TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry vs CLEAR+: from $16 a year to $219 before holiday flights

TSA PreCheck costs from $79.75 for five years, or about $16 a year. Global Entry is $120 for five years and includes PreCheck. CLEAR+ is $219 a year. With Thanksgiving on November 26 and holiday flights after it, here's what each program costs, what it actually gets you, and which one is worth paying for.

Fees and rules below are from the TSA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and CLEAR's own pages, checked on November 8, 2026.

At a glance

TSA PreCheck: the cheapest upgrade

PreCheck is run by the TSA and lets you go through a separate security lane where you keep your shoes, belt and light jacket on, and leave electronics and 3-1-1 liquids in your bag. The TSA says about 99% of PreCheck passengers wait less than 10 minutes.

You enroll through one of three providers, and the price depends on which one you use:

• IDEMIA: $79.75 to enroll. Renewal is $58.75 online or $66.75 in person.
• CLEAR: $84.95 to enroll. Renewal is $72.95 online or $84.95 in person, or free with a CLEAR+ membership.
• Telos: $85 to enroll. Renewal is $69.95 online or $58.75 in person.

Membership lasts five years. You fill in an application, then visit an enrollment center, where your ID is checked and your fingerprints and photo are taken. The TSA says you can walk in without an appointment. Most people get their Known Traveler Number (KTN) in 3 to 5 days, but some applications take up to 60 days. Add the KTN to your airline booking so the PreCheck indicator shows on your boarding pass.

Kids are covered for free. Children 12 and under can go through the PreCheck lane with you without their own indicator. Teens aged 13 to 17 can join you only if they're on the same reservation and the PreCheck indicator appears on their boarding pass.

Global Entry: PreCheck plus faster customs

Global Entry is a CBP program that gives pre-approved travelers faster clearance when they arrive in the U.S. from abroad. The application fee is $120, and membership lasts five years. TSA PreCheck is included, so you get both for $40.25 more than the cheapest PreCheck enrollment.

It takes longer to get. CBP says most applications are reviewed within about two weeks, though some take longer, and an in-person interview is required for first-time enrollment. You can also do the interview without an appointment when you land from an international trip, through CBP's Enrollment on Arrival.

Children need their own Global Entry membership, but CBP says minors are free with a parent who's already in or applying for Global Entry.

CLEAR+: a private, yearly membership

CLEAR+ is a paid membership from a private company, not a government program. It gives you a dedicated CLEAR+ lane at the checkpoint, where a CLEAR pod or eGate confirms your identity and you then head to bag screening. CLEAR says it has more than 150 CLEAR+ lanes across 63 airports.

It costs $219 a year. You can add up to three adults for $125 each, and kids 17 and under can join you free. Pair it with PreCheck and you can use the CLEAR+ with TSA PreCheck lane where there is one. CLEAR+ members also get PreCheck renewals through CLEAR at no extra charge.

Worked example: a family of four over five years

Take two parents and two children, aged 9 and 14, who fly a few times a year. Here's what each option costs for the household over five years, at today's prices.

• PreCheck for both parents through IDEMIA: 2 × $79.75 = $159.50, or $31.90 a year. Both kids can use the lane: the 9-year-old automatically, and the 14-year-old when booked on the same reservation.
• Global Entry for both parents: 2 × $120 = $240, or $48 a year. The kids can apply free alongside them and get their own memberships.
• CLEAR+ for both parents: $219 + $125 = $344 a year, or $1,720 over five years. Add PreCheck for both and it's $1,879.50.

If the family takes three round trips a year, that's six airport security checks. PreCheck works out at about $5.32 per check for the whole family, and Global Entry at $8. CLEAR+ with PreCheck is about $62.65 per check.

Is there time before Thanksgiving?

For PreCheck, probably. If you enroll this week and get your KTN in the typical 3 to 5 days, you'll have it well before November 26. Some applications take up to 60 days, though, so don't count on it for a trip this month, and add your KTN to your booking as soon as it arrives.

Global Entry is less certain, because of the background check and interview. If you're traveling internationally over the holidays, apply now and use Enrollment on Arrival if your interview isn't booked before you leave.

Flying for Thanksgiving? Our guides cover flying versus driving this year and your right to a cash refund if your flight is canceled.

Where the others have the edge

• Global Entry is the better buy for anyone who travels abroad even once in five years. It costs $35 to $40.25 more than PreCheck alone, and you get both.
• PreCheck is quicker to get, with no interview and walk-in enrollment, and it's the cheapest if you only fly within the U.S.
• CLEAR+ can save time at busy airports where it has lanes, and it covers your kids free. For frequent flyers whose time is worth more than $219 a year, it can make sense alongside PreCheck, not instead of it.

Our verdict

For most families, Global Entry at $120 is the best value: $24 a year buys you PreCheck plus faster customs, and kids are free with a parent. If you never leave the country, or you need it quickly, PreCheck from $79.75 through IDEMIA is the cheapest way to skip the shoes-off line. CLEAR+ is a luxury: at $219 a year, it costs more than five years of Global Entry, so it's only worth it if you fly often from one of its 63 airports.

FAQs

Do I need PreCheck if I have Global Entry? No. Global Entry members get TSA PreCheck benefits as part of their membership. The TSA says your CBP PASS ID number is your Known Traveler Number, so add it when you book.

Does CLEAR+ replace PreCheck? No. CLEAR checks your identity in its own lane, then you "head to bag screening", in CLEAR's words. The TSA says all travelers are screened. With PreCheck as well, you can use the faster PreCheck screening too.

Do my kids need their own PreCheck? Not if they're 17 or under and flying with you. Teens aged 13 to 17 need to be on the same reservation so the indicator shows on their boarding pass.

Is PreCheck the same price everywhere? No. It depends on the enrollment provider: $79.75 at IDEMIA, $84.95 at CLEAR and $85 at Telos, as of November 8.

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Sources: TSA, TSA PreCheck, checked November 8, 2026, TSA, PreCheck FAQ, checked November 8, 2026, CBP, Global Entry, checked November 8, 2026, CLEAR, CLEAR+, checked November 8, 2026