What do I need to know about the lounge access benefit?

Complimentary visits are allocated per calendar year and do not carry over. They are available only to the primary or secondary cardholder. Guests and children receive a discounted rate charged to the cardholder’s account. There is no monthly usage limit, and visits can be used for both local and international lounges. Non-qualifying visits are billed at the Absa preferential rate.

What are the qualifying criteria for lounge access?

You must have an eligible Absa Visa card in good standing, matching the name on your boarding pass. You may need to meet a spending requirement and be registered on the Absa Rewards program. The offer is available only to primary and/or secondary cardholders.

How does lounge access work?

Present your physical Absa Visa card and boarding pass to gain access. Secondary cardholders must use their own card. If bringing guests, you must specify which card is used for entry. Lounge staff cannot advise on benefits—call the number on your card for details. Complimentary visits are recorded and assessed at month-end to determine any additional charges.

What are the rates and fees for lounge access?

From 1 May 2024 to 30 April 2025, public walk-in rates are R300 (Domestic) and R620 (International). Absa cardholders pay a preferential rate of R255 (Domestic) and R527 (International) for visits exceeding their annual benefit. Early check-in fees are R38 per 15 minutes (Domestic) and R40 per 15 minutes (International).

Which airports have Bidvest lounges?

Bidvest Domestic Lounges: OR Tambo, Lanseria, Bloemfontein, Cape Town, King Phalo, King Shaka, Chief Dawid Stuurman, George, Kruger Mpumalanga. Bidvest International Lounges: OR Tambo International, Cape Town International 1 & 2, Kruger Mpumalanga International.

Access Bidvest Airport Lounges at preferential rates

Benefits & Conditions

Student Credit Card

3 complimentary visits per credit card account per year

Gold Credit Card

Unlimited access for primary cardholder and up to 5 guests at preferential rates

British Airways

8 complimentary visits annually
available to British Airways Credit Card holders
(shared allocation across the primary and secondary cards)

4 Domestic Lounge visits
4 International Departure Lounge visits

Premium Credit Card

12 complimentary visits* (shared across primary and secondary cards)

*Qualifying spend criteria: R7 000

Ultimate and Ultimate Islamic

Two visits* if you have an Ultimate transactional account only

Plus

Two visits* if you have a Gold Credit Card linked to your Ultimate Account

All lounge visits across primary and secondary cards count towards your total allowance.

*Qualifying spend criteria: R4 000

(Combined transactional account and credit card POS/CNP spend)

Ultimate and Ultimate Islamic transactional plus account

Ultimate Plus, Ultimate Islamic Plus and Ultimate Prosperity

Seven visits* for Ultimate Plus, Ultimate Islamic Plus or Ultimate Prosperity transactional accounts only

Plus

Seven visits* if you have a Premium Credit Card linked to your Ultimate Plus Account

All lounge visits across primary and secondary cards count towards your total allowance.

*Qualifying spend criteria: R7 000

(Combined transactional account and credit card POS/CNP spend)

What you need to know

Benefits
Complimentary visits are allocated per calendar year (January to December) and any unused visits will not be carried forward.

Complimentary visits are only available to the Card holder or secondary card holder/s (as specified) and cannot be transferred to guests or children.

There will be no monthly usage limit (complimentary visits are allocated per annum).

There will be no split or limit between local and international lounge visits, which means that you could use all qualifying visits for either local or international lounges as you need.

You are entitled to a stay of 2 hours for domestic flights and 4 hours for international flights (prior to your scheduled flight departure time). Extended time will be charged at Bidvest rates.

The airport lounges will be open 7 days a week. This may change without prior notice. Please visit the Bidvest Lounge website for updates on lounge operating hours and availability.

Bidvest Premier Airport Lounges will ensure that there is an adequate supply of refreshments, newspapers, periodicals, food and beverages.
Qualifying criteria card
You need the relevant Absa personalized (customer name on card) Visa Card as per the specified benefit.

The name of the cardholder must be the same as the name on the boarding pass.

Your Visa Card must be in good standing.

You must have met the stipulated spend requirement (where applicable).

You must be registered on the Absa Rewards programme (where applicable).

