Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
GUIDE
How to use a Priority Pass digital membership card
The Priority Pass digital membership card is the digital version of the Priority Pass card which, once activated, provides card-free access to the majority of lounges and merchants in the Priority Pass programme [6]. Priority Pass lists every lounge in its network as accepting the digital card, so a member can use it as soon as they join [7].
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- The digital card is one of several means of access in the Priority Pass programme, alongside the physical Priority Pass card, an eligible payment card, QR codes and barcodes [6].
- It is non-transferable: only the named member may use it, only one means of access counts per visit, and it works up to and including the expiry date [6].
- Guests are allowed, but they must register and enter at the same time as the member, and the member signs the record of visit to confirm the exact number of guests [6].
- A photograph of a means of access, or the card number on its own, will not be accepted in place of the card itself [6].
This guide covers digital memberships issued by Priority Pass Limited, including memberships that come with a payment card and are activated with Priority Pass [7]. Lounge benefits that another programme or a bank administers inside its own app follow that provider's rules.
How do you activate the digital card?
Priority Pass sells memberships directly and also supplies them through payment cards: its lounge page invites members to activate their account and notes that many payment cards offer complimentary Priority Pass membership [7]. Activation is the step that turns the digital card into a working means of access, because the conditions define the digital membership card as the version of the card which provides card-free entry once activated [6]. Using it means agreeing to the digital membership card terms and conditions [6]. The conditions quoted on this page took effect on 26 March 2026 [6].
At the entrance, admittance is conditional on presenting a valid means of access, a valid boarding pass and any additional identification the lounge or merchant asks for [6].
| Item | What applies |
|---|---|
| Means of access | The digital card on a smartphone, tablet or other device; staff may scan it, take an imprint or ask to handle the device [6] |
| Boarding pass | A valid boarding pass is required for admittance [6] |
| Extra identification | Passport, national identity card or driving licence, if the lounge or merchant requires it [6] |
| Guest count | The member signs the record of visit or the electronic reader to confirm the exact number of guests [6] |
If you hold more than one Priority Pass membership, you choose which one to present, but only one membership may be used per visit [6]. Where the membership is charged per visit, visits — including those by accompanying guests — are debited to the payment card held on the account, at the rates notified by Priority Pass or by the organisation that provides the membership [6]. A digital means of access may need to be inspected by lounge staff, and Priority Pass accepts no liability for damage caused to the device by those staff [6].
How do you add guests to a visit?
Guests are welcome: Priority Pass describes inviting family, friends or colleagues to join you in the lounge [7]. Guests must register and enter the lounge or merchant at the same time as the member [6]. The member is responsible for checking that the record of visit shows their own usage and that of any guests correctly, and the charge for each visit is based on the record of visit submitted by the lounge or merchant [6].
If you are travelling with someone who has their own Priority Pass membership, Priority Pass advises that each person shows their own means of access and signs their record of visit separately, so that neither is charged for a guest who holds a membership [6]. Rules for children vary by lounge and merchant, and including children is at the lounge's discretion, so the individual lounge description in the lounge finder sets out what to check before travelling [6].
How do you check which lounges accept the digital card?
Priority Pass advertises 1,900+ airport lounges and experiences worldwide [7], and says all lounges in its network accept the digital membership card [7]. The conditions describe the digital card as providing card-free access to the majority of lounges and merchants rather than to every location [6], so the individual listing is the practical test: each lounge and merchant sets out its own specific terms in its description on the Priority Pass website or app, and using the location means accepting those terms [6].
Keep the digital card available even when you plan to use a payment card as your means of access. Priority Pass says not every lounge and merchant can accept a payment card, and at those locations a Priority Pass card or digital membership card must be presented instead [6]. Because access is subject to capacity and to the lounge's own decision on admission, holding a valid card does not guarantee entry [6]. Some lounges and merchants in Europe sit inside designated Schengen areas, where access is only provided to travellers moving between Schengen countries [6]. Priority Pass's website terms also note that material on its site may be out of date at any given time, so it is worth re-checking the listing for your terminal before you fly [2].
Pre-book reservations work differently from walk-in visits: Pre-book can only be accessed through the Priority Pass website or app, requires the booking confirmation as the means of access, and is valid only on the date and time shown; if the membership expires or becomes invalid before the visit date, the member is not eligible for lounge access [6].
Exceptions and limits
- No substitutes. An ineligible means of access, a photograph of a means of access, or the provision of a card number is not accepted instead of the means of access itself [6].
- Usage limits. Priority Pass, a payment card provider or another organisation may limit how many times the means of access can be used within a period and within the same arrival or departure location; where the payment card provider sets that limit, the provider notifies the member [6].
- Loss and invalid use. A lost, stolen or damaged means of access must be reported immediately to the Priority Pass office that issued it or to the payment card provider, which arranges a replacement, and a charge may be levied for it [6]. A lounge or merchant visit made with an invalid means of access, including by guests, is charged to the member [6].
- Refused admission. Use of a lounge or merchant is subject to the member, guests and children behaving and dressing in line with that location's terms, and anyone who does not comply may be asked to leave [6].
- Account security. The member is responsible for keeping membership details, login credentials and means of access confidential, and must report unusual, suspicious or unauthorised activity promptly and within six months of the activity [6].
- Expiry. The means of access may be used up to and including the expiry date [6].
Frequently asked questions
Is the digital card accepted everywhere the physical card is?
Priority Pass says all lounges in its network accept the digital membership card [7], while the conditions describe it as covering the majority of lounges and merchants [6]. Check the individual lounge description on the website or app before travelling [6].
Can I bring a guest in on my digital membership?
Yes, guests are welcome and must register and enter at the same time as the member [6]. Where the plan includes visit charges, each visit is charged per person, per visit, and guest visits are debited to the payment card held on the account [6].
Can I show a screenshot or photo of the card?
No. A photograph of a means of access, or the card number on its own, is not accepted as a substitute for the means of access [6].
Can someone else use my digital membership card?
No. The means of access is non-transferable and may not be used by anyone other than the named member [6].
What do I need to hand over at the lounge entrance?
A valid means of access, a valid boarding pass and any additional identification the lounge requires, which may include a passport, national identity card or driving licence [6].
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. Other lounge programmes, and lounge benefits that a bank or card issuer runs inside its own app, are not covered here.
- Priority Pass terms of use, checked 18 October 2026
- Priority Pass conditions of use, checked 18 October 2026
- Priority Pass airport lounges page, checked 18 October 2026