Chase’s Ritz-Carlton Card Is Losing Unlimited Lounge Guest Access In 2026

Updated: December 12, 2025, 1:58pm CST

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Ritz-Carlton Card Lounge Access Soon To Be Limited
What Does This Change Mean?
Final Thoughts

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If lounge access is one of the main reasons you’ve kept The Ritz-Carlton™ Credit Card in your wallet, there’s an important change on the way.

Chase is quietly devaluing one of the card’s most generous perks: unlimited guest access at Priority Pass and Chase Sapphire Lounges.

Here’s what cardholders should know.

Ritz-Carlton Card Lounge Access Soon To Be Limited

Chase has started notifying cardholders of the Ritz-Carlton card about an update to the card’s airport lounge guest policy, which includes access to Priority Pass lounges worldwide, as well as Chase Sapphire Lounges.

According to a secure message sent to cardmembers on December 12, 2025, the updated policy will take effect January 15, 2026.

Beginning January 15, Ritz-Carlton Credit Card cardmembers and authorized users will be allowed to enter Chase Sapphire Lounges by The Club and participating Priority Pass lounges with up to 2 guests at no additional charge. Additional guests will be charged $27 per person. To access the lounges, cardmembers must present either a valid physical Ritz-Carlton Credit Card or a Priority Pass digital membership at entry.

Currently, Ritz-Carlton cardmembers and their authorized users can bring an unlimited number of guests at no additional cost. Once the new policy takes effect, that benefit will be limited to 2 complimentary guests, with an additional fee of $27 per person beyond that.

Chase Sapphire Lounge LAS Main Seating Area — The Chase Sapphire Lounge in Las Vegas. Image Credit: Stella Shon

To enter, cardmembers will need to present either their physical Ritz-Carlton card or a Priority Pass digital membership.

What Does This Change Mean?

Until now, the Ritz-Carlton card stood out for allowing unlimited guests — a benefit that quickly became one of the card’s strongest features, and why so many cardholders still hold onto it despite it not being available to new applicants.

For families or anyone traveling with a group, it was one of the few premium cards where lounge access didn’t require worrying about the number of guests you were bringing in.

With this update, the Ritz-Carlton card’s lounge access now aligns with the guest access rules of other top-tier Chase credit cards. While that brings consistency across Chase’s lineup of cards (and we hope that there aren’t any more negative changes coming down the pipeline), it also removes the 1 lounge perk that truly set this card apart.

Hot Tip:

If you usually travel with more than 2 guests, it may be worth analyzing whether the Ritz-Carlton card annual fee still fits your lifestyle and lounge strategy — especially if you’ve been relying on that unlimited guest access to avoid extra fees.

Final Thoughts

If you’re usually traveling alone or with 1 other person, you may barely notice this change. But if unlimited lounge guests were part of why you kept the card, this is a meaningful loss. The Ritz-Carlton card still has its strengths — just with 1 less reason to hang onto it beyond January 15, 2026.