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Airports in the United States are nearly as busy as they were prepandemic, which means those dreaded lines for security and immigration have grown, well, ever more dreadful. If you’ve gasped at endless airport security lines extending deep into check-in areas, crammed with passengers panicked about missing flights—you’re not alone.
Thankfully, it’s possible to avoid becoming one of those flustered, freaked-out travelers with TSA PreCheck, which allows you to breeze through U.S. airport security checkpoints. (According to data provided by the Transportation Security Administration in October 2023, 99 percent of TSA Precheck–enrolled travelers waited less than 10 minutes to get through security.) For an equally seamless journey through immigration and customs, Global Entry speeds up the immigration and customs process after returning to the U.S. from an international destination. Both memberships last for five years.
What’s even better is that Global Entry automatically includes TSA PreCheck (but not vice versa), so it’s possible to access all the fast-track lanes with just one application. Thankfully, numerous travel credit cards offer a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit as a benefit to cardholders. They’ll refund your application fee as a statement credit and do so every four years (when your membership is up for renewal).
Here’s how your travel credit card can get you Global Entry and/or TSA PreCheck for free.
17 credit cards that cover Global Entry and TSA PreCheck application fees
Travel credit cards feature a variety of benefits to help offset annual fees. One of the most popular is a statement credit every four years up to $100 every four years after you apply for Global Entry or up to $85 for a TSA PreCheck credit. These credits cover program application fees in their entirety. (Terms apply.)
Among the cards with high annual fees offering this benefit are:
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395 annual fee)
- Capital One Venture X Business ($395 annual fee)
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 annual fee)
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card ($550 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card ($650 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- United Club℠ Infinite Card ($525 annual fee)
A number of midrange annual fee cards also provide a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit:
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card ($250 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card ($250 annual fee, see rates and fees)
- Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card ($199 annual fee)
- United Quest℠ Card ($250 annual fee)
Even a few cards with low annual fees grant cardholders the perk:
- Aeroplan® Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card ($95 annual fee)
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee)
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card ($99 annual fee)
- United℠ Explorer Card ($0 annual fee for the first year, then $95)
How to apply using your travel credit card and get TSA PreCheck and Global Entry for free
Your applications for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck begin online. (First, understand how these trusted traveler programs differ to decide which is right for you.)
Typically, when applying for Global Entry online, you’ll be prompted to pay a nonrefundable $100 fee during the application process. Use a credit card that offers a Global Entry credit, and a statement credit will appear days to weeks after the fee clears, offsetting the charge.
The charge for a first-time TSA PreCheck membership works a bit differently. You’ll complete your TSA PreCheck application online and then schedule an in-person appointment at an Enrollment Center to finalize the process. During your in-person appointment, you will pay the nonrefundable program fee, which will later be reversed as a statement credit. The first-time, nonrefundable application fee for TSA PreCheck is now $78–$85 for a five-year membership, depending on the enrollment provider. To renew your TSA PreCheck membership, it costs $70 to renew online, and $70–$78 to renew a TSA PreCheck membership in person, depending on the enrollment provider. Online renewals can be paid online, of course.
Note that you cannot receive separate credits for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck within a four-year period—it’s one or the other. If you apply for TSA PreCheck now and decide to upgrade to Global Entry within four years, you won’t get the second fee reimbursed. However, if you apply for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck is automatically included with it, so no need to do the separate PreCheck application. The $100 fee ends up covering both programs.
Two cards extend statement credits to each additional cardholder
With almost every credit card, the Global Entry/TSA PreCheck statement credit is reserved to one per account, regardless of additional cardholders or authorized users. However, there are two exceptions:
These two cards extend statement credits to every additional cardholder. For example, someone who has an Amex Platinum and three additional users on their account can get a total of four credits (up to $100 each), one per card.
This article was originally published in 2021; it was updated on January 29, 2024, with current information. While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they are subject to change at any time, and may have changed or may no longer be available.
