As of August 2026, TSA PreCheck ($76-$85 to enroll) gets you out of the shoes-and-laptop line at the checkpoint. Global Entry ($120) adds a fast lane through customs when you fly back into the US, and includes PreCheck. CLEAR ($219 a year) skips the ID-check line before you even reach the checkpoint, and it isn't a screening exemption at all.
What does each program actually speed up?
These three get lumped together because they all shorten an airport line, but they solve different problems, and only one of them is a security exemption in the eyes of the government.
TSA PreCheck is a Transportation Security Administration program: once you're enrolled, you get a dedicated screening lane where you generally keep your shoes, belt, and light jacket on and leave laptops and 3-1-1 liquids in your bag. It only applies at domestic TSA checkpoints and only on participating airlines.
Global Entry is a US Customs and Border Protection program built for the other end of an international trip. Approved members skip the regular customs line on arrival back in the US and use a kiosk or the Mobile Passport-style process instead of talking to an officer in a long queue. Every Global Entry member is automatically eligible for TSA PreCheck benefits too, so it functions as a two-in-one membership for anyone who flies internationally even occasionally.
CLEAR is not a government program and does not touch the security screening itself. It verifies your identity biometrically and walks you to the front of the regular or PreCheck line before a TSA officer checks your ID and boarding pass. If you don't have PreCheck, CLEAR still puts you at the front of the standard screening line; if you do have PreCheck, pairing the two gets you to an empty checkpoint fastest.
How much does each one cost, and how long does it last?
Fees and terms below are current as of August 2026 and change periodically, so confirm the number on the program's own site before you pay.
| Program | Cost | Membership length | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | $76-$85 to enroll (varies by vetting provider); renewal from about $70 | 5 years | Domestic security screening only |
| Global Entry | $120 to apply or renew | 5 years | Customs re-entry to the US, plus TSA PreCheck |
| CLEAR Plus | $219 a year | 1 year, auto-renewing | Identity verification line to the front of screening, not screening itself |
TSA PreCheck's enrollment fee depends on which vetting company handles your application in your area, and the renewal fee is typically lower when you file online rather than visiting an enrollment center in person, according to TSA's enrollment page. Membership runs five years before you need to renew.
Global Entry's application fee rose from $100 to $120 for a five-year membership; renewing costs the same $120. An interview at enrollment is standard, though CBP also runs Enrollment on Arrival at some airports so approved applicants can finish in person right after landing instead of booking a separate appointment. Renewal doesn't always require a new interview. Full current terms are on Global Entry's official FAQ.
CLEAR Plus jumped to $219 a year on July 1, 2026, up from $209 — its second straight annual increase. You can check what's bundled with a membership, including the option to add up to three family members and CLEAR's own TSA PreCheck enrollment path, directly on CLEAR's own membership page. A membership fee this size is easiest to justify if you're not already covering it through a credit card benefit or airline elite status, both of which several airlines and at least one card issuer use to offset or waive it — see recent reporting on the increase for how those offsets work.
Which one should you get first?
If you only fly domestically and want the shortest line at security, start with TSA PreCheck. It's the cheapest of the three, it lasts five years, and it works at any participating US airport regardless of destination.
If you leave the country even once a year, get Global Entry instead. It costs $120 rather than PreCheck's roughly $80, but it includes PreCheck automatically, so you're not paying for both — you're paying $40-ish more for the customs fast lane on top. For anyone who travels internationally at all, that's close to free upside on the domestic side.
CLEAR is the one to add on top, not instead. It solves a different bottleneck — the ID-check line before the metal detector, not the screening itself — and its value depends heavily on how crowded your home airport gets and whether you can get the fee comped through a card or airline status you already hold. Buying it at full price purely for the ID line, with no PreCheck or Global Entry underneath it, is the weakest version of this stack.
Can you combine them?
Yes, and combining them is normal, not redundant. Global Entry gives you PreCheck automatically, so a Global Entry member who also has CLEAR gets a short ID-verification line followed by a short screening line — the fastest realistic combination available to a traveler without airline or agency credentials. None of the three programs conflicts with any other; they stack because they solve three separate steps of getting through an airport.
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