These are the terms and conditions for membership of Imperial War Museums (IWM). As valued members, it is important that you read these Terms and Conditions carefully before you take out IWM Membership as they tell you who we are and on what basis you are taking out Membership. 

If you have any questions about our Terms and Conditions please contact us at [email protected] 

1. These terms 

1.1. These terms and conditions (Terms) apply to any purchase of IWM Membership. 

1.2. We have the right, without liability to you, to refuse to allow you to enter any Imperial War Museum branch and/or to escort you from our premises and/or to terminate your membership if you, in our judgement, breach any of these Terms. 

2. Information about us 

By purchasing membership you are entering into an agreement with The Trustees of Imperial War Museum of Lambeth Road, London, SE1 6HZ (IWM, Imperial War Museums, we, us, our) on these terms. Imperial War Museum also includes Imperial War Museum Film Productions Ltd and Imperial War Museum Trading Company Ltd. Imperial War Museums (IWM) is the operating name of ‘The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum’, a charitable body corporate established by statue.

IWM is an exempt Charity under the terms of The Charities Act 1993, Schedule 2 paragraphs (u) and (W). Our registered VAT number is GB 731 1782 50.

3. Membership benefits 

3.1. IWM Members will receive a range of benefits. A complete list of Membership benefits will be set out on IWM’s website. A typical Membership package will include: 

  • 3.1.1 Membership card(s), one per adult member; 
  • 3.1.2 Unlimited access to IWM Duxford, Churchill War Rooms and HMS Belfast within public opening hours, in line with last admissions times, excluding special events and air show days; 
  • 3.1.3 Regular Member E-News and updates via email; 
  • 3.1.4 Members Newsletter up to twice per year. Whilst members can opt to receive this in print, in order to save money and direct as much of our members subscriptions to delivering the objects of IWM, we will actively encourage this to be emailed and anticipate the majority of our members will receive it digitally via email. We reserve the right to only send the newsletter by email if costs and demand become prohibitive and impact on net income for the charity.
  • 3.1.5 10% discount* off IWM Duxford Flying Season Air Show standard tickets (includes Duxford Air Shows, Duxford Flying Finale and Duxford Flying Evening).
    *This discount applies to standard admission tickets only and does not apply to Gold Experience tickets. 
  • 3.1.6 10% discount off IWM shop – in branch and online, see 3.8 below.
  • 3.1.7 Ad-hoc members' offers and events. 

3.2. We reserve the right to change the benefits that apply to IWM Membership or the branches to which access is permitted at any time and without prior notice, which may include restricting multiple re-entry to busy sites and restricting member entry if capacity has been reached. Where possible, changes to benefits will be published on IWM’s website. 

3.3. Where events and admissions are restricted by capacity, we may have to restrict member access to a branch, or an area of that event at that branch.  

3.4 We may maintain, cancel or introduce different categories of Membership from time to time. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have the most appropriate category of Membership to suit your personal circumstances at any time. IWM is not responsible in the event that a more appropriate category of Membership may have been available at any time. 

3.4. Membership benefits are only redeemable on the presentation of a valid Membership card and are non-transferrable. If you arrive without your Membership card(s) be that a physical card or e-card you will be required to purchase full price tickets, if available, to the branch or event. Members can apply for a refund on this admission which can be issued by contacting the Membership Team directly on [email protected]

3.5. Adult members (aged 16+) will be requested to produce proof of identification in addition to their Membership card when claiming Membership benefits.

3.6. Members are required to provide a valid email address to ensure they are able to receive all Membership benefits and communications.

3.7. Members wishing to book tickets for members events or discounted IWM event tickets can do so via iwm.org.uk using a unique promotional code (or, as prompted, by entering their surname and 14-digit member number) and issued solely for use by members. Members attending events will need to show a valid membership card along with their ticket to gain entry to events booked. IWM reserve the right to turn people away arriving with a member discount event ticket and no proof of a valid membership.

