Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck and costs just $35 more — but it isn't automatically the right pick for everyone. Processing times, enrollment interviews, home-airport coverage, and which credit cards reimburse the fee all matter. Answer five quick questions in the tool below for a personalized recommendation, then compare all four trusted traveler programs side by side.
Fly internationally at least once every few years? Get Global Entry — it includes PreCheck and dozens of premium cards reimburse the fee. Domestic-only flyer? TSA PreCheck alone is cheaper and the application is faster, often with no interview. CLEAR is a supplement, not a replacement — it skips the ID-check line but not screening, and at $209/year it only makes sense free-via-card or at chronically busy airports. Cross the Canadian border regularly? NEXUS covers Canada, Global Entry, and PreCheck for the same $120.
Dozens, including Chase Sapphire Reserve, Amex Platinum, Capital One Venture and Venture X, and many airline cards — typically a statement credit once every four years. Amex Platinum also covers CLEAR ($209/year).
Conditional approval commonly takes weeks to several months, and you'll need an interview (Enrollment on Arrival at many airports removes the scheduling headache). PreCheck is usually much faster.
Kids 17 and under ride free in the PreCheck lane with an enrolled parent. Global Entry requires every traveler, including children, to have their own membership.
Check live TSA wait times at your airport, and see which premium card gets you into lounges with the Lounge Access Checker.