There is no better way to speed up your trip when driving US airport safety than being a clear and TSA Precheck user.
The third program, Global Entry, completes three poles to speed up your way through the airport route.
You might ask yourself if it is necessary to have TSA Precheck and Global Enter, not to mention all three. We’re here to tell you about them yes Worth investing in – but let’s take a closer look at these programs so you can decide which one is best for you.
What is TSA Precheck?
TSA Precheck is a fast safety program conducted by the U.S. Transportation Safety Administration that allows pre-approved low-risk travelers to pass through a dedicated TSA Precheck safety cable without removing the belt and light jacket or removing laptops and liquids from bags. TSA Precheck users also typically use traditional metal detectors for screening.
Although TSA Precheck filters are separate from non-TSA Precheck filters, there are sometimes no dedicated TSA Precheck filter lines. In this case, you need to use the standard TSA lane. However, even with regular safe lanes, you don’t need to delete the above items.
Currently, TSA Precheck is available at over 200 U.S. airports, with more than 90 domestic and foreign airlines participating. If your airline participates in the program, you will only get TSA Precheck access.
How to participate in TSA Precheck
To register for TSA Precheck, you must create a trusted traveler account and complete the application online. After the application is approved, you will need to schedule an in-person interview at one of the 400 admission centers. The interview should take about 10 minutes, including background checks and fingerprints.
After the interview, you should use TSA Precheck within a few days (although some applications may take up to 30 days to process). After approval, you will receive a known traveler number that you must add during the booking process for each booking. If you forget, you can add it anytime before you check in to the flight. Add KTN to common flyer programs to add ease.
Although unlikely, you still cannot access TSA Precheck even as a registered user with KTN.
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TSA “TSA has adopted unpredictable safety measures throughout the airport, both seen and invisible throughout the airport.” “All travelers will be screened and there is no guarantee that individuals will speed up screening.”
U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and legal permanent residents are eligible for TSA Precheck. Travelers 12 years and under can use the TSA Precheck Lane when traveling with their parents or guardians and have a TSA Precheck indicator on their boarding pass.
What are global entries?
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that facilitates rapid access to the U.S., selecting pre-clearing locations abroad through kiosks at over 75 airports in the U.S.
Global admission membership includes TSA Precheck membership, so TPG recommends you take a closer look at the additional steps and costs.
When entering the United States where participating airports, admissions worldwide do not need to fill out paperwork or wait for processing routes. Instead, they can get close to the global entrance kiosk.
At some kiosks, you need to present your machine-readable passport or U.S. permanent resident card, place your finger on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and complete customs declaration. You will get the printout shared with customs.
Facial recognition makes the process easier at certain airports, eliminating the need to present the officers with printed receipts before exiting the baggage claim area. The spread of biometric technology makes the process of entry into many U.S. airports easier, and we hope the technology will get better in the coming years.
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Although unlikely, some members may be selected for further inspection when entering customs (i.e. having a global entry does not mean that you can always bypass the interview when you return to the United States).
How to register a global entry
To apply for a global entry, complete the online application through the Trusted Traveler Program website. Like TSA Precheck, global admission membership is valid for five years.
If the CBP conditionally approves your application, first try to schedule an interview at the Global Enrollment Registration Center, but be aware that this can be difficult considering the ongoing application backlog.
If you can’t arrange an appointment, your best bet is to interview after an international trip when you arrive in the U.S. after a process known as admission. This service allows you to complete an interview when entering the United States from abroad during the customs process.
During this service, you will receive background checks, interviews and fingerprints. It takes about five minutes for a TPG employee to be interviewed for global admission.
U.S. citizens, legal permanent resident of the United States, members of the South Korean Smart Entry Service and German citizens, Panama and Mexico may also apply for global entry. Additionally, Canadian citizens and residents are eligible for global entry benefits through membership in the Nexus program.
You may not be eligible for global entry for a variety of reasons, including convictions for any criminal offence, pending criminal charges, outstanding warrants or CBPs that are unable to meet your low-risk situation.
Unlike TSA Precheck, children will not be able to use global entry with their accompanying adults if they do not have their own global entry membership. However, travelers of all ages are eligible for global admission.
Global Entry with TSA Precheck Cost
To apply for a global entry, you must submit a non-refundable $120 membership fee. After approval of Global Entry, you will have access to Global Entry and TSA Precheck for five years simultaneously.
TSA Precheck has two admissions providers – the fee for applying through IDEMIA is $76.75 and the fee for applying through Telos is $85. If you renew online via Telos, it costs $70. Online renewal through IDEMIA is $58.75.
Many credit cards offer cardholders up to $120 for application fees related to TSA Precheck and Global Gertos, including a variety of low-annual fees and premium cards, including:
Most cards that offer application fee credits also allow you to cover other people’s global admission membership. So if you have unused global entry credit for Amex Platinum, you can charge your card for another person’s global entry fee and repay the purchase.
This credit is usually available every four to five years, but check if the terms of your card are exact frequency. See the full list here for discounts for TSA Precheck.
Amex Platinum even offers global entries or TSA Precheck app fee credit for everyone you add as an authorized user. However, AMEX will only reimburse you if you charge one fee for each card.
Should I apply for TSA Precheck or Global Entrance?
Global entry is most useful for the frequent international travelers. Since you can register to arrive with conditional approval, it may be more convenient than accessing the TSA Precheck Admission Center.
Enrollment costs are higher globally, but it includes all the benefits of TSA Precheck and when you return to the accelerated throughput in the U.S., if you have a credit card to pay off the global entry or TSA Precheck application fee, you don’t even have to worry about the higher costs.
Bottom line
If you own one of the above credit cards, it will repay your TSA Precheck or global admission fee and are eligible for one or both programs, there is no reason not to apply. If you are not sure which program is better, remember that global entries also include TSA Precheck.
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