This offer is only available to primary and/or secondary cardholders as specified.
Qualifying criteria - spend rules

Monthly Spend Criteria: How We Check if You Qualify

To confirm your eligibility, we calculate your average monthly spend over different time periods.

You only need to meet one of the options below to qualify.

30‑Day Spend Check

We add up all the transactions you’ve made in the last 30 days (counting back from the day of your voucher request) and calculate the monthly spend for this period.

If the monthly meets the required amount for your card, you qualify.

3‑Month Spend Check (90 Days)

We look at everything you’ve spent over the past 90 days and work out your average monthly spend over these three months.

If your average meets the required threshold, you’re eligible.

12‑Month Spend Check (365 Days)

We review all your transactions over the last 12 months and calculate your average monthly spend for the year.

If this average meets the annual requirement, you qualify.

Only Point-of-Sale (POS) and Card Not Present (CNP) transactions count towards the spend criteria. Other payment types like EFT payments and revolving credit balances are not considered.

Spend criteria is reviewed on account level.

Guest access:

Please note that where there is no guest benefit on the card you will be charged the prevailing retail rate for any guests or children visiting the lounge, on entry.
How it works
From 19 March 2026, physical cards and manual validations will no longer be accepted for lounge entry. Instead, simply generate a QR lounge voucher on your Absa Banking App via the Rewards Travel Hub and scan at the lounge reception.

The new digital solution offers several benefits:

Real-time eligibility checks before visiting the lounge

Quick and easy access using a QR voucher, no need to carry a physical card

Clear visibility of available visits and usage history.

How to generate a QR lounge voucher

Follow these simple steps in the Absa Bank App:

Log in to your Absa Banking App

Go to the Rewards Travel Hub and select Lounge Access

Select the applicable card

View validation results (where Rewards, spend or card status criteria have not been met, or complimentary visits have been depleted no vouchers will be available)

Select your lounge

Select number of guests (where applicable to your benefit)

The app will generate a QR voucher, valid for 48 hours

Present the QR voucher at the lounge entrance (Please ensure the name on the voucher matches your boarding pass)

If a voucher is not used within 48 hours, it will expire and your visit balance will be restored

If you generated a voucher incorrectly you may cancel it at any time before it is redeemed or expires and re-generate a revised voucher.

What you need to note

There is one exception to this process, British Airways Card customers will still access the lounge by presenting their physical card.

Secondary cardholders must generate their own QR voucher code in their own instance of the Bank App

Bidvest lounge staff cannot advise on complimentary benefits and usage rules. Customers must phone the number on the back of their card for any benefit enquiries.

See Bank App Video guides on How to create a lounge voucher

What it costs

Rates & Fees

Valid from 1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026

Valid from 1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027

Public walk-in rate: Domestic Lounge – R318
Public walk-in rate: International Lounge – R675

Public walk-in rate: Domestic Lounge – R333
Public walk-in rate: International Lounge – R708

Absa preferential rates*:

	1 May 2025 to 30 April 2026		1 May 2026 to 30 April 2027
	Domestic lounge	International lounge	Domestic lounge	International lounge
Cardholder	R270.30	R573.75	R283.05	R601.80
Early check-in rates (per 15 min)	R40.00	R45.00	R40.00	R45.00

*Gold and British Airways cardholders

Customers need to note their specific card benefits and any spend criteria rules. Only Point-of-Sale (POS) and Card Not Present (CNP) spend contributes to spend criteria. EFT payments and revolving balances are not considered.

Domestic: valid for 2 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time
International: valid for 4 hours prior to your scheduled flight departure time
Early check-in rates are applicable

Terms and conditions apply

List of airports where Bidvest airport lounges are located
Bidvest Domestic Lounges

OR Tambo Domestic

OR Tambo Domestic - Sky Lounge

Lanseria

Bloemfontein

Cape Town

King Phalo (East London)

King Shaka (Durban)

Chief Dawid Stuurman International (Port Elizabeth)

George

Kruger Mpumalanga International

Bidvest International Departure Lounges

OR Tambo International

Bidvest Premier Lounge Cape Town International 1

Bidvest Premier Lounge Cape Town International 2