions, so it can be a good idea to look for a card that won’t charge you for using it abroad.
Some credit cards will charge a fee if you use them to take cash out of a cash machine, and on top of that you’ll be charged interest from the moment you receive your money. Avoid using your credit card for cash withdrawals unless it’s an emergency.
Credit card fraud, like any fraud, is serious – you should always take care when using your credit card and be careful where you keep it. Never tell anyone your PIN and regularly check your statements every month – or if your credit card has an app, check that regularly - to make sure there are no surprises.
If you’re applying for a credit card, you might be able to find a better deal if you look through offers from different providers before taking one out. With MoneySuperMarket you’ll be able to search through multiple credit card deals and compare them by a range of factors, including their interest rates and any benefits and rewards they come with.
All you need to do is answer a few questions about yourself and your financial situation, and our Eligibility Checker will show your chances of being accepted for different credit cards. This won’t affect your credit score, so you can run a check without any worries.
Once you know which card you want, you can normally apply by phone, online, or in person if the provider has a high street branch. However, when you do apply, the provider will usually run a hard credit check – which will show up on your credit report – to confirm whether they’ll give you the card. If you’re accepted they’ll tell you your credit limit and interest rate, and soon you’ll be ready to start using your credit card.
MoneySuperMarket gives you lots of clever ways to save a lot, by doing very little.
Take control of your credit score by checking and improving it for free with Credit Score
Never overpay again with Energy Monitor, our energy monitoring service
Earn rewards of up to £130 per year when you make a qualifying purchase with SuperSaveClub
So how do we make our money? In a nutshell, when you use us to buy a product, we get a reward from the company you’re buying from.
But you might have other questions. Do we provide access to all the companies operating in a given market? Do we have commercial relationships or ownership ties that might make us feature one company above another?
We commit to providing you with clear and informative answers on all points such as this, so we have gathered the relevant information on this page.
Reviewed on 23 Dec 2025 by