TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS or CLEAR: which one should you get?
Independent site, not a government service. Apply and pay only on tsa.gov provider sites (.gov) or ttp.dhs.gov.
Tell us how you fly: the tool picks the program and gives what it costs you per year and per trip.
Which one should I get?
Best fit for the way you fly
Global Entry
| Cost per year, after card credits | $24 |
| Per round trip | $4.80 |
- You fly back from abroad 1 time a year: Global Entry covers customs on the way in and includes TSA PreCheck on the way out.
- Over five years the gap with the cheapest PreCheck is 40.25 dollars at enrollment.
| Program | 5 years, you pay | Gives |
|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | $79.75 | faster US security lane |
| Global Entry | $120 | customs kiosks on return + PreCheck |
| NEXUS | $120 | Canada and US lanes + kiosks + PreCheck |
| SENTRI | $120 | Mexico land lanes + PreCheck |
| CLEAR+ | $1,095 | skips the ID check line only |
Fees read on tsa.gov, cbp.gov and CLEAR’s price page. You apply only on the official sites: this page is not TSA, CBP or CLEAR.
TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and CLEAR+ answer three different lines at the airport. PreCheck shortens the security screening when you leave a US airport: you keep your shoes, belt, light jacket, laptop and liquids, and TSA says about 99% of PreCheck passengers wait less than 10 minutes. It costs $79.75 with IDEMIA, $84.95 with CLEAR and $85 with Telos for five years. Global Entry speeds up customs when you fly back into the country and includes PreCheck, for $120 over five years. NEXUS does the same for the Canadian border and adds Canada's own lanes, and SENTRI covers land crossings from Mexico, both at $120. CLEAR+, a private company, only replaces the ID check, for $219 a year. For most travelers who leave the country even once a year and hold a passport, Global Entry is the better buy; a card that refunds $120 makes it free.
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Five programs, three lines at the airport
The first line is security, run by TSA, when you leave from a US airport: PreCheck makes it shorter and lighter. The second is customs and immigration, run by CBP, when you come back from abroad: Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI make it a kiosk or a dedicated lane. The third is the identity check at the start of the security line, where CLEAR+ members use a pod or an eGate instead of handing over an ID. The CBP programs include PreCheck; nothing includes CLEAR.
| Program | Fee | Lasts | What you get | Who can apply | Interview |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | $79.75–$85 | 5 years | Security lane in US airports | US citizens, US nationals, permanent residents | about 10 minutes in person, no interview |
| Global Entry | $120 | 5 years | Customs kiosks on return + PreCheck | US citizens and residents, Mexican nationals, partner countries | CBP interview (center or on arrival) |
| NEXUS | $120 | 5 years | Canada and US lanes, kiosks + PreCheck | US and Canadian citizens and residents | US and Canadian officers |
| SENTRI | $120 | 5 years | Mexico land lanes + PreCheck | any nationality | CBP interview, vehicle check |
| CLEAR+ | $219 a year | yearly | Skips the ID check line | set by the company | enroll at a CLEAR airport |
Eligibility decides before price does. PreCheck is open only to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents. Global Entry adds Mexican nationals and the citizens of 22 partner countries, from Argentina to the United Kingdom, each with checks by their own government. NEXUS takes US and Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and SENTRI has no citizenship requirement at all. A Canadian citizen therefore gets PreCheck only through NEXUS.
What it really costs over five and ten years
Sticker prices hide three things: the renewal, which for PreCheck is cheaper than the first enrollment; the card credit, which many travel cards pay once every four years; and the family, since children under 18 pay nothing for Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI when a parent is a member, and need no PreCheck of their own when they fly with you. The calculator adds all three. Two numbers frame most decisions: Global Entry costs $40.25 more than the cheapest PreCheck at enrollment and $61.25 more at renewal, and CLEAR+ costs $1,095 over five years for one person.
Real cost over five and ten years
You pay over five years
$120
| Over ten years | $240 |
| Per year | $24 |
| Application fee | $120 |
| Renewal fee | $120 |
The fee is charged when you apply and is not refunded if the application is denied. Ten years = enrollment plus one renewal at year five; a card credit counts when its period has passed since the last one.
A card credit only works if the fee is charged to that card, and only once per period: if your card already paid for a family member's application two years ago, yours waits. The card credits page gives the amounts five issuers publish and what each leaves you to pay.
