How to Get TSA PreCheck + Global Entry for Free

Paying $100 for Global Entry is optional. Here are four ways to get TSA PreCheck and Global Entry completely free using credit card benefits you might already have — or should get anyway for travel.

What Is the Difference?

TSA PreCheck: Expedited security at 200+ US airports. Dedicated lane, no laptop removal, no shoe removal, no liquids out. Costs $78 for 5 years. Domestic flights only.

Global Entry: Includes TSA PreCheck PLUS expedited customs re-entry when returning to the USA from international flights. Automated kiosks bypass the immigration line. Costs $100 for 5 years. Worth every dollar — unless you get it free.

Our recommendation: Always get Global Entry. It includes TSA PreCheck automatically. The extra $22 over PreCheck alone is worth it for anyone traveling internationally even once.

Method 1: Amex Platinum — $100 Credit Every 4 Years

The American Express Platinum card provides a $100 statement credit for your Global Entry application fee. This credit resets every 4.5 years, conveniently timing with the 5-year renewal cycle.

How to claim: Apply for Global Entry at the CBP Trusted Traveler Programs website, pay the $100 fee with your Amex Platinum, and the statement credit appears automatically within 2–3 billing cycles.

Important: This also works for Global Entry renewals. Even if you already have Global Entry, you can use the credit when you renew.

The Amex Platinum annual fee is $695, but when you factor in the $200 airline fee credit, $200 hotel credit, $189 CLEAR credit, and $240 digital entertainment credit, the effective cost is significantly lower — and it is one of our top recommended cards anyway.

Method 2: Chase Sapphire Reserve — $100 Credit Every 4 Years

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the identical $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck credit. Same rules apply: pay with your Reserve card, credit appears automatically.

The Reserve costs $550/year but comes with a $300 annual travel credit (applies to virtually any travel purchase automatically). Effective annual fee: $250 before any other benefits.

Bonus: You can apply this credit for someone else. Pay your travel companion's Global Entry application with your card and get the credit. This is completely within the card terms.

Method 3: Capital One Venture X — $100 Credit Every 4 Years

Capital One Venture X offers the same benefit. Annual fee is $395, with a $300 annual travel credit and 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, making the effective cost essentially break-even or slightly positive before any spending.

If you have this card, use it for Global Entry. Simple as that.

Method 4: Many Other Cards Offer This Benefit

Cards with the $100 Global Entry/PreCheck credit include:

If you have any premium travel card, check your benefits portal. The credit is often there and people simply do not know about it.

How to Actually Apply for Global Entry

Step 1: Go to ttp.cbp.dhs.gov and create a Trusted Traveler Programs account.

Step 2: Complete the online application (background history, travel history, employment). Takes 20–30 minutes.

Step 3: Pay the $100 fee with your eligible credit card.

Step 4: Wait for conditional approval (typically 1–6 weeks). You will receive an email.

Step 5: Schedule an in-person interview at a Global Entry Enrollment Center. Located at major airports and some CBP offices. Many airports now offer "Enrollment on Arrival" — you complete the interview when returning from your first international trip. This eliminates scheduling wait times.

Processing time: Currently 1–4 weeks for conditional approval, then interview scheduling. Plan 2–4 months before a major trip. Do not apply the week before you travel.

TSA PreCheck vs. Clear — What Is the Difference?

CLEAR is a separate service (not a government program). It uses biometrics (iris scan or fingerprint) to verify your identity at the CLEAR line, then sends you to the TSA PreCheck or standard security lane. CLEAR does not replace TSA PreCheck — it just skips the ID check portion.

Cost: $189/year. The Amex Platinum includes a $189 CLEAR credit annually.

Worth it?: At busy airports (LAX, JFK, SFO, Atlanta, Denver), CLEAR plus PreCheck means you go from curb to gate in under 15 minutes. At smaller airports where PreCheck lines are already fast, CLEAR adds minimal value.

Bottom line: If you have the Amex Platinum, the CLEAR credit makes it free. Use it.

The TSA PreCheck — Do You Still Need It With Global Entry?

No. Global Entry membership automatically includes TSA PreCheck. When you get your Known Traveler Number (KTN) from your Global Entry approval, enter it into airline reservation profiles and it triggers the PreCheck designation on your boarding pass.

One fee. Both benefits. Always get Global Entry.

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