Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, and CLEAR via credit-card credits

Many travel credit cards offer a credit toward Global Entry ($120) or TSA PreCheck ($85) every 4-5 years. The benefit is easy to overlook because you only redeem it once or twice a decade. Done right, it's essentially free for premium cardholders. This guide explains the difference between the programs, which cards offer the credit, how to actually redeem, and the tradeoffs at airport security.

The four U.S. trusted-traveler programs

TSA PreCheck

• Cost: $85 for 5 years.
• Benefit: expedited security screening at U.S. airports. Keep shoes, belt, light jacket on. Laptops and 3-1-1 liquids stay in bag.
• Application: online + 10-minute in-person interview.
• Approval rate: ~98%.
• Renewal: after 5 years, mostly online, no second interview required.

Global Entry

• Cost: $120 for 5 years (recently raised from $100).
• Benefit: includes everything PreCheck offers, PLUS expedited entry through customs/immigration when returning to the U.S. from international trips. Use kiosks instead of lines.
• Application: online + 30-minute in-person interview at a Global Entry enrollment center.
• Approval rate: ~95%.
• Renewal: after 5 years, may require new interview.

For anyone who travels internationally even once a year, Global Entry beats TSA PreCheck. Same domestic security benefit, plus international customs benefit. Get Global Entry.

NEXUS

• Cost: $50 for 5 years.
• Benefit: includes Global Entry benefits + expedited entry to Canada and dedicated lanes at U.S./Canada border crossings.
• Application: online + interview at U.S./Canada border location.
• Best for: Northeast/Pacific Northwest travelers crossing into Canada regularly.

SENTRI

• Cost: $122 for 5 years.
• Benefit: includes Global Entry + dedicated lanes at U.S./Mexico border.
• Best for: southern California / Texas / Arizona residents driving to Mexico regularly.

Credit cards offering Global Entry / TSA PreCheck credit

Amex Platinum

$120 (or $100, depending on enrollment) statement credit for Global Entry every 4 years. Or $85 for TSA PreCheck (less common to use). Apply for Global Entry, pay $120 with the Amex Platinum, credit posts within 6 weeks.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

$100/$120 statement credit for Global Entry/PreCheck every 4 years. Same mechanic as Amex Platinum.

Capital One Venture X

$100/$120 statement credit for Global Entry/PreCheck every 4 years.

Amex Business Platinum

Same Global Entry/PreCheck credit as personal Platinum. Useful for business travelers.

BoA Premium Rewards Elite

Same TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit, with a $550 annual fee.

Amex Business Gold

Lower-tier card; offers Global Entry/PreCheck credit too.

Hilton Aspire

Includes the Global Entry/PreCheck credit at no extra marginal cost.

IHG One Rewards Premier

Smaller-fee Chase card ($99) that has occasionally offered Global Entry credit.

Atmos Reserve (formerly Wells Fargo Bilt) and others

Some travel cards include the credit. Verify in current card terms before applying.

How to redeem the credit

Step 1: apply for Global Entry online

• Go to ttp.cbp.dhs.gov.
• Create an account.
• Apply for Global Entry. Fill out background info.
• Pay the $120 application fee with the eligible credit card.

Step 2: wait for conditional approval

Application takes 4-6 months for most applicants. After background check, you receive "conditional approval" meaning you're cleared for the in-person interview.

Step 3: schedule the interview

Schedule at a Global Entry enrollment center. Major airports have these. Wait times for available appointments can be 2-4 months in busy areas.

Enrollment on Arrivaloption: many travelers with conditional approval can complete the interview when returning from an international trip, no separate appointment needed. Check the program's list of participating airports.

Step 4: complete the interview

• Bring passport and one form of ID with current address.
• Officer asks basic questions, fingerprints you.
• Approved on the spot if no issues.
• Get a Known Traveler Number (KTN). Save this, you'll need it for every flight.

Step 5: add KTN to airline profiles

Add your KTN to every airline you fly. Once entered, your boarding passes will show TSA PreCheck (a TSA logo). At airport security, follow PreCheck signs.

Card-credit mechanics

When the credit posts

After charging the $120 to the eligible card, the statement credit appears within 4-8 weeks. No additional action required.

Once every 4-5 years

The credit only triggers once every 4-5 years (depending on card). If you got the credit on Amex Platinum in 2024, you can't use it again on the same Platinum until ~2028.

Multiple cards = multiple credits

If you hold two cards with the credit (e.g., Amex Platinum + CSR), you can pay for two different family members' Global Entry applications and have both credited:

• Pay your spouse's $120 with Amex Platinum.
• Pay your kid's $120 with the CSR.
• Both credits post.

For families with 3-4 members, this is a way to get everyone's Global Entry covered for free over a 2-3 year span.

What it's actually like at the airport

PreCheck line vs regular

• Regular line at typical major airport: 15-45 minutes.
• PreCheck line: 5-15 minutes typically.
• PreCheck during peak times at busy airports: now sometimes 20+ minutes as more travelers have it.

PreCheck is increasingly crowded. Still beats regular but not the "walk straight through" it used to be.

CLEAR (separate program)

CLEAR ($200/year, separately) skips the line entirely at participating airports, biometric verification at a CLEAR kiosk, then escorted to the front of either the regular or PreCheck line.

Some cards (Amex Platinum, Hilton Aspire) include $200 CLEAR credit annually. For frequent travelers at busy airports, CLEAR + PreCheck is the fastest combination.

Global Entry at customs

Returning from international trip:

• Go straight to Global Entry kiosks (separate area).
• Scan passport, take photo. ~30 seconds.
• Print receipt; show at exit.
• Time saved: 15-60 minutes vs regular customs lines (especially after long international flights).

Common issues

Forgot to add KTN to a flight

Add it through the airline website or call customer service. If you check in less than 24 hours before flight, may not update in time, go to airline counter at airport.

KTN added but PreCheck not on boarding pass

Random TSA Pre-check selection algorithm. Even with KTN, you won't get PreCheck on every flight. ~95% hit rate.

Renewal time

90-180 days before expiration, renew online. Apply for the new credit-card credit cycle. Many cards now allow renewal at the credit-card credit period (every 4 years), not exactly every 5 years like the Global Entry membership.

Kids 12 and under

Travel free with PreCheck-approved adult parents. Don't need their own membership.

Kids and Global Entry

Children of any age need their own Global Entry membership. Apply separately. Kids' applications are also covered by the credit-card credit.

Recap

• Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. For international travelers, get Global Entry, not just PreCheck.
• Many premium travel cards offer $100-120 statement credit every 4-5 years for Global Entry/PreCheck.
• Cards with this credit: Amex Platinum, CSR, Venture X, Amex Business Platinum, Hilton Aspire, BoA Premium Rewards Elite.
• Hold multiple eligible cards = pay for multiple family members' applications, get each credit.
• Apply online → wait 4-6 months for conditional approval → schedule interview at enrollment center → get KTN → add to airline profiles.
• CLEAR ($200/year, sometimes credited) skips the line entirely at participating airports, best with PreCheck combined.
• Kids 12 and under don't need PreCheck; they need their own Global Entry.