TSA PreCheck fees by provider, 2026
Three companies enroll travelers for TSA: IDEMIA, Telos and CLEAR. They sell the same five-year membership and the same Known Traveler Number format, with their own prefix. Prices differ, and the cheapest company for a first enrollment is not the cheapest at renewal, because each sets online and in-person prices separately.
| Provider | Enrollment | Renewal online | Renewal in person | Locations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| IDEMIA | $79.75 | $58.75 | $66.75 | 529 |
| Telos | $85 | $69.95 | $58.75 | 512 |
| CLEAR | $84.95 | $72.95 | $84.95 | 348 |
Renewing online with IDEMIA or in person with Telos is the cheapest route at $58.75. CLEAR's enrollment comes with a one-time code that lowers the first CLEAR+ year to $134, which only matters if you wanted CLEAR+ anyway. The full comparison is on the PreCheck cost page.
Renew on a .gov site, never through a paid helper
Searching for a renewal brings up sites that look official, ask for your Known Traveler Number and passport details, and charge a fee to "process" the renewal on top of the real price. TSA's position is plain: a website to register for PreCheck whose address does not end in .gov is not an official TSA PreCheck website, and TSA does not refund money paid to such sites. The official provider sites are tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov, tsaprecheckbytelos.tsa.dhs.gov, tsaprecheckbyclear.tsa.dhs.gov; Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI renew on ttp.dhs.gov only. If you paid a fake site, report it to your bank and on <a href="https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">ReportFraud.ftc.gov</a>.
Renewal dates and a reminder for your calendar
TSA PreCheck: online renewal opens
April 28, 2027
| TSA PreCheck: renew by this date | August 29, 2027 |
| TSA PreCheck membership expires | October 28, 2027 |
Next: tsa precheck: online renewal opens in 182 days.
TSA: online renewal is possible up to 6 months before expiry, and the new five years start when the current ones end. Renew only on a site ending in .gov (IDEMIA, Telos or CLEAR).
Interviews: where and how long
PreCheck has no interview, only a visit of about 10 minutes for fingerprints, photo and documents. Global Entry has a CBP interview after conditional approval: at an enrollment center, or on arrival from abroad at one of the airports CBP lists for Enrollment on Arrival, with no appointment. A renewal may be done by video in CBP's remote interview pilot. The interview page covers the questions and the documents, and the Enrollment on Arrival page lists the airports.
Every page of the site
Compare
- PreCheck vs Global EntryWhat each one covers, the fee gap over five and ten years, who can apply and when Global Entry is the better buy.
- CLEAR vs PreCheckCLEAR+ skips the ID check, PreCheck lightens the screening: what each does, the cost per flight, and when both together make sense.
- NEXUS vs Global EntrySame $120 fee, five years each: what NEXUS adds at the Canadian border, who can apply, the two-country interview and the new deadline.
- SENTRI vs Global EntryCrossing from Mexico by car: SENTRI or Global Entry, the $120 fee of each, the vehicle registration, and who can join which.
- Global Entry for non-US citizensGreen card holders, Mexican nationals, the partner countries CBP lists, Canadians and everyone else: which program each can join.
Costs
- TSA PreCheck costEnrollment and renewal price of IDEMIA, Telos and CLEAR, the cheapest route over ten years, card credits and the cases where it is free.
- Global Entry costThe $120 fee for five years, what changed in October 2024, children at no fee, the card and its extras, and who pays nothing.
- Cost over 5 and 10 yearsOne tool for every program: enrollment, renewal, family members and card credits added up over five and ten years.
- Cards that pay for Global EntryStatement credits for Global Entry, PreCheck and CLEAR+: the amounts five issuers publish, how often, and what is left to pay.
Apply
- Enrollment checklistStep by step for PreCheck, Global Entry and NEXUS: documents to bring, where to apply, and what to do once approved.
- Global Entry interviewWhen you can book it, the three ways to do it, the documents to bring, what the officer checks and what follows.
- Enrollment on Arrival airportsEvery airport where CBP lists Enrollment on Arrival, by state and country, who can use it and the papers to carry.
- Global Entry processing timeWhat CBP publishes on review times, the dates it gives for your own application, and what you can and cannot do to speed it up.
- PreCheck approval timeHow long TSA says the Known Traveler Number takes after the visit, what slows it, renewals and name changes.
