If you leave the country more than a couple of times a year, Global Entry is the better buy: $120 for a five-year membership, and it carries TSA PreCheck benefits at no extra charge. Checked as of August 2026. The catch is the in-person interview, which is the slowest step in the whole process and the reason to apply well before your next trip.
What is the actual difference between the two programs?
One speeds up your departure, the other speeds up your return. TSA describes PreCheck as expedited security screening for flights departing from U.S. airports, and Global Entry as expedited U.S. customs screening for international air travelers entering the United States — with PreCheck benefits included in Global Entry membership.
That distinction decides most cases. PreCheck touches the checkpoint you clear on the way out: shoes, belt, and laptop stay where they are. Global Entry touches the kiosk or processing lane you reach after an international flight lands, when the customs hall is the only thing between you and the curb. Because Global Entry bundles PreCheck, it is not really a choice between two benefits — it is a choice between one benefit and both.
TSA's own guidance uses a simple threshold: if you travel internationally four or more times a year, consider Global Entry; if you take fewer than four international trips a year, PreCheck is a strong choice for domestic travelers. Rules and fees change — confirm both with the official program pages before you pay.
What does each program cost in 2026?
Global Entry is $120 for five years. PreCheck runs $68.95 to $85 depending on which approved enrollment provider you use and whether you are joining or renewing — a spread of about $7 among new-enrollment prices on an identical benefit, which is the rare case where shopping the vendor genuinely pays.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection set the $120 figure in a 2024 rule harmonizing Global Entry and SENTRI fees, effective October 1, 2024; the same rule set SENTRI at $120 and confirmed a five-year membership term. PreCheck pricing comes from TSA's enrollment page, checked August 2026.
| Program or provider | New enrollment | Renewal | Covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Entry (CBP) | $120 | $120 | U.S. customs entry, plus PreCheck |
| SENTRI (CBP) | $120 | $120 | Southern land border lanes |
| PreCheck via IDEMIA | $78 | $70 online, $78 in person | U.S. departure screening |
| PreCheck via Telos | $85 | $70 | U.S. departure screening |
| PreCheck via CLEAR | $77.95 | $68.95 online, $77.95 in person | U.S. departure screening |
Fees per CBP's fee rule and TSA's enrollment page, as of August 2026. On a per-year basis, Global Entry works out to $24 a year against $15.59 to $17 for PreCheck at new-enrollment prices — the comparison being five-year terms in both cases. That $35-to-$42 premium buys the customs benefit; whether that is worth it depends entirely on how often you land back on U.S. soil from abroad.
Who should still choose PreCheck?
Choose PreCheck if your flying is mostly or entirely domestic, if you want the lower price, or if you need the credential quickly. It covers the checkpoint you actually use, and TSA reports that roughly 99% of PreCheck members wait 10 minutes or less at screening.
There is a second, quieter reason: PreCheck enrollment is a shorter process. Global Entry requires a background check and an in-person interview after conditional approval, and interview slots at busy airports can be scarce. PreCheck asks for an online application and a roughly ten-minute visit to an enrollment center for fingerprints and document capture. If you have a trip in a few weeks rather than a few months, that difference matters more than the fee.
One family note worth knowing: children 17 and under can accompany an adult with PreCheck when the PreCheck indicator appears on the child's boarding pass, so a household does not necessarily need to enroll everyone.
How do you apply for Global Entry?
Apply online through the Trusted Traveler Programs system, pay the $120 fee at submission, then wait for conditional approval and schedule an interview. Budget months, not weeks. The application and vetting are the fast part; the interview is the bottleneck.
- Create a Trusted Traveler Programs account and complete the Global Entry application.
- Pay the $120 fee when you submit — since October 2024 the fee is a single upfront payment rather than the split payments SENTRI once used.
- Wait for conditional approval, then book an interview at an enrollment center.
- If interview slots are backed up, look at Enrollment on Arrival, a walk-in interview at participating airports after you land from an international flight.
- Complete the interview and receive your membership, valid five years.
Applying with children changes the math slightly: under the CBP fee rule, a minor is exempt from the $120 fee when applying at the same time as a parent or legal guardian, or when that parent or guardian is already enrolled in the same program. Minors still need consent, still go through vetting, and still need a parent or guardian present at the interview.
How do you apply for PreCheck?
Apply online, then visit an enrollment provider in person. TSA describes the online application as about five minutes and the in-person appointment as about ten, covering fingerprinting and document capture. You receive a Known Traveler Number to add to your airline profiles.
- Pick an approved provider — IDEMIA, Telos, or CLEAR — and compare their fees before you start, since the prices differ.
- Complete the online application, roughly five minutes.
- Visit an enrollment location for fingerprints and document capture, roughly ten minutes.
- Add your Known Traveler Number to every airline loyalty profile you book under, and to the reservation itself when you book as a guest.
That last step is the one travelers skip. The credential does nothing if the number never reaches the airline before your boarding pass is printed.
Where does CLEAR fit in?
CLEAR appears twice in this story, which causes real confusion. It is one of the three approved PreCheck enrollment providers, at $77.95 for new enrollment. It also sells its own separate biometric identity service, which Afar reported at $199 a year — a different product with a different price.
The distinction is worth holding onto: paying CLEAR $77.95 to enroll you in PreCheck is a government program with a five-year term. CLEAR's own subscription is a commercial annual membership that moves you through an identity-verification lane, and it is not a substitute for a Trusted Traveler Program credential. Afar's comparison also notes the biometric enrollment is quick, typically approved the same day, which is a genuine difference from either government program.
Does a credit card cover the fee?
Often, yes. Many travel credit cards reimburse the application fee for PreCheck or Global Entry as a statement credit, typically once every four years, as Afar noted in its comparison of the programs. Check your specific card's benefit terms before you pay, because coverage and cadence vary by issuer.
If a card you already carry covers the credit, the cost comparison above largely collapses and the decision comes down to coverage: international arrivals or domestic departures. In that case, Global Entry is usually the more useful of the two, because it includes the other one.
The numbers, at a glance
- Global Entry fee: $120, five-year membership (CBP fee rule, effective October 1, 2024; checked August 2026).
- SENTRI fee: $120, single upfront payment (same rule).
- PreCheck fee range: $77.95 to $85 new; $68.95 to $78 renewal, by provider (TSA enrollment page, checked August 2026).
- Minor exemption: Global Entry and SENTRI fee waived for minors applying with, or whose parent or guardian is already enrolled in, the same program.
- Official portals: tsa.gov/precheck for PreCheck; the Trusted Traveler Programs system for Global Entry and SENTRI.
Fees, processing steps, and program terms change without much notice, and enrollment center availability changes constantly. Verify every figure here against the official program page before you pay or book travel around a credential you do not yet hold. This article is information, not legal or immigration advice.
For a related aviation perspective, read TSA PreCheck vs. Global Entry: Which Trusted Traveler Program Should You Get?.