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Priority Pass Now Allows You To Enter Lounges With Just Your Physical Amex Card

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Nick Ellis
Edited by: Ryan Smith
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If you have a Priority Pass airport lounge membership thanks to an eligible American Express card, ta new policy should make it even easier to access a participating lounge during your travels.

Instead of presenting your physical (or digital) Priority Pass membership card when entering a lounge, a physical Amex card that grants Priority Pass membership now suffices for entry.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Physical Amex Cards Now Suffice for Priority Pass Lounge Entry

Typically, to enter a Priority Pass lounge, you must present a copy of your Priority Pass membership card, whether it’s a physical card or a digital one stored in the mobile app.

However, there’s been a change in policy for those who get a Priority Pass through an American Express card. Priority Pass has been alerting members with eligible Amex cards that lounge access will be handled through the new Priority Pass+ app going forward, as first noticed by Traveling for Miles.

Physical cards from Amex-connected memberships are going away, and instead, a digital copy will be stored and automatically updated within the Priority Pass+ app.

That may not seem like a big change, since members have had access to digital Priority Pass membership cards for quite some time.

However, the communication also states that a physical American Express card can be used to enter participating lounges. If for some reason you cannot access the Priority Pass+ app but have your physical Amex card, you should have no problem accessing a lounge.

Adriatic Priority Pass Lounge Dubrovnik
A physical eligible Amex card will now grant you entry to Priority Pass lounges. Image Credit: Christine Krzyszton

It’s important to point out that email from Priority Pass specifically mention physical cards, so until we have more real-world data points, don’t assume you’ll be able to access a lounge by showing a digital copy of your eligible American Express card in the Amex app or a mobile wallet.

Finally, be aware that for now this only applies to Priority Pass memberships granted by American Express cards. The old rules still apply to memberships provided by eligible Capital One, Chase, and Citi cards.

Hot Tip:

Check out our complete Priority Pass guide, which includes a full list of the more than 160 participating locations in the U.S.

Final Thoughts

Those with Priority Pass memberships from an eligible American Express card can now present the physical card to enter participating lounges, eliminating the need to present a physical or digital copy of a Priority Pass membership card. This isn’t a massive change, but it should make entry easier, especially if there are issues with the Priority Pass app when you’re trying to get into a lounge.

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About Nick Ellis

Nick’s passion for points began as a hobby and became a career. He worked for over 5 years at The Points Guy and has contributed to Business Insider and CNN. He has 14 credit cards and continues to leverage the perks of each.

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