TSA PreCheck Vs. Global Entry Vs. CLEAR: Which One Is Right For You?

Nowadays, there are very few things that are able to unite every single person. One of them is that everybody hates airport security. No one wants to wait in incredibly long lines, wonder if everything in their carry-on is okay to bring on the plane, take off their shoes in public, be reprimanded for having too much shampoo, or be concerned about what exactly those scanners you stand in are seeing. The question of whether or not you need to take your laptop out of your bag to be scanned should not be ping-ponging through your head every time you get in that security line because you can never remember the answer. This is not even taking into account the hassles of returning to the United States from an international trip when you have to go through passport services, which can have even longer and slower lines than the TSA security checkpoints.

Luckily, there are three different methods by which you can help streamline these security checkpoints to make your day of air travel slightly less hectic and invasive. Your options are TSA PreCheck, CLEAR, and Global Entry. While all of these get you through security faster, the three services are not created equal in terms of their requirements, how they operate, and their prices. Which service you should get depends on a number of factors, including your budget, your frequency of air travel, and your international travel habits. Here, we are going to break down all three services in the hopes of providing you with some guidance on whether one or more of these services is right for you.

The most common form of fast tracking your way through airport security would have to be TSA PreCheck. This is a service provided by the actual Transportation Security Administration that allows you to bypass a number of the steps that you would typically have to go through at a security checkpoint. Most notably, you do not have to take off your shoes when going through the checkpoint. You also won't need to take off your belt or remove your laptop or any 3-1-1 liquids from your carry-on baggage. You still have to put your baggage through the x-ray machine while you go through the scanner. Those with TSA PreCheck are also given their own dedicated entrance, which should significantly reduce wait times. Although, that is not necessarily a guarantee because of how many people have TSA PreCheck.

There are a couple of ways to sign up for TSA PreCheck. The easiest way is to apply online, but you can also go to an enrollment location to be approved. The TSA utilizes three different companies for a person to get the TSA PreCheck service: CLEAR, Telos, and Idemia. Importantly, the price for this service various based on which provider you choose. As of this writing, CLEAR charges $77.95 for a new membership, Telos charges $85, and Idemia charges $76.75. Once you are approved, you have the TSA PreCheck service for five years, after which you will need to renew the service. That price is currently $9-18 cheaper than a new enrollment, depending on the provider. TSA PreCheck doesn't eliminate airport security headaches, but it makes them far more bearable.

CLEAR may be a provider of TSA PreCheck, but the company also provides an additional service called CLEAR Plus. This is a service that takes all of the benefits of TSA PreCheck and cranks them up to the maximum, while still requiring you to actually go through the TSA checkpoint scanner. CLEAR Plus utilizes biometric data in order to quickly verify your identity as you are about to go through security. You step up to a CLEAR kiosk, and along with your boarding pass, the kiosk performs a retinal and fingerprint scan to verify that it is indeed you. Once that is done, a CLEAR employee will then escort you to the very front of the TSA security line, so you can immediately go through the scanner. This is currently a service provided at 59 airports in the United States, but there should be more in the future.

Importantly, this is a separate service from TSA PreCheck. If you don't have PreCheck, you will still need to remove your shoes and whatnot to go through the scanner. CLEAR Plus itself will also cost you $199 per year. Because CLEAR is also a TSA PreCheck provider, it currently offers a bundle where you can get both for that $199 price, effectively giving you a discounted first year of CLEAR Plus. A nice perk is that anyone under 18 years old in your party can go through free. This is the kind of service for people who are constantly on airplanes through major markets, either for business or pleasure. If you fly once or twice a year, spending $199 may be rather extravagant.

While the previous two services are about expediting getting into the airport, Global Entry is a service to help expedite you getting out of the airport, specifically if you are coming back to the United States from an international flight. This is a service that is run by the United States Customs and Border Protection and aims to eliminate the paperwork you need to fill out upon returning to the country, along with the processing lines at passport control. Global Entry means you go to a machine at passport control, where it takes your photograph in order to confirm your identity. A receipt is printed, which you show to a Global Entry agent, and once they verify it, you can be on your merry way.

Global Entry is available for citizens of the United States who are at least 18 years old, though minors can get it too with parental consent. There is also a list of 19 countries where citizens can get access to this service as well, including Brazil, India, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. This is a service that will cost you $120, and it is good for five years. As an added bonus, registration for Global Entry also comes with TSA PreCheck included. 

Obviously, this is a service that really should only be utilized by those who travel internationally quite frequently. The Department of Homeland Security recommends it for people who make at least four international trips per year. Because it comes with TSA PreCheck though, you may just want to pay just a bit more even if you only make international trips on occasion.

As a frequent flyer for work, I've had the opportunity to use both TSA PreCheck and Global Entry over the past two years. First of all, if you have a credit card, especially one from one of the major airlines, there's a good chance you can get one or more of these services for free. Many credit cards from the likes of United, Delta, and even Capital One provide that as a benefit.

TSA PreCheck can a time saver. I love the fact that I don't have to even open my bag before dropping it on the conveyor belt. On a recent trip where I was taking two laptops with me, I had to take them out of the bag because they were stacked on top of each other, and it made TSA a bit nervous — fair point. Also, whether or not I have to take off my belt is about a 50/50 shot.

I have traveled a few times with my wife who does not have TSA PreCheck, and while I usually beat her through security, more times than not, it's only by a few minutes. That being said, I love TSA PreCheck for the convenience, rather than the speed.

Coming home from international trips using Global Entry is a dream. Rather than standing in a very long line awaiting a chat with a Customs agent, it really is as fast as walking up to a machine, taking a photo, and getting waved through in a matter of minutes, if it even takes that long.

Before you can get Global Entry, you need to conduct a personal interview with a Customs agent. You can schedule these ahead of time (though they are often booked solid months in advance), or there's a quick travel hack you can use. You can request an interview on the spot after landing from an international flight and going through Customs normally. If you're getting Global Entry, I'd suggest this route because I spent about four months trying to schedule an interview. Ironically, by the time I was finally able to schedule an interview, it was two weeks after my first international flight, so I just went with the interview on the spot.