I recently applied to renew my Global Entry and I used a credit card that provides a fee credit for Global Entry so I am getting Global Entry for free.  There are many many credit cards that will reimburse you for the cost of Global Entry (and TSA Precheck) so chances are you have one of these cards.  If you don’t already have a card that reimburses you for the Global Entry fee, you might want to think about whether it makes sense to apply for one of them before you apply for Global Entry so that you can offset the cost.

Global Entry Fee Reimbursement 

Several credit cards and charge cards reimburse cardholders for the Global Entry application fee ($100).

Most (but not all) of these cards also reimburse the fee for TSA Precheck ($85).

Although NEXUS and SENTRI include TSA Precheck and Global Entry benefits, the fees for NEXUS or SENTRI are NOT reimbursed by any of these cards.

How Does the Global Entry Fee Credit Work?

The free Global Entry/TSA Pre benefit appears as a statement credit after that card is used to pay for the Global Entry or TSA Precheck fee.

The benefit, however, can only be used once every 4 or 5 years (depending on the card) and only for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck – not both.  (Global Entry lasts about 5 years but you can renew it a year before the expiration date.)

More specific information regarding the reimbursement of Global Entry or TSA Precheck fees can be found in the terms and conditions for each card.

Can You Use Your Global Entry/TSA Fee Credits for Others?

Yes, you can use the fee credit for another person – the banks don’t know who applied for Global Entry.  It does not have to be a family member or authorized user, you just have to give that person your credit card information.

List of Credit/ Charge Cards That Reimburse Global Entry Fee

Below is the current list of all cards that reimburse the Global Entry fee.  We don’t have credit card affiliate links but a couple of these links are our personal referral links.

•  The First National Bank of Omaha TravElite American Express® Card  – No annual fee card but not open to new applicants
•  PenFed Pathfinder Rewards American Express – No annual fee card  – Every 5 years
•  Provident World+ Travel – No annual fee card  – Every 4 years
•  Navy Federal Flagship Rewards Visa Signature – $49 annual fee but only available for members of the armed forces, veterans and their families – Every 4 years
•  SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card  – $89 annual fee (waived first year)  – Every 5 years
•  Chase United Explorer Card– $95 annual fee (waived first year) – Every 4 years
•  Capital One Venture  –  $95 annual fee (waived first year) – Every 4 years
•  Spark Miles from Capital One  –  $95 annual fee (waived first year) – Every 4 years
•  U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express Card – $85 annual fee – Every 5 years
•  IHG® Rewards Club Premier Credit Card – $89 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card – $95 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  Expedia+ Voyager Card from Citi – $95 annual fee – Every year as part of annual fee credit
•  Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card – $199 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card  – $400 annual fee but exclusive to U.S. Bank customers – Every 4 years
•  CNB Crystal Visa Infinite – $400 annual fee  – Every 4 years
•  Chase Sapphire Reserve – $450 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  Citi /AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard – $450 annual fee – Every 5 years
•  Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card – $450 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  SKYPASS Select Visa Signature® Card – $450 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  Citi Prestige Card – $495 – Every 5 years
•  UBS Visa Infinite  – $495 annual fee – Every 5 years
•  Platinum Card from American Express – $550 annual fee – Every 4 years -Terms Apply
•  Business Platinum Card from American Express -$595 annual fee – Every 4 years
•  Ritz-Carlton Rewards Credit Card  – Not open to new applicants – Every 4 years
•  Barclays Arrival® Premier World Elite Mastercard® – Not open to new applicants – Every 5 years
•  Barclay AAdvantage Aviator Silver World Elite MasterCard  – Not open to new applicants – Every 5 years
•  Centurion Card from American Express – By invitation only -Terms Apply– $2,500 annual fee plus $7,500 initiation fee

I believe these are all the cards that offer a Global Entry reimbursement. (Let me know if I am missing any.)

Should You Apply for a Credit Card Just for the Global Entry Fee Credit?

Many travelers already have one of more of these cards but if you don’t you might wonder if it worth getting a new credit card before applying/renewing Global Entry. Personally I would not apply for a credit card solely to avoid the Global Entry fee but I would consider if it was a card that was useful to me.

Most of these cards charge high annual fees (but most offer additional airline fee credits which may offset the high annual fees).

However if a card has no annual fee or a fee under $100 it might be worth applying for the card before your Global Entry application so that you can get it for free. If that is the case I would consider either the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card or the Chase United Explorer Card. Both have an $95 annual fee but it waived for the first year. However both these cards might be hard to get- the United card is subject to Chase 5/24 and Capital One is tough in approving new credit cards.

Also applying for many cards makes it harder to get approved for new credit cards, so you don’t want to get a card you don’t need just for the Global Entry credit and have a hard time getting approved for another card you really want.

Ready to get Global Entry? For more information on Global Entry see related posts:
• Guide to Global Entry: Application and Interview Process
• How to Renew Global Entry