3.8. Retail discounts are only applicable to items over the value of £1. IWM reserve the right to exclude certain items from Membership discounts. The following products are currently exempt from the 10% membership discount (online and in branch): IWM Gift Membership, RAF Irvin Flying Jacket (all sizes), Metal Spitfire model, Spitfire propeller pen, WT Author 1940 Battle of Britain watch. Membership discounts cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional discounts.Excluded items also include postage and packaging charges and will be clearly marked.

3.9. There is a £5 charge, per card, for the re-issue of lost or replacement of physical membership cards.

3.10. Your visit to any of the IWM branches is at all times subject to any notice to visitors we post on the premises, and our standard admissions guidelines as may be amended from time to time. In addition, you and any persons for whom you have bought Membership must comply with any reasonable instructions given to you by our staff or any third party instructed on our behalf during your visit. 

4. Your details 

4.1. During your time as a Member we will collect information about you to help administer your Membership, personalise your experience of Membership and develop our Membership offer.  

This data will usually be held for 6 years after your data becomes inactive (for the primary purpose of financial auditing). We collect information about you in a variety of ways including, but not limited to: 

  • 4.1.1 When you sign up to become a member; 
  • 4.1.2 When you complete a Gift Aid declaration for your membership 
  • 4.1.3 Each time you use your Membership card(s) to visit a branch or exhibition or to access member benefits; 
  • 4.1.4 When you book tickets for IWM events; 
  • 4.1.6 When you make a purchase in the IWM shop; 
  • 4.1.7 When you login to your membership account, when this function is available; 
  • 4.1.8 When you interact with and respond to IWM emails. 
  • 4.1.9 When you contact the membership team directly in person, by phone, post or by email. 
  • 4.1.10 If you have transferred your membership from the Friends of IWM or the Friends of Duxford, we will also transfer your old membership data to the new scheme 

4.2. IWM will process personal data about individuals (including Members) in accordance with Data Protection legislation. We will process such personal data: 

  • 4.2.1 As set out in our Privacy Policy, available here as may be amended from time to time; 
  • 4.2.2 As set out in these Terms, and in order to perform our obligations under any contract between you and us, and where reasonably necessary for IWM's purposes; and 
  • 4.2.3 In order to comply with any court order, request from or referral to an appropriate authority, or legal, regulatory or good practice requirement. 

4.3. We may use your details to contact you in relation to service information, including, but not limited to, expiry and/or renewal reminders. 

4.4. You are responsible for informing us of changes to your personal details. Please do not share your individual password/s for access to our on-line services with anyone else. 

4.5. If you have any enquiries about your data or wish to stop receiving communications from IWM (although they form part of your membership benefits) please email [email protected] or write to IWM Membership, IWM Duxford, Cambridgeshire CB22 4QR. 

4.6. The Trustees of the Imperial War Museum and Imperial War Museum Trading Company Ltd are registered as Data Controllers with the UK Information Commissioner's Office under registration numbers Z8003783 and Z7083175 respectively.

5. Membership fees and payments

5.1. All Members are agreeing to take out the selected membership for one year. 

As a charity, we rely on the support of our members and so there is no upper limit on how much you can give to join and support IWM. We want you to support IWM at a level you feel comfortable with, whilst allowing us to cover the cost of managing your membership and the benefits you receive and directing as much money as possible to the IWM cause.  

We therefore do have a minimum joining amount, but you can choose to give as much as you like above this. The more you give, the more you can help us tell the stories that deserve to be heard. 

The minimum joining level helps cover the core cost of your membership and associated benefits and contributes much needed funds to the work of IWM. This amount is subject to VAT at 20%. Any amount above the minimum is considered a donation and carries no VAT charge. If you sign up to gift aid your membership, be that at the minimum amount or higher, HMRC considers the whole amount as a donation, which restricts us from refunding your membership. IWM are still legally obliged to pay the 20% VAT on the minimum amount you give. 

