Members' FAQS, Terms and Conditions

Is the Design Museum a charity?
The Design Museum is a registered charity and memberships are a donation to the museum. The museum receives a small proportion of public funding, with less than 2% of its annual budget coming from Arts Council England. Fundraising is critical to our sustainability and our members provide vital support for us to be able to continue our mission and uphold our values.

How can I join as a member?
You can join online or at the front desk of the Design Museum. All payments are annual, and we do not offer a monthly payment option.

When can I start using my Membership benefits?
Memberships are instantly active from the moment of purchase, and you will receive a digital membership card by email. Physical cards will not be posted automatically.

Can I request a physical card?
You can contact the membership team and request for a physical card to be posted or to collect at the museum.

Do I need to book free tickets to the exhibition?
As a member you don't need to book tickets for exhibitions. You can enter at any time using your digital membership card.

Can I upgrade my exhibition ticket to a Membership?
You can upgrade your exhibition ticket up to 14 days after your visit. Contact the membership team with your order confirmation for your ticket and your new membership to request a refund. This offer applies to any ticket equal to or less than the value of the membership. This offer does not apply to any combination exhibition ticket or event tickets.

Which events do I have to book for?
Members must book tickets for our programme of talks, courses and workshops, and for exclusive events including members' preview day.

How do I buy a Gift Membership?
Our gift membership is in the form of a redeemable gift voucher which can be purchased online.

How do I redeem a Gift Membership voucher?
The recipient has 12 months to activate their voucher by setting up a membership online, which will start on the day they sign up. The voucher includes a unique code which can be redeemed against the value of the Membership by putting it in the ‘Use a Voucher Code’ bar in the basket at checkout. Further instructions can be found via our Gift Membership webpage.

Prices and Information
-Individual Membership is £55 by Direct Debit or £60 Credit/Debit Card
-Member and Guest is £65 by Direct Debit or £75 Credit/Debit Card
-Family Membership is £80 by Direct Debit or £90 Credit/Debit Card
-Student Membership is £45 by Credit/Debit Card, for anyone who is enrolled in an educational institution
-Access Membership is £45 by Credit/Debit Card for anyone who is presented with a barrier in visiting our museums due to a disability

Access Membership Eligibility
Access Membership is for anyone presented with a barrier in visiting our museums due to a disability. We currently accept the below as proof of eligibility:
-Adult Disability Payment
-PIP (Personal Independence Payment)
-Disability Working Allowance for over 60s
-Employment & Support Allowance
-Disability Living Allowance
-Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
-Disabled Person’s Tax Credit
-Registered Severely Sight Impaired (Blind)
-Blue Badge
-Access Card
Upon joining and in order to validate your Membership, we ask that you please send us a photo/scan of your proof of concessionary status to membership@designmuseum.org.  This will only be used to check your eligibility; once your application is complete, the data will be destroyed/deleted.

Student Membership Eligibility
This tier is for anyone who is enrolled in an educational institution such as secondary school, college, university or MBAs. Please note evening or weekends Adult Learning courses are excluded from this notion. This Membership is for anyone in full-time education. We accept the following as proof of student status:
-Valid Student card
-TOTUM card (formally NUS)
-Valid student email address
Upon joining and in order to validate your Membership, we ask that you please send us a photo/scan of your proof of concessionary status to membership@designmuseum.org. This will only be used to check your eligibility, once your application is complete the data will be destroyed/deleted.

Is there a minimum age for Student Membership?
Under GDPR Article 8, the age of consent i.e. when a child is required or able to give their consent for the processing of the own data, is 16.

What are the benefits of being a Member?
All our memberships grant you access to the same standard benefits:

- Unlimited, free access to exhibitions
- 10% discount in the Design Café and Design Kitchen
- 10% discount in the shops online and in-store (some exclusions apply)
- Up to 20% discount on events, talks and workshops for the cardholder only
- Access to our exclusive members e-newsletter

However, each membership offers different access with regards to exhibition entry.

-Individual Membership offers access to our exhibitions for the cardholding member.
-Member and Guest offers access to our exhibitions for the cardholding member, plus one family member as your guest.
-Family Membership offers access to our exhibitions for the cardholding member, plus one family member as your guest and up to three children (6-15 years old).
-Student Membership offers access to our exhibitions for the cardholding member.
-Access Membership offers access to our exhibitions for the cardholding member and one carer or companion.

Please note that the named cardholder must always be present for the Membership to be used. Memberships are non transferable.

What does the term 'family' member mean?
Any additional guest passes for exhibition entry are expected to be family members. The Design Museum can only claim Gift Aid on the whole of a Membership if the right of admission is restricted to the cardholding member and their family.

Can my Membership application be rejected?
The Design Museum reserves the right to reject an application for Membership and do not have to disclose the reasons for doing so. the Design Museum's acceptance of your Membership remains subject to approval. If the Design Museum cannot accept your application, it will confirm that your account has been re-credited (if applicable).

Can my Membership be transferred to another person?
Your membership is non-transferable and may only be used by the person whose name is on the card. Membership holders may be required to show at any time a valid form of ID upon request.

How do I renew my Membership?

1.Direct Debit  Your membership will automatically renew each year, and you have the option to cancel if you wish by contacting your bank directly. Please also notify the Design Museum membership team.

2.Credit/Debit Card  You can renew online or in person. Alternatively, you can renew by switching to Direct Debit: this will save you up to £10 per year on the price of your membership.

How do I cancel my Direct Debit Membership?
You can cancel a Direct Debit at any time by contacting your bank or building society. Please also notify the Design Museum membership team via email. 

Am I eligible for a refund?
Memberships are treated as a donation and are non refundable. You have the right to a 14 day cooling off period, during which time you may request a refund provided that no benefits have been claimed. Outside of this 14 day cooling off period, donations will not be refunded, nor suspended.

Please note that if you have already benefited from entry to exhibitions and events, you will be required to pay for general admission tickets.

How will the museum use my personal details?
The Design Museum will use your details to contact you about your membership, its benefits and information you asked for. In providing the museum with this information, you give the museum permission to contact you in relation to these and to administer your membership. All data gathered and held by the Design Museum is managed in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018.

Will the museum share my details?
The Design Museum works with third-party service providers for certain activities, such as processing your membership payment. If a service provider needs to access information about you to perform services on the museum's behalf, they do so under instruction from the membership team, including abiding by policies and procedures designed to protect your information. Third parties are not allowed to use your personal information for their own purposes.

Can I update my Marketing preferences?
To update your preferences for how you would like to hear from the museum, please contact the membership team. You may opt-out of your regular members e-newsletter but please note you may not opt out of service-related emails, e.g. reminders about your automatic payment being debited.

Where can I read the full Privacy Policy?
the Design Museum's Privacy Policy is available here.