TSA PreCheck vs CLEAR: Cost, Lanes and Global Entry (2026)

The short answer to "tsa precheck vs clear" is that they speed up different steps: PreCheck gives you a separate, shorter screening lane, and CLEAR+ moves you to the front of the line you were already in. If you are waiting on a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI interview, each program costs $120 and includes PreCheck once you're approved, so the only extra decision is whether CLEAR+ at $219 a year is worth adding.

Prices below come from tsa.gov and clearme.com, fetched October 22, 2026. Provider prices change, so confirm on the provider's page before you pay.

What each one speeds up

TSA PreCheck changes how you are screened. Per TSA, about 99% of PreCheck passengers wait under 10 minutes, and you don't take out shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets. AeroCorner says it runs at about 200 airports.

CLEAR+ moves you to the front of the line. CLEAR says it has more than 150 CLEAR+ lanes at 62 airports and that members save 4 hours a year on average (CLEAR's own figure). A CLEAR+ membership does not give PreCheck benefits. Per AeroCorner, without PreCheck you still go through standard screening, with the unpacking and the belt off.

TSA PreCheck vs CLEAR: what five years costs one traveler

PreCheck is a one-time fee for a 5-year term, and the price depends on the enrollment provider. CLEAR+ is $219 per year, per CLEAR, so it renews every year.

Source for the table: TSA PreCheck. PreCheck enrollment is online (about 5 minutes) plus a 10-minute in-person visit.

Each provider wins on something different:

• IDEMIA has the most places to enroll. TSA lists 623 active IDEMIA locations, against 161 for Telos and 55 for CLEAR, so IDEMIA is the most likely to have an office near you. Its $78 new-enrollment price is within $0.05 of the cheapest.
• Telos has the lowest in-person renewal price at $70, against $78 at IDEMIA and $77.95 at CLEAR. Its $85 new-enrollment price is the highest of the three, and its 161 locations put it second on coverage.
• CLEAR has the lowest price for a new enrollment ($77.95) and for an online renewal ($68.95). It also has the fewest locations (55), and it sells the CLEAR+ bundle described below.

If you want the lowest price, check which provider has an office close enough to reach. A $7 gap between providers is smaller than a long drive.

Worked example: five years for one adult

Two things stand out. CLEAR+ costs about 9 times what Global Entry does over five years ($1,095 against $120), and it still leaves you in the standard screening lane unless you also have PreCheck. CLEAR also sells a bundle: PreCheck through CLEAR at $84.95, plus a code for a $134 first year of CLEAR+, used within 7 days. After that it is $219 a year, so five years comes to $1,094.95 (AeroCorner, September 2026 prices). That is about what CLEAR+ costs alone.

Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI already include PreCheck

The CBP application fee is $120 for Global Entry, NEXUS and SENTRI alike, since October 1, 2024, and each membership lasts 5 years. Per Security Wait Times, Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, and NEXUS and SENTRI members who are eligible get PreCheck too. Minors are free with a parent who is a member or applying. The fee is non-refundable.

Per AeroCorner, PreCheck can't be upgraded to Global Entry. If you buy PreCheck first and Global Entry later, you apply as a new applicant and pay the full $120. The PreCheck fee is then extra money.

What to do while you wait for the interview

The bottleneck for Global Entry is the interview. Before you spend anything, look up the next bookable date for your center on Global Entry wait times or on Global Entry appointment availability. NEXUS and SENTRI have their own wait-time pages. That date is the earliest day you could book at that center.

Then pick from four options.

(a) Pay for PreCheck as a stopgap

This costs $77.95 to $85. Add the $120 for Global Entry later and you've paid $197.95 to $205 for PreCheck and Global Entry, against $120 for Global Entry alone. Say you expect 12 trips through security before your Global Entry interview and approval: $77.95 ÷ 12 is about $6.50 a trip. Whether a shorter line is worth $6.50 a trip is your call. It makes the most sense when the next bookable date is months away and you fly often from your home airport.

(b) Buy CLEAR+ while you wait

At $219 a year, that is $18.25 a month. It moves you to the front of the line, and you still do standard screening. For someone waiting on a few months, it rarely pays off.

(c) Wait, and use Enrollment on Arrival

If you're conditionally approved and have an international trip back into the US coming up, you may be able to do the interview on arrival. See Enrollment on Arrival for how it works.

(d) Watch for an earlier date at a nearby center

A center an hour or two away can have a much earlier next bookable date than yours. Compare them on the two pages above.

Is CLEAR+ worth it if you already have PreCheck or Global Entry?

Usually not, unless you fly often through a CLEAR+ airport or a card or airline status covers the fee. Once you have Global Entry, CLEAR+ at $219 a year is a separate bet on how much you fly through CLEAR airports. It fits frequent flyers whose home airport has CLEAR+ lanes, or anyone whose card or airline status covers the fee. Per FinanceBuzz, Delta 360° and United Global Services members get it free, United Premier 1K members pay $129 a year, and general SkyMiles and MileagePlus members pay $199 a year.

Families have different math. Per CLEAR, kids 17 and under join CLEAR+ free with a member, and additional adults are $125 each, up to 3. CLEAR+ is for people 18 and older, with a REAL ID-compliant license or state ID, or an accepted passport. For PreCheck, TSA says a child 17 and under can use the adult's lane when PreCheck appears on the child's own boarding pass.

For a side-by-side of the programs, see the Global Entry, PreCheck, NEXUS and SENTRI comparison.

Hear about an earlier interview date

GlobalEntryTexts texts you when a Global Entry, NEXUS or SENTRI interview appointment opens at the enrollment centers you choose. Monitoring runs 24/7, texts are unlimited during the 30 days, and no account or login is needed to get alerts. It costs $25, paid once, for 30 days of monitoring, and you can watch up to 3 enrollment centers for that price. You book the appointment yourself on ttp.dhs.gov. For other alert options, see the alert service comparison.

Check your center's next bookable date today. If it is months out, add one or two nearby centers to your list before you decide on a PreCheck stopgap.