What Is the Difference Between TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR?

What is the difference between TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and CLEAR?

The three programs speed up different parts of the airport, which is the key to telling them apart. TSA PreCheck gives you faster security screening when departing from US airports. Global Entry gives you faster customs and immigration when arriving in the US from abroad, and it automatically includes TSA PreCheck. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Global Entry is a trusted traveler program run by CBP, while PreCheck is run by the TSA; both are government programs. CLEAR, by contrast, is a private, paid service that speeds up only the identity-verification line at security, not the screening itself. So PreCheck handles departure security, Global Entry handles international arrival, and CLEAR handles the ID check, and because Global Entry bundles in PreCheck, it is often the best overall value.

What is TSA PreCheck?

TSA PreCheck is a US government trusted traveler program, run by the Transportation Security Administration, that provides expedited security screening at participating US airports when you depart. Members use a dedicated PreCheck lane and enjoy a lighter screening process, typically keeping their shoes, belt, and light jacket on and leaving laptops and compliant liquids in their bags, which speeds things up considerably. It costs roughly $78 for a five-year membership, with online renewals a bit cheaper, and you apply online, then visit an enrollment center for a short appointment with fingerprints and a photo. PreCheck applies to domestic departures and to US-airport departures generally, and once approved you receive a Known Traveler Number to add to your reservations. It is ideal for travelers who mostly fly domestically and want faster security.

What is Global Entry?

Global Entry is a US government trusted traveler program run by Customs and Border Protection that provides expedited customs and immigration processing when you arrive in the United States from an international trip, letting you skip the regular lines using dedicated kiosks or processing. Crucially, Global Entry also automatically includes TSA PreCheck, so it covers both faster international arrival and faster domestic departure security in one membership. It costs $120 for five years, requires a valid passport, a background check, and an in-person interview, and once approved you use it on return from abroad. Because it bundles PreCheck for only a modest amount more than PreCheck alone, Global Entry is usually the smarter buy for anyone who travels internationally even occasionally, paying for itself the first time you bypass a long immigration line.

What is CLEAR, and which should you choose?

CLEAR, or CLEAR Plus, is a private, subscription service, not a government program, that uses your biometrics, such as your eyes or fingerprints, to verify your identity at a kiosk and then escorts you past the document-check line to physical screening. Importantly, it does not change the actual security screening; you still go through the same X-ray and body check, so CLEAR only removes the ID-verification wait, and it costs around $209 per year, far more than the government programs. To choose: if you fly mostly domestically, get TSA PreCheck; if you travel internationally even once in a while, get Global Entry, since it includes PreCheck; and consider adding CLEAR only if you frequently fly from busy airports where it operates and want to skip the ID line, especially if a credit card covers it. Many travel credit cards reimburse these fees.