Example of an IWM membership paid monthly without gift aid: 

If you choose to join at £5 per month: 

  • Monthly net value to IWM £4.17 and £0.83 VAT 
  • Annual net value to IWM £50.04 and £9.96 VAT

If you choose to join at £10 which includes a £5 donation per month: 

  • Monthly net value to IWM £9.17 (£4.17 + £5) and £0.83 VAT 
  • Annual net value to IWM £110.04 and £9.96 VAT 

Example of an IWM membership paid monthly with gift aid: 

If you choose to join at £5 per month: 

  • Monthly net value to IWM £4.17 and £0.83 VAT.  
  • Annual net value to IWM £50.04 and £9.96 VAT. IWM can also claim £15 in gift aid on top of this, making the total annual value to IWM £65.04.

If you choose to join at £10 which includes a £5 donation per month: 

  • Monthly net value to IWM £9.17 and £0.83 VAT.  
  • Annual net value to IWM £110.04 and £9.96 VAT. IWM can also claim £30 in gift aid on top of this, making the total annual value to IWM £140.04. 

Example of an IWM membership paid annually without gift aid: 

If you choose to join at £60 annually: 

  • Annual net value to IWM £50.04 and £9.96 VAT 

If you choose to join at £120 annually which includes a £60 donation: 

  • Annual net value to IWM £110.04 and £9.96 VAT

Example of an IWM membership paid annually with gift aid: 

If you choose to join at £60 annually: 

  • Annual net value to IWM £50.04 and £9.96 VAT. IWM can also claim £15 in gift aid on top of this, making the total annual value to IWM £65.04. 

If you choose to join at £120 annually which includes a £60 donation: 

  • Annual net value to IWM £110.04 and £9.96 VAT. IWM can also claim £30 in gift aid on top of this, making the total annual value to IWM £140.04. 

IWM reserves the right in its absolute discretion to change the minimum joining amount each year. You will be informed of any change to the minimum subscription rates with your renewal communication. 

5.2 You can pay for membership with a single annual payment by annual Direct Debit, credit or debit card, or you can pay monthly by Direct Debit. If you choose to pay monthly by Direct Debit you are simply paying for your annual membership in 12 instalments. 

If you’re a new member paying by monthly Direct Debit, your welcome confirmation email will include your payment schedule and details. 

If you’re an existing member, you’ll find the payment information in your renewal email. 

5.3 Failure to pay your membership by monthly Direct Debit 

When you choose to pay via a Direct Debit in monthly instalments you are agreeing to take out IWM Membership for one year. If you fail to pay the instalment due for your membership or cancel your Direct Debit part way through the 12 month membership period you will be required to pay all instalments due for the remainder of the 12 month period.  

On cancellation, we may contact you to give you the opportunity to either pay that instalment or pay all instalments due for the remainder of your membership year, by credit or debit card. If you then fail to pay the relevant amount due by the subsequent required dates, we will contact you again to ask you to pay all instalments due for the remainder of your membership year. Failure to make any further payments will result in your membership being cancelled. Please note that cancellation of your membership will not apply if your failure to pay is due to bank error or IWM error. If a Direct Debit is unpaid for any other reason, the unpaid Direct Debit will be re-presented and the authority from you, as the payer, to re-present is implicit in the Direct Debit Instruction you signed. As standard practice we will cancel a Direct Debit if it has been returned as unpaid after two consecutive attempts.  

IWM may seek to recover any benefits used on the cancelled membership, such as, but not limited to entry admission and retail discounts. Card payments will be accepted.  

5.4. Your Membership is valid immediately from the day that we process your membership joining form (either online, in-branch or over the phone).  

5.5. The credit/debit card information and/ or Direct Debit information you provide us for a Membership transaction is used solely for the purpose of processing that Membership transaction. 

5.6. We cannot accept card payment details via email and will decline any payment by this means in line with the rules of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, also referred to as PCI Compliance.  

5.7. We cannot accept credit or debit card payment in-branch via our iPads, but prospective members can use their own device to take out membership in-branch. Our staff and volunteers will still be able to support you with joining, but you will need to process and make payment on your own device. All card transactions must be processed in accordance with PCI compliance regulations. Alternatively you can join by Direct Debit and this can be processed by IWM representatives in-branch.

