Clear vs TSA precheck: What is the difference?

Table of Contents

1. What is the difference between Clear vs TSA PreCheck?

2. Which is better: TSA Precheck vs Clear?

3. TSA PreCheck: What Is It?

4. What is the TSA PreCheck procedure?

5. Ways to register for TSA PreCheck

6. What does Clear mean?

7. How to submit a Clear application

8. Is PreCheck not as good as Clear?

9. How does global entry compare?

What is the difference between Clear vs TSA PreCheck?

Clear and TSA Precheck aim to streamline travel. Clear expedites a person’s identity verification. TSA PreCheck expedites airport security screening and scanning. You can expedite your journey through airport security using TSA PreCheck and Clear. Which is the best choice, though? There are three primary distinctions when looking at TSA PreCheck vs. Clear:

Avoiding security versus cutting down on wait time

With TSAPreCheck, you can bypass lengthy security lines and less stringent screening procedures (like having to take off your shoes). By using biometric technology to verify your boarding pass and ID at a Clear kiosk, you can bypass the security queue entirely and avoid standing in line. You are escorted directly to the front of the security line by a Clear agent after that brief process is finished. There’s no need to wait.

Price

Clear costs $189 annually, while five years of TSA PreCheck sets you back $78.

Government (TSA) vs Private Company (Clear)

Whereas TSA PreCheck is a government initiative, Clear is privately-owned.

Which is better: TSA Precheck vs Clear?

They are beneficial to each other. Since not all airports provide Clear and TSA PreCheck, a lot of frequent fliers find that having both memberships is ideal. This increases the likelihood of quicker and more seamless airport experiences.

Fortunately, you can avoid paying out of pocket for these advantages because a lot of credit cards fully cover the cost of both TSA PreCheck and Clear.

As business attorneys in California, we frequently fly to various cities for court and meetings. We value time more than saving $110. Therefore, TSA Precheck allows us to reach the departing gate quickly. TSA Precheck is better for our attorneys.

TSA PreCheck: What Is It?

The government oversees TSA PreCheck, which is accessible to fliers who pass an early screening procedure. Available to citizens of the United States and several other countries, it entails a background review to see if a person is eligible to bypass airport security procedures. Taking off your belt and shoes, clearing out drinks or devices (such as computers and phones), and removing outerwear like light jackets are a few examples.

What is the TSA PreCheck procedure?

You receive a Known Traveler Number after being accepted for TSA PreCheck. You can use this number to make reservations on your airline or store it in your frequent flyer account. From now on, your tickets will have a TSA PreCheck designation on them. This allows you to employ a streamlined security screening process in over two hundred domestic airports. The initiative involves over eighty-five foreign and domestic airlines.

Members of TSA PreCheck go through a standard metal detector as opposed to a full body scanner. Some people find the scanner intrusive. Additionally, you’ll typically pass security much more quickly. In March 2023, over 89% of travelers who qualified for PreCheck waited for 5 minutes or fewer, according to the TSA.

With PreCheck, the TSA does not promise quicker processing. Security personnel may occasionally require you to undergo a random additional review of your luggage.

Ways to register for TSA PreCheck

Citizens of the United States and other countries who satisfy specific residency conditions may apply for TSA Precheck online and pay the application fee of $78. The application is valid for 5 years and can be easily renewed online for an additional $70 each after that time. Your last step in the application process is to go to an enrollment facility for a quick interview after submitting your application online and getting conditional permission.

Kids under the age of twelve may also apply. However, they must pay to become members in order to use the TSA PreCheck line when you fly with them. The TSA PreCheck indicator must be visible on the boarding pass in order for children 13 to 17 years old to travel with their parents or guardians who are TSA PreCheck members.

Enrolling in Global Entry might be better if you go abroad frequently. If you travel domestically most of the time, TSA PreCheck is a better option because it has a less complicated application process.

What does Clear mean?

Clear devices let visitors to skip lengthy security lines and reach a TSA screening location more quickly by using biometric data to identify people (as opposed to physically verifying picture identity). However, TSA PreCheck’s membership services are not included in Clear.

If you possess TSA PreCheck, you may proceed straight to the TSA PreCheck lane (in front of other travelers in line) after going through a Clear kiosk. If you don’t, you go to the standard screening line (also in front of other travelers in line). Saving time is actually Clear’s main advantage.

This suggests that you should apply for TSA PreCheck if you care about not having to take off your shoes, liquids, devices, and outerwear. Clear might stand alone if all you want to do is skip the line and don’t mind taking off your belongings and being scanned.

Clear is only accessible at a small number of domestic airports, as contrast to TSA PreCheck. Members proceed straight to the security lane after using a quicker queue to get their fingerprints or iris scanned. Stadiums and other locations where patrons must wait in line for a security check also provide Clear.

Additionally, as a benefit of your Clear membership, you will receive free Avis Preferred Plus status through Avis’s loyalty program. Benefits of having Avis Preferred Plus status include:

A complimentary upgrade to a single-car class when available.
The potential to accrue extra bonus points for every rental.
Eligibility for promotional discounts and exclusive offers.

To be eligible for Avis Preferred Plus, you normally have to spend $4,000 on eligible Avis purchases or do ten rentals in a calendar year.

How to submit a Clear application

Applying for Clear can be done online or in person at an airport Clear kiosk with proper identification from the government. In contrast to TSA PreCheck, applying for Clear does not require a background check; nonetheless, you must be an American citizen or lawful permanent resident who is at least 18 years old.

An annual membership in Clear is $189 (auto-renewals are feasible and do not need extra verification), and for an extra $60 per person, members may add as many as three family members. If they are traveling with a member of Clear, children under the age of eighteen can use a Clear lane at no charge.

If you would like to give Clear a try, you can do so for free for two months.

Is PreCheck not as good as Clear?

TSA PreCheck is preferable to Clear if you want to use just one because it is accessible at more airports, has shorter security lines, and simplifies the screening process. Only speedier security lanes are available to Clear members. Clear members are still required to take off their shoes, gadgets, drinks, and clothing in the absence of TSA PreCheck.

However, selecting between TSA PreCheck and Clear doesn’t have to be a binary decision. Having Clear expedites getting ahead of the oftentimes lengthy TSA PreCheck lane in numerous airports, which is why many TSA PreCheck members cherish it.

The greatest method to get in the air without waiting in line is still to use TSA PreCheck. Let’s say you intend to use Clear only at stadiums, when it will move you to the head of the queue more quickly. This would be the only true benefit of having Clear alone without TSA PreCheck.

For a variety of reasons, such as issues with a background check, not all citizens of the United States will be granted approval for TSA PreCheck. If so, Clear alone may be beneficial if you frequently depart from an airport with Clear lanes.

How does global entry compare?

Above we have been looking at Clear vs. TSA PreCheck. However, there is another option to consider known as Global Entry. Global Entry is available at 75 airports and has 116 enrollment centers. To get a Global Entry membership, you pay $100, then another $100 to renew. The Global Entry membership will last you 5 years. The perks of the Global Entry program include quicker immigration and preclearance at certain international airports. The Global Entry program also includes TSA PreCheck.

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