The Partnership Card: Welcome Reward

As of February 2026, the John Lewis Partnership Card has introduced a new welcome incentive: new cardholders can earn double points on all eligible spend at John Lewis and Waitrose for the first 60 days of account opening. This replaces the old fixed 1,000-point bonus and allows frequent shoppers to accumulate vouchers much faster during the introductory period.

For more information on the Waitrose/John Lewis credit card, please see our full Partnership Card Review.

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Consider this if you want to earn solid rewards on your Waitrose and John Lewis spending

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• Purchase Rate (variable)
  • 29.9%

• 0% on Purchases for up to
  • 6 months

• 0% on Balance Transfers for up to
  • 6 months

• Initial Balance Transfer Fee
  • 5% (min £5)

• FX Fee
  • 2.95%

• Cash Fee
  • 3% (min £3)

How to Quality for the Bonus

To qualify for the introductory bonus, you simply need to use your card at John Lewis or Waitrose within the first 60 days of opening your account. Unlike previous fixed bonuses, there is no minimum spend threshold; instead, you earn double points on every pound you spend in-store or online at the Partnership during this window.

Note: the card’s secondary features have also shifted: balance transfers now offer 0% interest for just 6 months and carry a significantly higher 5% transfer fee (minimum £5). Given these high costs and short duration, this card is best suited for rewards rather than debt consolidation, compared to other options in the balance transfer market in 2026.

Eligibility

New applicants must be 18+ years old, have 12 months of UK address history, a UK mobile phone number, email address and cannot have held a Partnership Credit Card in the last 12 months.

Partnership Card Rewards

The ongoing rewards structure has been overhauled to favor brand loyalty.

Cardholders now earn 5 points for every £4 spent at John Lewis and Waitrose, which equates to a competitive 1.25% rewards rate. However, spending outside of the group now earns just 1 point for every £10 spent—a massive reduction that results in a meager 0.1% rewards rate elsewhere.

The welcome bonus of double points in the first 60 days is therefore equivalent to 10 points for every £4 spent, essentially a 2.5% rewards rate on spending at John Lewis and Waitrose.

Every 500 points earned are automatically converted into a £5 voucher to spend at John Lewis and Waitrose, issued three times a year.

Partnership Card Rewards Rates

The rewards rates on the Partnership Card are very competitive relative to others in the market, especially when it comes to out-of-store spending. To learn how the Partnership Card compares to other rewards cards, see our full review or our article on Best Rewards Credit Cards.