- Denied or revokedWhy CBP or TSA says no, how to ask for reconsideration, what DHS TRIP is for and what the Redress number does.
Renew
- TSA PreCheck renewalWhen the online renewal opens, the price by provider and channel, the reminder file for your calendar, and the fake renewal sites.
- Global Entry renewalThe one-year window, the 24 months of benefits while CBP reviews, the remote interview, the fee and a calendar file.
- Known Traveler NumberWhat your KTN looks like by program, where to find it, how to enter it, and why the PreCheck indicator sometimes does not show.
At the airport
- TSA wait timesWhat TSA and CBP actually publish on waits, how busy checkpoints were on any date, and the busiest days and weekdays.
- PreCheck for kids and familiesThe three age rules for children in the PreCheck lane, the booking trick for teenagers, and what Global Entry and CLEAR+ charge for kids.
- Military TSA PreCheckFree with a DoD ID for service members, the spouse discount, survivor families, disabled veterans, and what retirees pay.
How this site works
Fees, durations and rules come from one data file, read on the TSA, CBP, CBSA and DHS pages, CLEAR's price page and the issuers' benefit pages, each with its date. The tools run in your browser: nothing you type is sent or stored. The site takes no application, sells nothing and earns no commission. The method page explains each calculation.
Sources
The rules, fees and times quoted here were read on these official pages onOctober 26, 2026.
- TSA: TSA PreCheck (enrollment providers, fees, number of locations)
- TSA: TSA PreCheck renewals (renewal fees by provider, online and in person)
- TSA: TSA PreCheck frequently asked questions (renewal window, approval time, KTN format, scams)
- CBP: Eligibility for Global Entry (countries, minors, fee)
- CBP: How to apply for Global Entry (processing time, interview documents)
- CBP: Trusted Traveler Programs fee changes (release of April 2, 2024, in force October 1, 2024)
- Canada Border Services Agency: NEXUS (fee, children, interview deadlines)
- CBP: SENTRI eligibility
- CLEAR: CLEAR+ membership price, family members, children (company page)
Questions travelers ask
Is Global Entry worth it if I only fly abroad once or twice a year?
Usually yes, if you hold a passport. Global Entry costs $120 for five years and includes TSA PreCheck, while PreCheck alone starts at $79.75. The difference is $40.25 over five years, less than the cost of one long line at customs for many travelers. TSA itself points to Global Entry from four trips abroad a year, but that advice predates most card credits.
Do I need both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry?
No. Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI members get TSA PreCheck by entering their nine-digit PASS ID as Known Traveler Number. Buying PreCheck as well only makes sense in one case: you need the faster security lane now and cannot reach a Global Entry interview soon. Two memberships mean two renewals to track and two Known Traveler Numbers to keep apart.
Does CLEAR replace TSA PreCheck?
No. CLEAR+ checks your identity with your face or fingerprints and walks you past the ID line, at $219 a year. You then go through the screening lane your boarding pass allows. Without PreCheck that is the standard lane, shoes and laptop out. With both, you skip the ID line and get the lighter screening. CLEAR does not replace Global Entry at customs either.
Which credit cards pay for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck?
TSA lists 40 credit cards that give a statement credit toward the PreCheck fee, with any of its three providers, and most of them also cover Global Entry. The credit is usually up to $120 once every four years, charged to the card. Some cards cover only $100, which leaves part of the Global Entry fee to pay. Check your own card's benefit page before you apply.
When should I renew TSA PreCheck or Global Entry?
As early as the window allows, since the new term starts when the old one ends. PreCheck renews online from 6 months before expiry, and TSA advises finishing 60 days before it. Global Entry renews from 12 months before; filed before expiry, it keeps your benefits up to 24 months while CBP reviews. The renewal planner above puts both dates in your calendar.
Is this site part of TSA, CBP or CLEAR?
No. It is an independent site published by Radif Partners. It takes no application, no payment and no personal data. You apply for PreCheck only on the provider sites listed on tsa.gov, whose addresses end in .gov, and for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI only on ttp.dhs.gov. Sites that charge extra to renew for you are not official.
Written by Radif Partners
Independent publisher of a free chooser and cost calculator for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, CLEAR and NEXUS, built from the TSA and CBP fee pages
Fees and rules checked on · Editorial policy · Contact
Trusted traveler fees 2026, read on the TSA, CBP and CBSA pages, last checked on