October 2, 2024: We’ve updated our list of cards offering TSA PreCheck for free, as many banks changed their Trusted Travel credit amounts recently.
If you’re traveling by air within the United States, TSA PreCheck® can speed your trip through security and make your travels just a bit more pleasant. With TSA PreCheck, you can receive expedited security screening at most U.S. airports.
But TSA PreCheck requires an enrollment fee that might dissuade you from signing up for the program. Fortunately, many popular travel credit cards offer a statement credit if you charge your TSA PreCheck enrollment fee to your card—effectively making TSA PreCheck free!
Here are the cards that offer a credit for your TSA PreCheck enrollment fee plus what you need to know about getting TSA PreCheck for free.
In this article…
The list: Cards that offers TSA PreCheck free
Here’s our list of the cards that offer a credit for your TSA PreCheck® enrollment fee, plus credits for some additional trusted traveler programs. Terms apply to all benefits. See your card’s Guide to Benefits for additional details and restrictions.
 | Aeroplan® Credit Card Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years. Note: We expect this to be updated in early November, but as of now we do not yet have confirmation directly from Chase that they will update the benefit on this card.) |
 | Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
| Capital One Spark 2X Miles Annual fee: Enjoy a $0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95 after. PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) | |
 | Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | Capital One Venture X Business Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | Chase Sapphire Reserve® Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years. Note: We expect this to be updated in early November, but as of now we do not yet have confirmation directly from Chase that they will update the benefit on this card.) |
 | Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard® Annual fee: $95 PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (compare American Airlines credit cards | American Airlines credit card welcome offers) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
| Citi Prestige® Card Annual fee: $495 The Citi Prestige® Card is no longer available to new cardmembers. PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) | |
 | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (compare Delta credit cards | Delta credit card welcome offers) Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card (compare Delta credit cards | Delta credit card welcome offers) Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (compare Delta credit cards | Delta credit card welcome offers) Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (compare Delta credit cards | Delta credit card welcome offers) Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card (welcome bonus) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (Marriott credit card welcome offers | compare Marriott credit cards) Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | The Platinum Card® from American Express Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | The Business Platinum Card® from American Express Annual fee: annual_fees (See Rates and Fees) PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $120, once every 4 years.) |
 | Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (welcome bonus | compare Southwest credit cards | Southwest credit card welcome bonuses) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | United℠ Explorer Card (welcome offer | compare United credit cards | United credit card welcome bonuses) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | United Quest℠ Card (compare United credit cards | United credit card welcome bonuses) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | United Club℠ Infinite Card (compare United credit cards | United credit card welcome bonuses) Annual fee: annual_fees PreCheck Global Entry NEXUS (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card (welcome offer) Annual fee: $0 PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $100 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card (welcome offer) Annual fee: $400 PreCheck Global Entry (Up to $120 statement credit every 4 years.) |
 | U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card Annual fee: $85 PreCheck (Up to $85, once every 4.5 years.) Global Entry (Up to $100, once every 4 years.) |
Why bother: Benefits of TSA PreCheck
If you travel by air within the United States, even infrequently, you should get TSA PreCheck. PreCheck will almost invariably save you time at the airport when getting airport security. And when you can use a TSA PreCheck credit on a credit card to get TSA PreCheck free, there’s very little downside to joining the program.
Here are the benefits:
- Reduce your wait time at airports. According to the TSA, 99% of TSA PreCheck travelers wait 10 minutes or less to clear security.
- Less hassle when clearing security. If you have PreCheck, you won’t need to remove your shoes, belt, or light jacket. You also won’t need to take your laptop or approved liquids out of your bag.
- Your kids can come, too. If you have PreCheck, your children under 17 can join you in the PreCheck line.
In my experience, TSA PreCheck lines have always been shorter than regular security lines. And the regular PreCheck line even beats people who pay for CLEAR most of the time.
Further, signing up for TSA PreCheck takes as little as 5 minutes online and enrollment usually takes less than 10 minutes at an airport or other PreCheck enrollment location.
Normal cost: How much does PreCheck usually cost?
TSA PreCheck enrollment is managed by third-party providers. Enrollment fees at the three approved third party enrollment providers range from about $78 to $85. Renewal costs between $69 and $78, depending on provider and whether you renew in-person or online.
Here are the fees charged by the three PreCheck enrollment providers as of our last update:
- IDEMIA: $78 for initial enrollment. $70 for renewals online. $78 for renewals in person.
- Telos: $85 for initial enrollment. $70 for renewals online and in-person.
- Clear: $77.95 for initial enrollment. $68.95 for renewals online. $77.95 for renewals in-person.
How to get TSA PreCheck free: TSA PreCheck credits
If your credit card offers a TSA PreCheck credit, you can usually just charge your TSA PreCheck enrollment fee to your card. Within a few days or weeks, you will receive a statement credit for the amount of your enrollment fee (up to the maximum amount of your card’s credit) making TSA PreCheck free for you.
Applying for TSA PreCheck is a simple process. Here’s what you need to do:
- Find a convenient enrollment provider at the TSA’s website.
- Pre-enroll online through the enrollment provider’s website (links are on the TSA website) and schedule an appointment at an enrollment center.
- Visit an enrollment center with your identification documents to complete your application.
- Charge your TSA PreCheck enrollment fee to your card that offers a credit for TSA PreCheck.
Which to get: Should you get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry?
In the table of cards that offers a TSA PreCheck credit, we’ve included information about credits for Global Entry as well. Global Entry enables expedited customs clearance at many ports of entry into the United States.
Global Entry gives you TSA PreCheck as part of your membership, so if you ever travel internationally, it might be worth applying for Global Entry rather than TSA PreCheck.
The downsides to applying for Global Entry are a higher application fee (currently $100, but will increase to $120 on October 1, 2024) and more limited appointment slots at Global Entry enrollment centers. While you can do you in-person interview upon your return to the U.S. at many ports of entry, going that route means you won’t get your PreCheck membership until after you complete an international trip.
If you travel internationally with some frequency, consider applying for Global Entry rather than TSA PreCheck.
Other things to know: About TSA PreCheck credits
Here are a few other things you need to know about credit card TSA PreCheck credits. These are general guidelines that apply to most cards. Your card’s Guide to Benefits will have the details on the terms that apply to your specific card.
- You can get one credit every 4 to 4.5 years. In most cases, card terms allow you to earn only one credit. If a credit is “up to” $100, and you charge two $85 PreCheck enrollment fees, you’ll usually only receive one credit.
- Paying the fee doesn’t guarantee approval. You can be disqualified for PreCheck or global entry for a long list of reasons. If you’re denied PreCheck or Global Entry membership, your fee will be reimbursed by your eligible card regardless of your approval status.
- You must charge the enrollment fee directly to your card. Your card will reimburse a TSA PreCheck membership fee only if it is charged to your card by a qualifying enrollment provider.
Bottom line: TSA PreCheck saves time and you can get it for free with many cards
If you travel even occasionally, getting expedited security screening with TSA PreCheck can save you time and hassle at U.S. airports. Chances are that one of the travel credit cards you already have offers a credit for TSA PreCheck and all you need to do is charge your application fee or your renewal fee to your card to receive a reimbursement.
