getting in on recognition; free admission by name/face
Colloquial term for being allowed entry or free access to a place, event, or service simply because one is known or recognized, without a ticket or formal invitation.
あの店は顔パスで入れるよ。
I can get into that shop just by being recognized.
彼は有名だから、たいていのクラブは顔パス
He's famous, so he gets into most clubs on his name alone.
Compound of 顔 (face, recognition) and パス (pass, from English 'pass'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it likely arose in colloquial speech to describe bypassing formal entry requirements through personal recognition.