TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry vs CLEAR

Under four trips abroad a year, get TSA PreCheck ($76.75 to $85 for five years); four or more, get Global Entry ($120, and PreCheck comes with it). That is TSA’s own rule. CLEAR+ is separate, $219 a year at the airports on its list. Children pay nothing in any of them, with conditions (below).

How to use it

Type how many round trips you take in the U.S. and abroad in a typical year, who travels, and what a credit card pays toward each adult’s fee, if anything. Pick your airport to see CLEAR+ there, and tick the Canadian border or a PreCheck renewal if they apply. The answer is the program TSA’s rule points to, what each one costs your party over five years, and what that is per security screening.

TSA’s rule, and CBP’s

TSA’s FAQ says it plainly: “If you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider enrolling in Global Entry.” And: “If you take less than four international trips a year, TSA PreCheck is a great choice for domestic travelers.” Global Entry includes the other: “Global Entry members also receive TSA PreCheck® benefits as part of their membership.” CBP, which runs Global Entry, agrees: “If you take fewer international flights, consider enrolling in TSA PreCheck and using the free Mobile Passport Control app to reduce wait time.”

TSA PreCheck’s three prices

“Each enrollment provider is allowed to set its own prices for TSA PreCheck enrollment and renewal fees.” The three, as TSA lists them:

Any provider will renew you: “The new membership period begins as the current one ends, so there is no disadvantage to renewing early.” What PreCheck buys: “About 99% of passengers wait less than 10 minutes.” What it does not: “All travelers will be screened, and no individual is guaranteed expedited screening.”

Worked examples

Three trips at home and one abroad a year, one adult. TSA PreCheck with IDEMIA, $76.75: 35 screenings in five years, $2.19 each. Global Entry would be $43.25 more, $8.65 per return from abroad; the free Mobile Passport Control app covers those five returns instead.

A couple with two children, five trips abroad a year. Global Entry, $240 for the two adults; “Minors are free with a parent already in or applying for Global Entry.”

One trip abroad, and a card that pays $120. Global Entry costs nothing after the credit, so take it: PreCheck comes with it.

A couple flying ten round trips at home a year, from an airport with CLEAR. PreCheck is $153.50 for both. CLEAR+ would be $219 plus $125, $344 a year, $1,720 over five years: $8.60 per screening, 200 of them.

Common mistakes

• Buying PreCheck and Global Entry. Global Entry includes PreCheck; one $120 fee covers both.
• Switching late. “TSA PreCheck members must complete the Global Entry application process before their TSA PreCheck membership expires or they will not receive TSA PreCheck screening until their Global Entry application is approved.” Global Entry is a new application and a new fee, not an upgrade.
• Paying for the children. In PreCheck, “Children 12 and under: Can join you in TSA PreCheck lanes.” Teens are the catch: “Children 13-17: Can join you in the TSA PreCheck lane only when the TSA PreCheck indicator appears on the child’s boarding pass.”
• Treating CLEAR+ as PreCheck. They are different programs: CLEAR+ is CLEAR’s own lane, $219 a year; PreCheck is TSA’s screening, from $76.75 for five years.
• Forgetting the card. “Several credit cards offer assistance with enrollment costs.” Check yours before paying.

Plan the trip

Before a first trip abroad, read International Travel Tips for First-Timers and what to do after losing a passport abroad. Pack with the carry-on packing list. Then check whether your ID gets you through the checkpoint, when to leave for the airport and what a passport costs.