TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry vs CLEAR — which one you actually need

The security snake at ATL's south checkpoint on a Monday morning wraps almost to the escalators. The PreCheck lane, three rows over, has maybe twelve people in it. The CLEAR podium next to it sits empty. Same terminal, same flight, three totally different experiences. Callers ask us all the time which of these programs is worth paying for, and the honest answer depends on where you fly, how often, and whether you ever leave the country.

Let's pull them apart, because they get lumped together constantly and they aren't the same product.

What each program is, in one line

TSA PreCheck is run by the TSA. You keep your shoes, belt, and light jacket on. Laptops and liquids stay in the bag. Currently around $78 for five years, and once approved you get a Known Traveler Number (KTN) that goes into your booking on Delta, American, United, Alaska, JetBlue, and most other carriers.

Global Entry is run by CBP, not TSA. It's the re-entry program for coming back into the US from abroad. You use a kiosk (or the CBP One app at some airports) instead of standing in the immigration hall. Currently around $120 for five years. What most people miss is that Global Entry includes PreCheck, so you don't need to buy both.

CLEAR is a private company. It uses your fingerprints or eye scan to verify you at a podium and then walks you to the front of the physical security line. It doesn't change how you get screened. If you have PreCheck, CLEAR delivers you to the PreCheck lane faster. If you don't, it delivers you to the regular lane faster. Currently around $199 a year, with discounts if your airline status kicks in or if a card reimburses you.

Why PreCheck is the baseline for almost everyone

For most US flyers, PreCheck is the best $78 you'll spend on travel over the next five years. That works out to about $15.60 a year, and the security experience changes completely. Sneakers stay on and the MacBook stays zipped. You skip the water-bottle shuffle at the bin table.

Small things. Every trip.

Kids under 12 come through the PreCheck lane with you at no extra cost, which is huge for family travel through hubs like MSP or DTW where the standard line can eat forty-five minutes on a Sunday afternoon.

The catch is that PreCheck only works when the airline has your KTN on the reservation before check-in. If you book through a third party and forget to add it, you won't see the little "TSA PRE" mark on your boarding pass. Adding it after the fact usually works on Delta by editing the passenger info in the Fly Delta app, but for connecting itineraries with partner airlines the KTN has to propagate through all segments. We get calls about this constantly, especially after codeshare bookings on transatlantic partners.

Global Entry is a stealth upgrade for international travelers

If you take even one international trip a year and want to skip the immigration line at JFK, MIA, or LAX, Global Entry is the better buy. You're paying an extra $42 over five years compared to PreCheck alone, and you're getting the domestic screening benefit plus the re-entry lane.

The problem is availability. Global Entry interview appointments have been a nightmare for the last few years. Some enrollment centers are booked out six or eight months. Enrollment on Arrival, where you do your interview when you land back in the US after an international trip, is the workaround most of our callers end up using. You get conditionally approved, book any international ticket you're already taking, and the CBP officer processes your interview on the jet bridge or in the arrivals hall.

Once you're in, renewal is easier than the first go. Most renewals move through without another in-person interview.

CLEAR is the one people argue about

CLEAR at $199 a year is polarizing because its value depends entirely on which airports you use. At ATL, LAX, JFK, DEN, and SEA during peak hours, CLEAR can save you real time by bypassing the ID-check line and dropping you straight at the metal detector. At a smaller airport like RDU or BUF at 6 a.m., the PreCheck line already has three people in it and CLEAR does nothing for you.

Worth flagging that CLEAR does not replace TSA screening. You still walk through the checkpoint, still go through the scanner. The pitch is that CLEAR gets you to the scanner faster, and if you're stacked with PreCheck you barely break stride.

Where CLEAR earns its keep for a lot of our callers is the Delta relationship. Delta SkyMiles members get discounted CLEAR pricing (currently around $149 at Silver Medallion and up, with free memberships at higher status tiers). If you're already SkyMiles Platinum or Diamond, CLEAR is basically free.

Credit cards will reimburse most of this

Before you pay out of pocket for any of these programs, check whether a card in your wallet already covers it.

• The Amex Platinum reimburses Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every four years, and includes an annual CLEAR Plus credit.
• Chase Sapphire Reserve reimburses Global Entry or PreCheck every four years.
• The Delta SkyMiles Reserve Amex covers the same trusted-traveler credit and layers on Sky Club access, which pairs nicely with the CLEAR discount if you're already a SkyMiles member.

If a household has one Amex Platinum and one Sapphire Reserve, two people can get Global Entry effectively free. We tell callers to always run through the credit-card statement credits before charging any of these programs to a debit card.

Which one fits how you travel

If you fly domestically two or three times a year through mid-sized airports, PreCheck alone is enough. Buy it, put your KTN on every reservation, and don't overthink it.

If you fly internationally once a year or more, skip straight to Global Entry. You get PreCheck bundled, and the re-entry lane at LAX or JFK saves you an hour on a bad night when three widebodies land together and the immigration hall is standing room only.

If you fly weekly through ATL, LAX, JFK, DEN, or SEA, and your PreCheck line still backs up at peak hours, CLEAR on top of Global Entry is the full stack. Especially if you have Delta status and CLEAR is discounted or included.

If your travel is mostly regional short-hauls out of quiet airports, CLEAR is money spent on a problem you don't have.

A note on the application itself

All three start online. PreCheck and Global Entry go through the TSA/CBP Trusted Traveler Program site at ttp.dhs.gov. CLEAR you enroll at the airport podium or online, and then complete the biometric capture in person on your next trip. Budget an hour for the PreCheck interview and roughly the same for Global Entry, though the actual conversation with the officer is usually five minutes of paperwork.

Bring your passport, a second ID, and proof of address to the interview. If you don't have a passport yet, you can still apply for PreCheck with a driver's license and a birth certificate, but Global Entry effectively requires the passport as a citizenship document.

This guide is written by Travel Support, an independent third-party helpline. We are not affiliated with Delta Air Lines. Policies and rules described are subject to change; consult delta.com and official government sources for definitive information.