CLEAR and TSA PreCheck are tools that expedite your preflight airport experience, allowing you to breeze through the check-in and security process. However, they’re not the same, though they are complementary to each other.
Frequent travelers may benefit from having both and can even get reimbursed for their enrollment fees by taking advantage of the perks that come with several premium travel credit cards.
| TSA PreCheck | CLEAR | |
|---|---|---|
| Regular application fee | $78 to $85 | $199 |
| Membership length | 5 years | 1 year |
| Total airports supported | 200+ airports and 90+ airlines | 55+ domestic airports |
| Do credit cards offer free enrollment | Yes, see below for a list of cards that offer this benefit | Yes, see below for a list of cards that offer this benefit |
| Used for venues other than airports | No | Yes |
| Adding family members | $0: Children 17 and under (when traveling with adult PreCheck holder)No special pricing for additional adults | $0: Children 17 and under$99: Adults (up to three) |
TSA PreCheck is a government-offered program that allows travelers a way to expedite the security process before flying. The TSA says that 99% of people get through security in under 10 minutes with PreCheck. You can go through security without removing outerwear like belts, shoes and jackets, and you also get to leave laptops and liquids inside your carry-on bags. With these special policies, the security screening process is sped up significantly, especially if you’re traveling with young children.
Applications are open to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents. Upon approval, you receive a Known Traveler Number. You can store this number in your frequent flyer account, or enter it when you make your airline reservation. Your boarding pass will have an indicator that designates you as a vetted traveler. With this, you’ll be able to go to a designated security lane at more than 200 domestic airports and 90 airlines that participate in the program.
You can get TSA PreCheck for free by signing up for the right credit card. More than 20 credit cards offer TSA PreCheck reimbursement as a benefit of card ownership, though you won’t find this benefit with a no-annual-fee card. However, with most premium credit cards, the annual fee is easily offset by travel perks, shopping credits and even airport lounge access.
Note that in most cases you’ll have to pay for your TSA PreCheck application with the specific credit card. And because your PreCheck membership lasts for five years, the credit is only available once every four or four and half years.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
The Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $695 | ||
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. | Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. | $695 | ||
Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card*
|
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases and purchases made directly with hotels. Earn 2X Miles at restaurants worldwide including takeout and delivery in the U.S., and at U.S. supermarkets and earn 1X Miles on all other eligible purchases. | Earn 60,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $350 | ||
Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card*
|
Earn 6X Marriott Bonvoy® points for each dollar of eligible purchases at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®. Earn 3X Marriott Bonvoy® points at restaurants worldwide and on flights booked directly with airlines and 2X Marriott Bonvoy® points on all other eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card. | Earn 95,000 Marriott Bonvoy® bonus points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership. | $650 | ||
Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card*
Learn More
on American Express's secure site |
Earn 3X Miles on Delta purchases. Earn 1X Mile on all other eligible purchases. | Earn 70,000 Bonus Miles after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $650 |
Learn More
on American Express's secure site |
|
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
 Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $550 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
United℠ Explorer Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
2x miles on United® purchases, dining, and hotel stays. 1x mile on all other purchases | Limited-time Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | $95 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
United Quest℠ Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
3x miles on United® purchases. 2x miles on dining, select streaming services & all other travel. 1x mile on all other purchases. Plus, each year, receive up to a $125 United® purchase credit and up to 10,000 miles in award flight credits (terms apply) and earn up to 6,000 Premier qualifying points. | Limited-time Offer: Earn 70,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months your account is open. | $250 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
United Club℠ Infinite Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
4x miles on United® purchases, 2x miles on all other travel and dining and 1x mile on all other purchases. | Limited-time Offer: Earn 90,000 bonus miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $525 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card*
|
Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases. | Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | $99 | ||
IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn up to 26 total points per $1 spent when you stay at an IHG hotel. Earn 5 points per $1 spent on purchases on travel, at gas stations, select advertising, and restaurants. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on all other purchases. | Earn 140,000 Bonus Points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | $99 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
Earn 4 points per $1 spent on Southwest® purchases. Earn 3 points per $1 spent on Rapid Rewards® hotel and car rental partners. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on local transit and commuting, including rideshare. Earn 2 points per $1 spent on social media and search engine advertising, internet, cable, and phone services. Earn 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. | Earn 80,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. | $199 |
Apply Now
on Chase's secure site |
|
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®*
|
Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible AAdvantage® mile earned from purchases | Earn 70,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first 3 months of account opening. | $595 | ||
PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card*
Learn More
on PenFed Credit Union's secure site |
4X points on all travel categories for PenFed Honors Advantage members, 3X points on all travel categories, 1.5X points on all other purchases | 50,000 bonus points when you spend $3,000 in the first 90 days | $95 |
Learn More
on PenFed Credit Union's secure site |
|
U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card*
Review Coming Soon
|
N/A | Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center. Earn 4X points on travel, gas stations, and EV charging stations. Earn 2X points at grocery stores, grocery delivery, dining and on streaming services. Plus, a $30 credit for annual streaming purchases like Netflix, Hulu, Spotify®, Apple Music, Disney+, HBO Max and more! | Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 in eligible purchases within the first 120 days of account opening. That's a $500 value redeemable towards travel, gift cards, cash back, merchandise and more. | $0 introductory annual fee for the first 12 months, after that $95. | Review Coming Soon |
U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card*
Learn More
on U.S. Bank's secure site |
Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels and car rentals booked directly in the Altitude Rewards Center, 3X points on eligible travel purchases and mobile wallet spending on Apple Pay®, Google Pay™ and Samsung Pay; 1X point on all other eligible purchases | 50,000 points when you spend $4,500 in the first 90 days of account opening. | $400 |
Learn More
on U.S. Bank's secure site |
Additional cards that offer free TSA PreCheck:
| Issuer | Cards |
|---|---|
| Bank of America | |
| Capital One |
Applying for TSA PreCheck is simple and can be done mostly online. You can choose from two enrollment providers: Telos® or Idemia. Telos® costs $85 to apply and is offered at 26 locations and Idemia costs $78 and has more than 620 locations. Generally your credit card reimbursement will cover either provider.
