John Lewis touches many household finances – the Partnership Card, gift cards that may be sitting in a wallet, home or pet insurance policies, and a my John Lewis loyalty account. None of these are handled by the same team, so dealing with a John Lewis-connected estate means knowing which products belong to which part of the business, and who to contact for each.
The most time-sensitive is the Partnership Card, which should be notified promptly to stop interest accruing and freeze the account. Gift cards and vouchers are separate and need their own action. Insurance policies need to be either cancelled or transferred depending on the circumstances. And a my John Lewis loyalty account can be closed with a simple call.
Quick reference:
- Partnership Card (issued by NewDay Ltd): 0330 175 9829 – Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm
- my John Lewis loyalty: 03456 100312 or myjl@johnlewis.co.uk
- Home insurance: 0345 608 9001
- Pet insurance (Pinnacle Insurance Ltd): see policy documents for claims line
The John Lewis Partnership Card
The Partnership Card is the most important account to notify first. When someone dies, interest can continue to accrue until the card issuer is formally notified – so contacting them promptly prevents unnecessary debt building up against the estate.
Who actually issues the card
This is a detail that catches many people out. The John Lewis Partnership Card is issued and administered by NewDay Ltd, not John Lewis itself. John Lewis Finance Limited acts as a credit broker under exclusive arrangements with NewDay. In practice, you deal with customer service through the John Lewis Money portal – online at portal.newdaycards.com/johnlewis – but the legal counterparty on the credit agreement is NewDay Ltd (registered in England and Wales, company number 7297722).
This matters because if you come across old contact details from a third-party bereavement service or a comparison site, some may reference older arrangements. The current contact route is through John Lewis Money.
How to notify
Phone: Call 0330 175 9829 – this is the Partnership Card support line, with a bereavement team available Monday to Friday, 9am–7pm, and Saturday, 9am–5pm. Closed on Sundays. If calling from abroad, use +44 (0)330 175 9829.
Online: You can send a death notification through the John Lewis Money bereavement support page. This is useful if you prefer to communicate in writing and have a scan or photograph of the death certificate ready to attach.
When you make contact, have the following ready:
- The deceased’s full name as it appears on the card
- The card number (found on the card or on a statement)
- The date of death
What happens next
Once the death is notified, John Lewis Money (operating through NewDay) will freeze the account. No further purchases can be made. Interest charges are stopped from the date of death is confirmed. Any outstanding balance becomes a liability of the estate – the executor or administrator is responsible for settling it from estate funds. Family members who were not joint cardholders are not personally liable.
Joint cards: If the deceased held a joint Partnership Card, the surviving cardholder should contact the team as soon as possible. The account will typically be converted to a sole account in the survivor’s name, and the outstanding balance becomes their sole responsibility.
For more on how credit card debt is handled after a death – including what happens when the estate cannot cover the balance – see our guide to credit card debt after death.
Documents you’ll need
John Lewis Money will ask for a death certificate or interim death certificate (a scan or photograph is acceptable for the initial notification). Depending on the size of the estate, a grant of probate or letters of administration may also be required before the balance can be formally settled and the account closed. If you’re unsure whether probate applies, our guide on whether you need probate explains the key thresholds and triggers.
Gift cards and vouchers
John Lewis gift cards are a common household item – bought as presents or received as rewards – and the estate may be sitting on an unspent balance. The treatment depends on whether the gift card is a physical card or an e-gift card.
Physical gift cards and paper vouchers
Physical John Lewis gift cards (and their Waitrose equivalents) do not expire. A card purchased years ago retains its full value. These are assets of the estate in the same way that cash in a drawer would be, and the executor can use them to purchase goods for the estate – for example, to buy items for a property that needs clearing and preparing for sale.
John Lewis gift cards cannot be exchanged for cash. The terms and conditions are explicit on this point: no cash refunds are given except where required by statutory rights. This means the estate cannot redeem an unused £50 gift card for £50 in cash – but it can use the balance to buy goods.
What to do: If you find physical John Lewis or Waitrose gift cards in the deceased’s possession, check the balance at johnlewis.com/customer-services/prices-and-payment/gift-cards or by asking at a till. The balance can then be spent by the executor when purchasing goods for estate administration purposes.
E-gift cards
E-gift cards expire 24 months from the date of purchase or last use. Checking the balance and making a balance enquiry resets the 24-month clock. If the deceased received an e-gift card that is approaching its expiry date, contact John Lewis customer services on 0330 123 0350 – while John Lewis does not have a published policy on extending e-gift card expiry for estates, it is worth asking the customer services team directly about the specific circumstances.
John Lewis insurance
John Lewis sells home, car, pet, and travel insurance under the John Lewis Money brand. Each product has a different underwriter and a different contact route for bereavement.
Home insurance
John Lewis home insurance is a trading name of John Lewis Finance Limited. For standard home insurance cover (Bronze, Silver, and Gold tiers), the underwriter varies – specialist cover is underwritten by Covéa Insurance plc, while home emergency and legal expenses cover is underwritten by ARAG Legal Expenses Insurance Company Limited.
