Does the card credit still apply if my Global Entry application is denied?

According to Upgraded Points, yes. The $120 fee is non-refundable whether or not you are approved, and the credit is tied to the charge. Check your issuer's terms to be sure.

Can I use one card credit for my spouse's application?

Upgraded Points says the credit can pay someone else's application. Charge their $120 fee to your eligible card. Each account gets one credit per reset period, so a second applicant on the same card may not get a second credit.

Is Global Entry or TSA PreCheck the better use of a card credit?

Global Entry costs $120 and includes TSA PreCheck. TSA PreCheck alone costs $78–$85. Most credits are up to $120, so Global Entry is covered in full on most cards, and it adds expedited customs on international returns.

What if the credit has not posted after two billing cycles?

Call the card issuer. The credit usually posts within 1–2 billing cycles after you pay the $120 fee with the eligible card, so a longer gap is worth a call.

Which credit card pays for NEXUS?

The Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve and the United Explorer, Quest and Club cards all name NEXUS in their credit, per the sources above. So do Sapphire Reserve for Business, IHG One Rewards Premier and Air Canada Aeroplan.

Best Credit Card With Global Entry: Who Pays the $120 Fee

The best credit card with global entry for most people is a $95-annual-fee travel card that reimburses the full $120 application fee: the Capital One Venture Rewards or the Chase Sapphire Preferred. Both credit up to $120 every 4 years, and the Chase card also names NEXUS. A card covers the $120 fee, and the interview wait that follows is usually the longer delay.

What the fee is now

Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI each cost $120 per adult since October 1, 2024, and each membership lasts 5 years. Before that, Global Entry was $100, NEXUS $50 and SENTRI $122.25. Some card ranking pages still quote a $100 credit, which is out of date. Applicants under 18 pay $0 if a parent or guardian is a member or applies at the same time, according to CBP.

Cards that reimburse the Global Entry fee

Card	Annual fee	Credit	Source
Capital One Venture Rewards	$95	Up to $120, every 4 years	point.me
Chase Sapphire Preferred	$95	Up to $120 every 4 years; covers Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS	Upgraded Points
Bank of America Premium Rewards	$95	Application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck once every 4 years	CNBC Select
Citi Strata Elite	$595	Up to $120 every 5 years	Upgraded Points
Chase Sapphire Reserve	$795	Up to $120 every 4 years; covers Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck	CNBC Select
American Express Platinum	$895	Every 4 years: $120 for Global Entry, up to $85 for TSA PreCheck	CNBC Select
U.S. Bank Altitude Connect	$0	Up to $100 every 4 years	Forbes Advisor

Cheapest full coverage: the $95 cards. In year one you pay $95 in annual fee and get $120 back, a net $25 before counting any points or other perks. The Bank of America Premium Rewards is the third card at that $95 price. Its strength is choice: if you already bank with Bank of America or would rather not open a Capital One or Chase account, it gives you the same $95 entry price and a credit once every 4 years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck.

Longest reset: the Citi Strata Elite credits up to $120 every 5 years. That matches the 5-year membership, so the credit becomes available again right when your membership expires. Four-year cards reset a year before expiry. The cost is a $595 annual fee, so it fits someone who wants the rest of the card.

No annual fee: the U.S. Bank Altitude Connect caps its credit at $100. That leaves $20 of the $120 Global Entry fee on you. Forbes says the $100 covers TSA PreCheck in full but only part of the Global Entry fee.

Premium cards: the Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum cover the fee, but a $795 or $895 annual fee only makes sense if you use the rest of the card.

Most of these cards expect good to excellent credit, which Forbes puts at a FICO score of 670 or higher. Applying for a card just to cover a $120 fee is a poor trade if you are not otherwise eligible.