CLEAR Plus is a privately run trusted traveler program that offers a faster alternative to waiting in line for the identification portion of the security process at airports.
After checking in with the airline, CLEAR Plus members go to a CLEAR Pod, where biometric technology is used to verify your ID and boarding pass with just your eyes or fingerprints. Once verified, you proceed to the security line.
If you are enrolled in TSA PreCheck, you’ll head to the front of the PreCheck line where you’ll enjoy a speedier security screening. If you don’t have TSA PreCheck, you’ll go straight to TSA security screening. You’ll need to remove items from your carry-on, take off your shoes and walk through the metal detector.
Frequent travelers may find that it makes sense to enroll in both CLEAR Plus and TSA PreCheck to save time and potential frustration that often comes with going through security checkpoints.
CLEAR members also enjoy benefits with Avis car rental. You can get faster verification at more than 50 Avis airport locations and discounts up to 35%. You may also receive complimentary upgrades (when available) and earn bonus Avis Preferred Points on every dollar spent.
A drawback of CLEAR Plus is that it’s not in all airports — currently there are just over 50 participating airports. You can look here to see if your preferred and most frequented airports are on the list.
You can apply for a CLEAR Plus membership at the airport in a matter of minutes (for convenience, you can start the process online). However, you’ll need to do your biometric scans at a CLEAR airport location with your government-issued ID.
Once your biometrics are scanned, you are finished and can begin using CLEAR.
Alternatively, you can show up at a CLEAR Pod at a partner airport and go through the application process before your flight.
CLEAR Plus is available to U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents 18 and older, and you can apply for CLEAR online or in person at an airport. You will need a valid form of government-issued identification which includes:
All forms of identification must have a photo and be valid, unexpired and not amended.
You can get a free CLEAR Plus membership if you have a credit card that offers it as a cardholder benefit. Generally, you’ll need to pay your CLEAR Plus fees with the card in order to receive the statement credit.
| Credit Cards | Our Ratings | Rewards Rate | Welcome Offer | Annual Fee | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
The Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year and 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel. Terms apply. | Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $695 | ||
American Express® Green Card*
|
Earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the US. Also earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on travel including airfare, hotels, cruises, tours, car rentals, campgrounds, and vacation rentals. Additionally, earn 3X Membership Rewards® Points on transit purchases including trains, taxicabs, rideshare services, ferries, tolls, parking, buses, and subways and 1X points on other Purchases. | Earn 40,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $150 | ||
|
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express*
|
5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases. Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more, on up to $2 million per Card Account per calendar year. Purchases eligible for multiple additional point bonuses will only receive the highest eligible bonus. | Earn 150,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. | $695 | ||
Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express*
|
14X points on eligible purchases at hotels or resorts in the Hilton Portfolio, 7X points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants and 3X points on other purchases | Earn 175,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership. | $550 | ||
Centurion® Card from American Express*
|
N/A | N/A | $5,000 |
There are also a few airline loyalty programs that offer free or reduced prices on CLEAR Plus and military members may be eligible for discounts, too.
| Loyalty program | Tier | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Delta SkyMiles |
| $0 |
| $149 | |
| $179 | |
| United Mileage Plus |
| $0 |
| $149 | |
| $149 | |
| $179 | |
| Alaska Airlines |
| $179 (plus 1,500 miles for enrolling in CLEAR Plus for the first time and 1,250 miles at renewal) |
Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are separate programs offered through U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The main difference is that Global Entry offers expedited entry back into the United States when you have been abroad, while TSA PreCheck is for travel departures within the United States.
Note that enrollment in Global Entry comes with TSA PreCheck at no additional cost. If you travel internationally even once or twice a year, it’s well worth your time to spend a little bit more for Global Entry. On your departing international flight, you can speed through security with TSA PreCheck and then upon arrival back in the United States, Global Entry allows you to skip long waits in the customs line.
No, CLEAR Plus and TSA PreCheck aren’t the same. CLEAR Plus helps you skip the security line and go straight to TSA screening, while TSA PreCheck helps you go faster through TSA screening.
No, children 17 and under do not need their own CLEAR or TSA PreCheck accounts when traveling with an enrolled parent or guardian.
For the most current regulations and guidelines for less common travel situations, visit the TSA PreCheck and CLEAR websites.
Yes, CLEAR Plus or TSA PreCheck applications are open to United States legal permanent residents who have U.S.-issued identification, such as a U.S. driver’s license or a U.S. state-issued ID.
Applicants of any nationality must have the required photo identification and pass security screenings.
The information related to the The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®, PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card, American Express® Green Card, Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express, Centurion® Card from American Express, Discover it® Cash Back and Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card has been collected by LendingTree and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this card prior to publication. Terms apply.
The content above is not provided by any issuer. Any opinions expressed are those of LendingTree alone and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any issuer. The offers and/or promotions mentioned above may have changed, expired, or are no longer available. Check the issuer's website for more details.