To notify: Call 0345 608 9001. You’ll need the policy number and the date of death. The bereavement team will advise whether cover can continue temporarily (useful if the property is part of the estate and not immediately occupied) and whether you need to convert to a specialist unoccupied property policy.
If the property will sit empty during probate, standard home insurance typically lapses after 30 to 60 days of unoccupancy. Executors have a legal duty to protect estate assets, which includes maintaining adequate buildings insurance. Our guide on what happens to home insurance when someone dies covers the options in full.
Car insurance
John Lewis car insurance is underwritten by Covéa Insurance plc. When a policyholder dies, any vehicles in the estate will need their insurance arrangements reviewed. If the car is to be kept and used by a family member, a new policy in that person’s name will need to be arranged – you cannot simply continue the deceased’s policy. If the car is to be sold, the insurance can be cancelled.
Contact the John Lewis home insurance line (0345 608 9001) and ask to be directed to the car insurance team, or check your policy documents for the specific motor claims number.
Pet insurance
John Lewis pet insurance is arranged, administered, and underwritten by Pinnacle Insurance Ltd – a distinct third-party provider, not John Lewis Finance Limited. If the deceased held a John Lewis pet insurance policy, you’ll need to contact the claims team directly using the number on the policy schedule or certificate of insurance.
If there is an open claim at the time of death, Pinnacle will need to be notified so the claim can be assessed and any outstanding payments directed appropriately. If no claim is in progress, the policy can be cancelled. Check the policy documents for the direct Pinnacle contact number – do not rely on the John Lewis home insurance line for this, as it is a separate provider.
Travel insurance
If the deceased held a John Lewis travel insurance policy – either as an annual multi-trip or a single-trip policy – contact John Lewis Money to notify them and cancel the policy. Any premium refund for unused cover may be payable to the estate, depending on the terms of the policy.
my John Lewis account
my John Lewis is the partnership’s free loyalty membership scheme. It operates separately from any financial products – a person can have a my John Lewis account without having a Partnership Card or any insurance.
How to close the account
Phone: 03456 100312 (customer services line that handles loyalty account enquiries) Email: myjl@johnlewis.co.uk
When you contact the team, you’ll need:
- The long membership number from the card (or the email address used to register)
- The deceased’s full name
What happens to reward vouchers
my John Lewis rewards – the vouchers periodically issued as spending bonuses – are subject to expiry dates. Vouchers that have already expired cannot be reissued. If the deceased’s account holds valid, unexpired vouchers, it is worth asking the customer services team whether these can be redeemed or transferred before the account is closed. John Lewis’s published terms state that rewards are non-transferable in general use, but bereavement is a distinct circumstance and the team has discretion to advise appropriately.
Once closed, any future loyalty communications will cease.
The Waitrose connection
John Lewis and Waitrose are both owned by the John Lewis Partnership. If the deceased held a myWaitrose card – the Waitrose equivalent of my John Lewis loyalty – this is a separate account that needs to be closed independently. For full detail on closing a myWaitrose account, cancelling a Delivery Pass, and handling Waitrose gift cards, see our dedicated Waitrose bereavement guide.
To close a myWaitrose account, contact Waitrose customer services on 0800 188 884 (Monday–Friday 8am–10pm, Saturday 8am–9pm, Sunday 9am–7pm). You’ll need the deceased’s myWaitrose card number or the email address used to register.
If the deceased held both a my John Lewis account and a myWaitrose account, you’ll need to contact both teams separately. Notifying one does not automatically close the other.
Waitrose gift cards operate under the same terms as John Lewis gift cards – same combined balance system, same no-cash-exchange rule, and physical cards do not expire.
What to have ready
Before contacting John Lewis or NewDay, gather the following:
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | Required for Partnership Card notification |
| Interim death certificate (scan or photograph accepted) | Accepted for initial notification |
| Partnership Card number | Required when calling the card team |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | May be required to settle the card balance |
| my John Lewis card or registered email address | For loyalty account closure |
| Insurance policy number | For home, car, or travel insurance |
| Pet insurance policy documents | For Pinnacle Insurance Ltd contact details |
For simple estates where the only John Lewis product is a modest Partnership Card balance, the process should be relatively straightforward. Where there are multiple products, it is worth working through them systematically – card first, then insurance, then loyalty.
Summary
| Product | Who to contact | Phone |
|---|---|---|
| Partnership Card (NewDay Ltd) | John Lewis Money bereavement team | 0330 175 9829 (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm, Sat 9am–5pm) |
| Home insurance | John Lewis Money | 0345 608 9001 |
| Pet insurance | Pinnacle Insurance Ltd | See policy documents |
| my John Lewis loyalty | John Lewis customer services | 03456 100312 or myjl@johnlewis.co.uk |
| Waitrose / myWaitrose | Waitrose customer services | 0800 188 884 |
The Partnership Card should be your first call – it is the only time-sensitive account, and notifying NewDay promptly stops interest accruing on any balance. Gift cards, insurance, and loyalty accounts can follow once the more pressing financial matters are in hand.
If the estate is complex – particularly if it involves property, probate, or multiple financial products – you may find our guide on whether you need probate a useful starting point for understanding what level of legal authority the executor will need before accounts can be formally closed and funds released.