NEXUS and SENTRI: check the card's terms

Only some cards name NEXUS. Besides the Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Sapphire Reserve above, these do:

Card	Credit	Best for	Source
Sapphire Reserve for Business	Application fee credit for Global Entry, NEXUS or TSA PreCheck every 4 years	Business owners who want the credit on a business card; it is the only business card in this table that names NEXUS	Upgraded Points
United Explorer	Up to $120 toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS every four years	United flyers who want the credit alongside a United airline card	Forbes Advisor
United Quest	Up to $120 once every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS	United flyers who want a United card with the once-every-four-years credit spelled out	Forbes Advisor
United Club	Up to $120 once every four years toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS	Current United Club cardholders: the credit matches the other United cards, so use it instead of opening another card	Forbes Advisor
IHG One Rewards Premier	Up to $120 toward Global Entry, PreCheck or NEXUS every four years	IHG hotel guests; it is the only hotel card in this table that names NEXUS	Forbes Advisor
Air Canada Aeroplan	Up to $120 toward Global Entry, PreCheck or NEXUS every four years	Canada-bound NEXUS applicants who fly Air Canada	Forbes Advisor

Capital One and Amex cards in the sources list only Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. None of the sources we checked confirm SENTRI coverage, so read your card's benefit terms before paying a SENTRI fee. If a card does not name your program, ask the issuer in writing before you charge $120.

Worked example: fee paid to interview done

Worked example. Dana applies for Global Entry with a Chase Sapphire Preferred. The wait figure below is an assumption for illustration. Look up the real one for your center.

Step	When	Cost to Dana
Pays $120 fee on the card	Day 0	$120 charged
Statement credit posts	Usually within 1–2 billing cycles, so about day 30 to day 60	$0 after the credit
Conditional approval	Often within days to weeks	None
Interview	Assume the next bookable date is 14 weeks out, about day 98	None

The credit lands weeks before the interview. If the credit has not posted after 2 billing cycles, call the issuer.

Timeline: $120 paid on day 0, credit posts between day 30 and 60, and the assumed interview is about day 98, so the credit lands first.

To find your own number, open Global Entry wait times and read the wait for your nearest center. Border travelers can use NEXUS wait times or SENTRI wait times.

If you are returning from abroad with conditional approval for Global Entry, Enrollment on Arrival can replace the center interview at some airports.

Renewal timing: 4-year credits against a 5-year card

Most credits reset every 4 years. Citi Strata Elite resets every 5. Membership lasts 5 years, and CBP lets you renew 1 year before it expires. Those two numbers line up for a 4-year card:

Year 0: pay the $120 fee, get the credit.
Year 4: the credit is available again, and the renewal window opens at the same time.
Year 5: membership expires.

On a 5-year card, the credit returns right at expiry. File before your membership expires and CBP keeps your benefits for up to 24 months past the expiration date while it processes the renewal. Renewals may not require an interview at all. The exact reset date depends on your issuer's terms, so confirm it.

Two 5-year timelines: a 4-year credit resets at year 4 as renewal opens; a 5-year credit resets at year 5 when membership expires.

Picking the best credit card with global entry for your situation

You already hold a card on the table. Check its benefit page and use it.
You want the lowest cost for a new card. Choose a $95 card that fully covers $120 and, if you need NEXUS, names it.
You want no annual fee. Accept the $20 gap on the Altitude Connect.
You are applying for a family. Upgraded Points says the credit can pay someone else's application. According to CNBC Select, Amex Platinum gives each Companion Platinum cardholder their own credit. Forbes says Chase Sapphire Reserve authorized users pay an annual fee but get no extra credits: each account gets a single Global Entry application fee reimbursement.

Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, so a single $120 credit covers both. TSA PreCheck alone costs $78–$85 for 5 years, depending on the enrollment provider. If you fly internationally, Global Entry is the better buy.

Get a text when an earlier interview opens

GlobalEntryTexts texts you when a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI interview appointment opens at the enrollment centers you choose. Its strength is the pricing: it costs $25, paid once, for 30 days of monitoring, and it is not a subscription. That price covers up to 3 centers per 30-day window. You book the appointment yourself on ttp.dhs.gov. For a comparison of alert options, see best Global Entry alert services.

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