Introduction

If you fly more than a couple of times a year, the math on expedited security is uncomplicated: TSA PreCheck saves the shoes-and-laptop ritual, Global Entry adds an inbound customs lane, and CLEAR Plus skips the ID check. The fees add up fast on their own. TSA PreCheck runs $78.85 for five years, Global Entry runs $120 for five years, and CLEAR Plus runs $209 a year (all April 2026 figures, verify with current TSA, CBP, and CLEAR pricing before you apply). The right credit card pays for most of it.

This piece runs through which cards reimburse which programs, how the credits actually work, and which combination matches which type of traveler. The goal is to pick one card that covers the security fee you'll actually use, without overpaying for benefits you won't.

How the three programs differ

TSA PreCheck is government-run and lives at 200-plus U.S. airports across more than 90 airlines. You go through a separate lane and keep shoes, belt, light jacket, laptop, and 3-1-1 liquids in place. Application requires an in-person interview and a background check, and the membership lasts five years.

Global Entry is the same TSA PreCheck benefit plus expedited customs and immigration when you fly back into the U.S. internationally. It runs $120 for five years versus $78.85 for PreCheck alone, so the international upgrade costs about $41 over the full membership. If you take even one international trip during those five years, Global Entry is the better choice. Same interview, same background check.

CLEAR Plus is private and runs $209 per year. It uses fingerprint or iris biometrics to verify your identity, which lets you skip the TSA agent who normally checks your boarding pass and ID. It does not change the physical screening itself, which is why CLEAR pairs naturally with TSA PreCheck. CLEAR moves you to the front of the line, then PreCheck moves you through screening faster once you get there. CLEAR currently operates at roughly 50 airports plus a growing list of stadiums.

The combination most heavy travelers end up with is Global Entry plus CLEAR Plus: about $20-40 a year for Global Entry on a five-year amortization, plus $209 for CLEAR. The right credit card can cover both pieces.

Premium cards with full Global Entry or TSA PreCheck reimbursement

These four cards each reimburse up to $120 toward Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck, typically once every four years. The credit alone doesn't justify any of these fees, but it's a meaningful piece of the value stack.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Annual fee: $895 (verify against current cardmember terms, as Amex repriced the Platinum in 2025).

Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry every four years, or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck every 4.5 years. The detail that sets the Amex Platinum apart is that authorized Platinum users on the same account each get their own credit, so a household with one primary cardholder and one additional Platinum can cover two Global Entry applications.

The card stacks $200 in airline fee credits, $200 in Uber Cash, $200 in hotel credits on Fine Hotels & Resorts or The Hotel Collection bookings of two-plus nights, and access to Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club when flying Delta, and Priority Pass. The $895 fee only pencils out if you'll actually use the lounge access and the credit suite. Most readers who are weighing the Platinum versus a $95 card on Global Entry alone are paying for benefits they won't touch.

Apply for The Platinum Card from American Express.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $395.

Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years. Earns 2X miles on most purchases, 5X on flights and 10X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. The $300 annual travel credit through Capital One Travel offsets most of the fee for anyone who books any travel through the portal, and the card includes Priority Pass and Capital One Lounge access for the cardholder plus authorized users (and authorized users are free, which is the actual differentiator).

Apply for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card.

Chase Sapphire Reserve

Annual fee: $795 as of the 2025 refresh.

Up to $120 statement credit for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every four years. The fee bumped substantially with the refresh, so the math is different than it was a year ago. The $300 annual travel credit applies broadly to travel purchases. Earning rates landed at 8X on travel through Chase Travel, 4X on flights and hotels booked direct, and 3X on dining. Points transfer to 14 airline and hotel partners. If you're already carrying the Chase Sapphire Reserve for the transfer partners and Hyatt elite status path, the Global Entry credit is a small bonus on top.

Apply for the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

American Express Business Platinum Card

Annual fee: $895 (verify against current cardmember terms).

Same Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit as the personal Platinum. The Business Platinum earns 5X on flights and prepaid hotels through AmexTravel.com and 1.5X on purchases of $5,000 or more (capped). For business owners who can deduct the annual fee, the math is meaningfully different than it is for the personal version. Same lounge access as the personal Platinum, plus a Dell statement credit and other business-leaning credits.

Apply for the American Express Business Platinum Card.

Mid-tier cards with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credits

If the only travel benefit you actually want is the security credit, the mid-tier cards do it for a fraction of the annual fee.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $95.

Same up to $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit as the Venture X. Earns 2X miles on every purchase, 5X on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. No lounge access and no $300 travel credit, which is why the fee is $300 lower. For a reader who flies a few times a year and just wants the security fee covered plus a flat 2X earn on everyday spending, the Capital One Venture is the most efficient pick on this list.

Apply for the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card

Annual fee: $95.