6. Gift Aid 

6.1 You must be a UK taxpayer to participate in the Gift Aid scheme. You need to pay enough Income Tax or Capital Gains Tax in each tax year to cover the Gift Aid claimed on all your donations to charity otherwise you are responsible to pay any difference. 

6.2 If you no longer pay sufficient UK Income or Capital Gains tax, please get in touch with us and we will stop claiming Gift Aid on your membership. You can get in touch via email [email protected],uk or telephone 0207 416 5000. 

6.3 If you have signed a Gift Aid declaration and are taking part in the Gift Aid scheme and haven’t completed a full year of membership with IWM, we cannot claim the 25% gift aid on your membership on this year’s membership. Please also be aware there may be tax implications for you too. 

7. Renewals

7.1. When each Membership period comes to an end, IWM will send you a renewal reminder, just before the end of the 12 month period.  For those members on a Direct Debit, this will give you the opportunity to tell us if you do not want to renew your membership for the coming year. For those members not on Direct Debit and whose original payment was debit or credit card, details will be included in the renewal reminder of how to renew. At this point we will invite you to renew by Direct Debit, which is the most cost-effective way for members to support us. You can still renew by card payment however. 

7.2. We will actively encourage members whose membership has lapsed and who are not already on Direct Debit to renew up to 12 months after your membership expires. During this 12 month period and if not in receipt of payment or Direct Debit instruction, you will no longer be a Member and you will no longer be entitled to any membership benefits. 

7.3 All renewing members from the old membership scheme will receive a new membership number but will then retain this membership and member number each year they renew. 

8. Publications and other materials

Unless stated otherwise, copyright and all other rights in all publications and materials supplied to you by IWM is owned by IWM. Members may not reproduce, transmit, distribute, sell or commercially exploit these materials without the prior consent of IWM or to the extent expressly permitted by law. 

9. Cancellations

9.1 Please also see 5.3 “Failure to pay your membership by Direct Debit". 

9.2 As explained in 5.1 The minimum joining level helps cover the core cost of your membership and associated benefits and contributes much needed funds to the work of IWM. This amount is subject to VAT at 20%. Any amount above the minimum is considered a donation and carries no VAT charge. If you sign up to gift aid your membership, be that at the minimum amount or higher, HMRC considers the whole amount as a donation, which restricts us from refunding your membership. IWM are still legally obliged to pay the 20% VAT on the minimum amount you give. 

If you wish to discuss cancellation or refund of your membership please contact us at [email protected]   

9.3. If a Member who has joined by annual Direct Debit or a one off payment by debit or credit card wishes to cancel their Membership part-way through a year, no part-refund is available. 

9.4. Membership benefits shall cease on an individual ceasing to be a Member or on a Member’s death. 

10. Revocation of Membership

10.1. IWM reserve the right in its sole discretion to terminate your Membership if in its reasonable opinion you behave in a way which is considered to be harassing, causing distress or inconvenience to other members, any visitor to IWM, any member of IWM staff or any directors, trustees, patrons, donors or other supporters of IWM or you bring IWM brand and reputation into disrepute or breach any of these Terms. 

10.2. IWM reserve the right to revoke your Membership at any time, without financial compensation, if you commit any breach of these Terms. 

10.3. All Membership cards remain the property of the IWM and shall be revoked without compensation in the following circumstances: 

  • 10.3.1 If the Membership card is sold, loaned or given away without our prior written consent; 
  • 10.3.2 If any attempt is made to sell, loan or give away a Membership card without our prior written consent; 
  • 10.3.3 If any attempt is made to disclose or give away promotional codes and offers related to membership discounts that are not being used by an active member. 
  • 10.3.4 The Membership has been purchased through illegal methods (including, but not limited to, the use of fraudulent debit/credit cards). 

