Standard Chartered cuts Priority Banking lounge visits, removes Priority Private guest benefit

Standard Chartered will be making another cut to the Priority Pass lounge privileges offered to Priority Banking and Priority Private customers, which takes effect from 1 July 2026.

Thank you for banking with us. As a Priority Banking Visa Infinite Credit Cardholder, you enjoy access to a range of lifestyle privileges. Effective ‌1 July 2‌02‌6, there will be updates to the Priority Pass benefit that comes with your Priority Banking Visa Infinite Credit Card.

-Standard Chartered

Priority Banking customers will see their entitlement slashed by 50% to six visits per membership year, down from the current 12.

Priority Private customers will keep their current 24 visits, but lose their free guest allowance, which allowed them to bring one guest each time while only incurring a one-visit deduction.

Standard Chartered cuts Priority Pass privileges for banking clients

StanChart’s banking customers will see another lounge nerf from July 2026

Here’s a summary of how Standard Chartered’s lounge privileges for Priority Private and Priority Banking clients will change from 1 July 2026.

Priority Private AUM ≥S$1.5M	24 + 1 guest per visit	24
Priority Banking AUM ≥S$200K	12	6
Priority Banking AUM <$200K	2	2

Priority Private

Priority Private customers currently receive 24 visits per membership year.

What’s unexpected — though beneficial for the customer — is that they can bring one guest each time, and only incur a single visit deduction. In other words, it costs one deduction each time you visit the lounge, whether you’re alone, or with a guest. You might as well bring a friend!

Unfortunately, that “free guest” benefit will no longer be available from 1 July 2026, with the updated illustration making it explicit that each guest will also incur a deduction.

Here’s the benefit wording before…

“Principal PRB VI Cardholder is eligible for up to 24 complimentary visits during each period. During each complimentary visit, the Principal PRB VI Cardholder is eligible to bring 1 accompanying guest. If the Principal PRB VI Cardholder is accompanied by more than 1 guest during the lounge visit, each additional guest visit will be chargeable by Priority Pass as per Clause 7.”

…and after.

“If a Principal PRB VI Cardholder is accompanied by a guest on each of his/her 12 lounge visits, it will count as 24 visits and that Principal PRB VI Cardholder’s complimentary visits are exhausted.”

Priority Banking

Priority Banking customers who maintain a minimum AUM of S$200,000 currently receive 12 visits per membership year.

From 1 July 2026, this will be cut to six visits per membership year. As before, these visits can be shared with a maximum of one guest each time. If a customer brings more than one guest, they will be charged US$35 per additional guest beyond the one guest allowance, even if they have sufficient visits otherwise.

There is no change to the entitlement for Priority Banking customers whose AUM falls below S$200,000; they will continue to receive two visits per membership year, same as before.

Additional requirements

To enjoy lounge privileges, both Priority Private and Priority Banking customers must:

hold an active StanChart Priority Banking Visa Infinite Card, and
maintain wealth holdings with the bank

Despite the name, the StanChart Priority Banking Visa Infinite is for both Priority Banking and Priority Private customers. There is no such thing as a “StanChart Priority Private Visa Infinite”!

The wealth holdings requirement was introduced on 15 August 2025, and is defined as follows:

Clients with active Wealth holdings are defined as clients who hold either an Eligible Investment Product(s) or Eligible Insurance Product purchased through the bank.

Eligible Investment Product(s) as defined by the Bank refers to Structured Products, Fixed Income Products, Unit Trusts and Equity Holdings.

Foreign Currency Deposits are not considered as Investment Products.

The good news is that you don’t have to buy overpriced investment or insurance products to qualify. Equity holdings are included, and there is no minimum amount necessary, so in theory, holding one share in a random company would satisfy the requirement.

When will the change take place?

The T&Cs (and FAQs) suggest that these changes will only come into effect for new applications or renewals that take place after 1 July 2026.

With effect from 1 July 2026: For new applications for the PRB VI Card Priority Pass, where applicant is a new or existing Priority client

With effect from 1 July 2026: For renewals of the PRB VI Card Priority Pass (where the Principal PRB VI Cardholder is an existing Priority client)

In other words, if you are a Priority Banking customer whose membership was renewed on 1 May 2026, then you will enjoy 12 visits that can be used until 30 April 2027, after which you’ll be placed on the new six visit scheme.

But that may not be the case.

The last time Standard Chartered cut its lounge privileges, the same wording was used, with a changeover date of 2 June 2025. But on that date, all affected customers were downgraded to the lower allowance, regardless of their actual renewal date.

It’s possible the same thing will happen this time round, so keep your eyes open. What I’m curious about is whether Priority Banking members who have already exhausted all their 12 lounge visits will receive a further allocation of six visits come 1 July. We’ll have to see!

Wasn’t the lounge allowance just cut?

If this nerf is causing a sense of deja vu, I don’t blame you. Standard Chartered has been steadily chipping away at the lounge privileges for its banking clients over the past few years.

Priority Banking customers with a minimum AUM of S$200,000 enjoyed 24 visits until 31 July 2023, after which the benefit was cut to the current 12 visits.

Priority Private customers enjoyed unlimited visits with one guest until 1 June 2025, after which the benefit was cut to the current 24 visits with one free guest each time.

In this case, I have to assume that it was part of an enshittification strategy designed to nudge customers towards the Beyond Card. I mean, they weren’t very subtle about it — the Priority Private website still advertises unlimited lounge access, without mentioning that you’ll now pay S$1,635 for the privilege!

What about other Standard Chartered cards?

There is no change to the lounge benefit for other Standard Chartered credit cards, which remain as follows.

StanChart Beyond Card Apply	∞ + 6 guests C. Year	Multiple
StanChart Visa Infinite Apply	6 M. Year	Multiple
StanChart Journey Card Apply	2 M. Year	Single (since you only have two visits)

It’s interesting to note that StanChart Priority Banking Visa Infinite cardmembers will now be on the same level as regular StanChart Visa Infinite cardmembers — though the latter has arguably become better as it does not restrict you to a single guest each time!

Conclusion

From 1 July 2026, Standard Chartered Priority Private and Priority Banking customers will face yet another nerf to their lounge privileges.

Priority Private customers will now have to utilise an additional lounge visit to bring a guest, instead of the current “1 for 1” system.

Priority Banking customers will have their allowance cut in half to six visits, continuing a persistent downward trend — less than three years ago, they enjoyed 24 visits!

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