Priority Pass Restaurants and Digital Membership: What’s Actually Still Included

You land at a US airport, pull up your card’s Priority Pass benefit, and expect a free meal at one of the sit-down restaurants instead of a crowded lounge. For a lot of cardholders in 2026, that meal isn’t there anymore. Issuers have been quietly cutting the restaurant side of Priority Pass for the past few years, even while keeping the lounge access itself intact. Here’s exactly which cards still include it, how much it’s actually worth, and how Priority Pass’s Digital Membership works if you’re trying to use any of this without your physical card.

In this article, you’ll discover:

• What the Priority Pass restaurant credit actually pays for, in dollars
• Which credit cards still include restaurant access — and which ones quietly dropped it
• How Priority Pass Digital Membership works, and how to set it up
• Where the restaurant benefit is most useful at US airports
• Answers to the questions US cardholders ask most

What the Priority Pass Restaurant Credit Actually Pays For

At participating airport restaurants, cafes, and bars in the Priority Pass network, eligible members get a $28 credit per person toward food and drinks at most locations, with a handful running $30. Bring a guest who’s also covered by your membership, and the credit doubles — two people can walk away with $56 in combined credit at the same table. Whatever you spend beyond the credit comes out of pocket; whatever you don’t use doesn’t roll over or pay out in cash.

Which Cards Still Include It — and Which Ones Quietly Dropped It

This is the part that catches people off guard. A card can still say “Priority Pass Select” on the benefits page and no longer include restaurant access at all — issuers have been removing the dining side while keeping the lounge side intact, often without much announcement.

Chase Sapphire Reserve is the one that surprises the most people. It’s still one of the most popular Chase Sapphire Lounges cards around, and the lounge access itself is unaffected — but as of July 1, 2025, the restaurant credit is gone. If you’re still budgeting for a free airport meal on this card, that’s no longer part of the deal.

There’s a pattern here worth naming: every removal above happened to a premium, high-fee card. The cards that still include restaurant access tend to be lower-fee or closed-to-new-applicants products — Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite and the two US Bank Altitude Connect cards are the exceptions still worth checking specifically if a free airport meal matters to you.

How Priority Pass Digital Membership Works

Digital Membership is Priority Pass’s app-based version of your physical card. Instead of carrying a plastic card, your credentials live in the Priority Pass app as a QR code — the Digital Membership Card — which lounge and restaurant staff scan at entry.

Setting it up takes a few steps: download the Priority Pass app (iOS or Android), then log in with your existing membership if your card issuer already enrolled you, or register as a new user if you’re activating for the first time. Once it’s active, you can also add the digital card to your Apple Wallet or Google Wallet — useful if you land internationally without a data plan, since a wallet pass still works offline.

What Else the App Does

Beyond entry, the app is where you check location-specific deals at participating restaurants and shops, review your visit history, see any payments due, and renew your membership when it’s tied to a standalone purchase rather than a credit card benefit. It’s worth checking before a trip — the deals section changes by airport and isn’t always the same offer twice.

Where the Restaurant Credit Is Most Useful

Restaurant availability varies a lot by airport, and it’s worth checking before you count on it. US hubs with a strong lineup of Priority Pass restaurants include San Francisco (SFO), Los Angeles (LAX), New York JFK, Seattle (SeaTac), and Boston (BOS) — all of them have multiple sit-down options where the $28 credit covers most of a meal.

• Check the restaurant list for your specific airport before you travel — not every terminal has one, and availability changes.
• The credit resets per visit, not per day — you can’t revisit the same restaurant twice in one layover expecting two credits unless the location explicitly allows it.
• Combine it with an actual lounge visit when both are available in the same terminal — there’s no rule against using both benefits on the same trip.

Pro Tips

• Verify your specific card, not the card family. “Priority Pass Select” on a benefits page doesn’t confirm restaurant access — check the current terms for your exact card, since issuers change this without renaming the benefit.
• Don’t assume a recent card refresh kept the restaurant credit. Chase Sapphire Reserve and the Ritz-Carlton Card both lost it in the same July 2025 update that changed other terms — read the full change notice, not just the headline.
• Check restaurant availability by airport before relying on it for a specific trip. A card that includes the benefit doesn’t guarantee a restaurant exists at your departure gate.
• Set up Digital Membership before you fly, not at the gate. Registration can take a few minutes, and it’s one less thing to deal with during a tight connection.
• For the fuller picture on which cards bundle Priority Pass at all, see our Priority Pass Select membership guide.

Bottom Line

The Priority Pass restaurant credit is worth $28 to $30 per person when it’s actually included — and in 2026, fewer premium cards include it than a few years ago. Bank of America Premium Rewards Elite, JetBlue Premier, and both US Bank Altitude Connect cards still have it; Chase Sapphire Reserve, Capital One Venture X, Amex Platinum, and the Ritz-Carlton Card don’t, regardless of how recently you applied. Check your specific card’s current terms before counting on a free airport meal, and set up Digital Membership ahead of time so getting into a lounge or restaurant is one less thing to think about at the gate.

Frequently Asked Questions