Up to $100 statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years, which is slightly less than the $120 most cards offer and matters if you're applying for Global Entry specifically. Earns 2X on travel and dining, 1.5X on everything else. Bank of America Preferred Rewards customers can boost the points value 25-75% depending on tier, which is the lever that makes this card competitive for existing BoA banking customers and not particularly compelling for everyone else. Includes a $100 annual airline incidental credit.

Apply for the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card.

U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card

Annual fee: $400.

Up to $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit. Earns 3X on travel and on mobile wallet purchases (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and includes $325 in annual travel credits plus Priority Pass. Note that the Altitude Reserve is closed to new applications in many markets, so verify availability with U.S. Bank before planning around it.

Apply for the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card.

Airline co-brands with security credits

If you fly the same airline most of the time, the co-branded card likely covers Global Entry too, and the airline-specific perks (free checked bag, priority boarding) often pay for the annual fee on their own.

The Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card carries an annual fee that landed in the $650-range after the most recent refresh and includes up to $120 toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS every four years. It also includes Delta Sky Club access when flying Delta, complimentary Delta Comfort+ upgrades when available, and the Companion Certificate that's the actual reason most people carry this card. Verify the current annual fee against Delta's site before applying.

The United Quest Card offers the same $120 Global Entry credit, two United Club one-time passes annually, and a $200 United travel credit after qualifying activity. Annual fee is $250.

The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card covers the $120 Global Entry credit, includes automatic Marriott Platinum Elite status, and the annual free night certificate is worth up to 85,000 points if you book it strategically.

Cards with CLEAR Plus reimbursement

Reimbursing CLEAR Plus is rarer. The full $209 annual fee is only fully covered by a small set of Amex cards.

The Platinum Card from American Express

Up to $209 in statement credits for CLEAR Plus annually, paid out as monthly credits. This stacks with the separate Global Entry credit on the same card, and authorized Platinum users get their own CLEAR credit too.

American Express Green Card

Annual fee: $150.

Up to $199 in CLEAR Plus statement credits annually, distributed monthly. With a $150 annual fee, the Amex Green is the cheapest path to fully covered CLEAR Plus. It also earns 3X points on travel (broadly defined to include rideshare, transit, and lodging) and 3X on dining. If CLEAR is the benefit you want and lounge access doesn't matter, this is the most efficient card in the category.

Apply for the American Express Green Card.

American Express Centurion Card

Full CLEAR Plus reimbursement is included on the invitation-only Centurion. Not a card you choose; a card that chooses you.

Discounted CLEAR Plus through airline cardholders

If you don't have an Amex with CLEAR reimbursement and don't want to add one, several airline programs negotiate discounted CLEAR Plus pricing for cardholders and elite members.

Delta SkyMiles American Express cardholders (Blue, Gold, Platinum, and Reserve) and Delta SkyMiles members get CLEAR Plus for $109 a year, a $100 discount off the $209 retail price. Diamond Medallion elites get CLEAR Plus free.

United MileagePlus cardholders and program members get CLEAR Plus for $189 a year. United Premier 1K members get it free; Premier Platinum members get it for $109.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan cardholders and members get CLEAR Plus for $179 a year, and Alaska MVP Gold and Gold 75K members get further discounts.

These prices are out-of-pocket, not reimbursed. You're paying CLEAR directly at a discount, not getting a statement credit. The discounts shift periodically, so verify with each airline before assuming the rate.

Picking the right card for your situation

If you fly one to three times a year and just want the security fee covered, the Capital One Venture at $95 a year is the answer. The $120 Global Entry credit every four years effectively covers more than a year of the annual fee on its own, and 2X on every purchase covers most everyday spending without a category puzzle.

If you fly six-plus times a year domestically and value lounge access, the calculus changes. The Amex Platinum gets you both Global Entry and CLEAR Plus reimbursement, plus Centurion and Priority Pass access. The Capital One Venture X gets you Global Entry, Capital One Lounges and Priority Pass at a lower fee, but no CLEAR.

If you fly internationally regularly, Global Entry is non-negotiable and the customs line savings alone justify the application. Any card on this list with a $120 Global Entry credit handles that. The decision becomes which lounge network and which transfer partners fit your travel.

If you fly one airline 80% of the time, the airline co-brand is usually the right pick. Delta Reserve, United Quest, and Marriott Brilliant all reimburse Global Entry and add airline- or hotel-specific benefits that the general travel cards can't match.

If your priority is CLEAR Plus reimbursement on a small annual fee, the Amex Green at $150 is the cleanest answer. The Platinum is the more complete answer if you'll use the rest of the benefit suite.

A note on family coverage: TSA PreCheck Known Traveler Numbers are non-transferable, but children 17 and under can use PreCheck lanes when traveling with an enrolled parent. CLEAR Plus includes children under 18 free with an enrolled adult, and family plans add additional adults at a discounted rate. The Amex Platinum's per-authorized-user Global Entry credit is the only way to get a single card to cover two adults' Global Entry fees.

The right card here is the one that covers the security program you'll actually use, on top of an annual fee you'd pay anyway for the rest of its benefits. Don't pay $895 for a card to save $120 every four years.

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