Start here: Priority Pass — membership, access, guests and renewal

Step 1: What Priority Pass is and who it suits

You will learn: what the programme covers and which travellers it is designed for.

The Programme is the Priority Pass membership programme provided by Priority Pass Limited, designed to enable Customer access to Lounge and Merchant locations using a Means of Access [1]. A Customer is any person who participates, and participation means accepting the Conditions of Use, effective 26 March 2026, which Priority Pass may change [1]. Changes may be notified by posting the Conditions of Use on the programme website and app, and customers are advised to review them before use [1]. Each Lounge and Merchant has its own terms in its description, and using that location accepts those terms [1].

Clause 4 assigns a merchant of record by region, so the responsible Priority Pass or Collinson entity depends on the location [1]. The programme suits travellers who want access to third-party airport or travel lounges: admittance is conditional on a valid Means of Access, a valid boarding pass and any additional identification the lounge or merchant requires [1].

Go deeper: airline lounge memberships compared, Start here: status and lounges, third-party lounge.

Step 2: How to get a membership

You will learn: the two routes into membership, the cancellation rules for direct purchases, and what makes a means of access valid.

Membership can be bought directly from Priority Pass or provided through a payment card provider or other organisation [1]. First-time customers who buy directly can cancel within 14 days of the initial purchase for a full refund of membership fees if the service has not been used in full, with any services used in that period deducted; cancellation must be requested in writing to the Priority Pass office where the Means of Access was issued, or by phone at +44 20 8680 1338 [1]. First-time direct customers may upgrade or downgrade within 14 days of commencement if no lounge or merchant visits have been made [1]. Where access comes through a payment card provider or other organisation, cancellation matters go to that provider, and changes to the programme are notified to the provider, who is responsible for advising the customer [1].

A Means of Access includes the Priority Pass Card, Digital Membership Card, eligible payment card, QR code, barcode or another form Priority Pass details in writing [1]. A valid and unexpired payment card must be stored on each customer's membership account [1]. The Means of Access is valid only after the customer signs the Priority Pass Card or agrees to the Digital Membership Card terms, and up to and including the expiry date [1]. The official joining page is Join Priority Pass.

Go deeper: Priority Pass plans compared, lounge access credit cards, the Digital Membership Card guide.

Step 3: How visits are charged and recorded

You will learn: how visits are charged, how they are recorded, and why the guest count matters.

The Conditions of Use describe nothing to earn; lounge and merchant visits are subject to a per person, per visit charge where the membership plan applies one [1]. All such visits, including those by accompanying guests, are debited to the customer's payment card by Priority Pass or by the payment card provider or other organisation at the rates and terms they notified [1]. Where a payment card is used as the Means of Access, no point-of-sale transaction takes place, and a charge may be made later according to the terms of the benefit offered by the payment card provider or other organisation [1].

Staff electronically scan or take an imprint of the Means of Access and may issue a Record of Visit voucher or make a log entry [1]. If requested, the customer must sign the voucher or electronic reader to confirm the exact number of guests, and the electronic record is valid evidence of access [1]. Guests must register and enter at the same time as the customer [1]. When entering with multiple customers who hold their own membership, each should show their own Means of Access and sign separately so they are not charged for guests [1]. Priority Pass may amend lounge or merchant charges or the programme on 30 days' notice, and may increase fees on 30 days' notice [1].

Go deeper: Priority Pass plans compared, Priority Pass restaurants.

Step 4: How to use a lounge

You will learn: what to present at the door and which limits apply to the visit.

Admittance is conditional on a valid Means of Access, a valid boarding pass and any additional identification the lounge or merchant requires, which may include a passport, national identity card or driving licence [1]. Photographs of a Means of Access, or the provision of a card number, are not accepted as substitutes [1]. Some lounges and merchants in Europe sit within designated Schengen areas and are accessible only when travelling between Schengen countries [1]. Not all locations accept a payment card, so carry the Priority Pass Card or Digital Membership Card [1].

The Means of Access is non-transferable, may be used only by the named customer, and only one may be used for each visit [1]. Priority Pass, the payment card provider or other organisation may limit the number of visits within a time period and within the same arrival or departure location [1]. Children's access varies according to each lounge or merchant's policy, so check the Lounge Finder description before travel [1]. If the customer has multiple memberships, present the correct Means of Access and use only one per visit [1].

Go deeper: the Digital Membership Card guide, lounge etiquette and house rules, boarding pass, Schengen area.

Step 5: Your membership — renewal, changes and cancellation

You will learn: how renewal works, what happens when a card is lost, and which route handles cancellation.

The Conditions of Use describe no status tiers: what they set out here is membership administration [1]. Renewal terms are at Priority Pass's sole discretion [1]. A membership bought directly with automatic billing renews automatically; to not renew, the customer must cancel within 30 days of the renewal date in writing to the Priority Pass office where the Means of Access was issued [1]. To cancel automatic billing, confirm in writing at least six weeks before the expiry date of the active membership [1]. Where a membership was bought directly from Priority Pass with standard billing, it expires unless the customer tells Priority Pass in writing before the end of the membership that they wish to renew [1]. For memberships bought directly from Priority Pass, renewing customers may upgrade or downgrade only at the commencement of a new membership period [1].

Lost, stolen or damaged Means of Access must be notified immediately to the Priority Pass office that issued it, or to the payment card provider or other organisation, which is responsible for providing a replacement; a charge may be levied for any replacement Means of Access [1]. Any lounge or merchant access using an invalid Means of Access, including for guests, is charged to the customer [1]. Priority Pass may revoke membership or terminate the programme at any time without notice; where applicable, a proportional refund of the annual or enrolment fee is made unless revocation was for fraud or misuse, and a membership in breach may be cancelled immediately without refund [1]. Cancelling the payment card relationship through which access is granted cancels the Means of Access from the effective date of that cancellation [1]. Direct members contact Priority Pass for cancellation; customers with access through a provider contact that provider [1].

Go deeper: Priority Pass plans compared, Priority Pass vs LoungeKey, Priority Pass vs DragonPass.

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: the checks to complete before your first visit.

1. Work out which route you have — bought directly from Priority Pass, or through a payment card provider or other organisation — because cancellation is handled differently and the provider sets the terms of its benefit [1].
2. Use the official activation page for the Digital Membership Card; the digital card is the digital version of the Priority Pass Card and, on activation, gives card-free access to most lounges and merchants [1]. If your membership came through a card, still carry the Priority Pass Card or Digital Membership Card because not every location accepts the payment card [1].
3. Before the trip, read the lounge's own description, including its children's policy, on the official lounge pages [1].
4. At the door, have the boarding pass and identification ready, and check that the Record of Visit shows the right number of guests [1].
5. If you bought directly with automatic billing, note the renewal date: cancel within 30 days of it in writing if you do not want to renew [1].

Next: continue with the Priority Pass programme hub to choose the guide for your next task.