11. Changes to membership category

Changes to your membership can be done by contacting the team at [email protected]

12. Gift membership

12.1. Gift Membership Vouchers can be redeemed against the IWM Membership type the purchaser originally bought but can also be upgraded to a higher value membership type on receipt of a balance of payment.  See iwm.org.uk/membership for full details of all four membership types.  

For example, an Individual Adult membership can be upgraded to a Joint or 1 Adult or 2 Adult family membership if at least the difference of the higher minimum joining amounts is paid. These upgrades will need to be processed by contacting us on [email protected]  

No change can be given if the recipient wishes to redeem against a membership type that has a lower minimum joining amount than the original membership type gift voucher purchased. 

For example, if you would like to redeem a Joint Adult membership for an Individual Membership, the balance of the value cannot be refunded. 

12.2. Gift Membership Vouchers can be redeemed online by going to iwm.org.uk/membership/gift/redeem 

For upgrades please contact us at [email protected] 

12.3. Gift Membership Vouchers are valid for 12 months from the date of issue which is stated on the front of the voucher and cannot be redeemed after that period. Once redeemed the membership is then valid for a full 12 months from the date of issue. 

12.4. Gift Membership Vouchers (both hard copy and e-copy) cannot be replaced if lost, stolen or destroyed. 

12.5. Gift Membership Vouchers (both hard copy and e-copy) cannot be refunded or exchanged for cash or other denominated vouchers. 

12.6. Gift Membership Vouchers cannot be used in conjunction with any special promotions, discount tokens, coupons or cards. 

12.7. Purchasers of Gift Membership Vouchers bought online or in-branch will be presented with the choice of where and how to send the voucher and gift pack. 

12.8. Subject to the provisions of clause 9, Gift Membership Vouchers are non-refundable once payment has been received by IWM. 

12.9. Any Gift Membership Vouchers under the previous IWM membership scheme (November 2017 – January 2021) not redeemed before 18 January 2021, will be redeemed under the new IWM Membership Scheme (21 January 2020 onwards) and associated benefits. 

13. Freedom of Information Act 2000 (“FOIA”) 

13.1. IWM is a ‘Public Authority’ for the purposes of FOIA. Subject to certain exemptions, IWM may be required to release information to a third party upon request which may relate to the general operation of the Membership Scheme. 

13.2. IWM shall not be liable for any loss or damage that any member may suffer as a result of IWM’s disclosure of information under FOIA. 

13.3. The obligations contained in this clause 12 shall remain in force notwithstanding the termination of this Agreement for any reason whatsoever. 

14. General

14.1. We reserve the right to change these Terms at any time. 

14.2. Carers of Members are admitted free of charge to IWM branches.   

14.3. Anyone wishing to take out membership (excluding Gift Membership) on the day of their visit to an IWM charging branch but who had previously purchased an admission ticket to that IWM charging branch for that day, will be entitled to a full refund IF a voluntary donation was not added to the original admission tickets. HMRC will not allow the refund of donations. Joining members will be required to sign up to membership either by Direct Debit or one off card payment on that day, and the refund will be processed once membership payment has been processed. This could take up to a maximum of 28 days to process.  An application for a refund on admission in lieu of taking out membership can only be done on the same day of the visit and is not permitted after this day. This is dependent on the following conditions: 

  • 14.3.1 You have a valid ticket purchased for that day directly through IWM and not through a third-party agent, and payment did not include tokens or vouchers from a third party agents; 
  • 14.3.2 You are purchasing membership at the same branch and on the same day as your original admissions ticket was valid; 
  • 14.3.3 Your original admission would have been one of the benefits associated with the membership package you have purchased. 

15. Other important terms

15.1. Nobody else other than you and us are party to the agreement that is entered into upon these Terms and accordingly no other person shall have rights to enforce any of these Terms. 

15.2. Each paragraph of these Terms operates separately. If any court or relevant authority decides that any of these Terms are unlawful, the remaining paragraphs will remain in full force and effect to the extent applicable (and construed accordingly). 

15.3. These Terms are governed by English law and you can bring legal proceedings in respect of Membership in the English Court(s).