Although I’ve found Global Entry (which also includes TSA Precheck) well worth the $100 application fee, when I renewed my Global Entry I was able to get Global Entry for free.
It is easy to get Global Entry and TSA Precheck for free – including many credit and charge cards that will reimburse you for the cost of the Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fee.
How to Get Global Entry or TSA Precheck for Free
Credit Cards that Reimburse Global Entry and TSA Precheck Fees
Several credit cards and charge cards provide a reimbursement of the Global Entry or TSA Precheck application fees (the application fee for Global Entry is $100 and the fee for TSA Precheck is $85). It is important to note that although NEXUS and SENTRI include TSA Precheck and Global Entry benefits, the fees for NEXUS or SENTRI are NOT reimbursed by these cards.
Below is the current list of all cards that will reimburse you for Global Entry and/or TSA Precheck fees:
• Provident World+ Travel Visa Signature Card – $45 annual fee, waived the first year
• HSBC Premier World Mastercard Credit Card – $95 annual fee, waived for qualified Premier clients (TSA Pre only)
• Navy Federal Credit Union Visa Signature Flagship Rewards – $49 annual fee but only available for members of the armed forces, veterans and their families
• U.S. Bank FlexPerks Gold American Express® Card – $85 annual fee
• IHG Rewards Club Premier Credit Card – $89 annual fee
• SunTrust Travel Rewards Credit Card – $89 annual fee (waived first year)
• BB&T Spectrum Travel Rewards Credit Card – $89 (waived first year) – Limited to $85 statement credit
• Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card – $95 annual fee
• Spark® Miles from Capital One – $95 annual fee (waived first year)
• Chase United Explorer Card – $95 annual fee (waived first year)
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards Credit Card – $95 annual fee
• Expedia® Rewards Voyager Card from Citi – $95 annual fee – Part of annual fee credit
• Commerce Bank World Elite Mastercard – $95 annual fee (TSA PreCheck only)
• Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card – $199 annual fee
• United Quest Card – $250 annual fee
• Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Card – $250 annual fee
• American Express Corporate Gold Card – $250 annual fee
• HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard Credit Card – $395 annual fee PLUS $65 for each authorized user (waived for customers with a qualifying U.S. HSBC Jade or Private Bank relationship)
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite Card – $400 annual fee but exclusive to U.S. Bank customers
• CNB Crystal Visa Infinite (Global Entry only) – $400 annual fee
• Citi /AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard -$450 annual fee
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express Card – $450 annual fee
• SKYPASS Select Visa Signature Card – $450 annual fee
• Citi Prestige Card – $495 annual fee
• UBS Visa Infinite – $495 annual fee
• Mastercard® Black Card -$495 annual fee (Global Entry only)
• United Club Infinite Card – $525 annual fee
• Chase Sapphire Reserve – $550 annual fee
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Card – $550 annual fee
• Platinum Card from American Express – $550 annual fee
• American Express Corporate Platinum Card – $550 annual fee
• Business Platinum Card from American Express -$595 annual fee
• Mastercard® Gold Card -$995 annual fee (Global Entry only)
• Centurion Card from American Express – $5,000 annual fee plus one-time joining fee of $10,000 available by invitation only
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 to 5 years depending on the card and only for either Global Entry or TSA Precheck – not both.
If you have any of these cards, make sure you take advantage of the fee credit. If you are considering applying for one of these cards, do so before applying for or renewing your Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check. Most of these cards charge high annual fees so I would not get a card solely for the Global Entry or TSA Pre fee reimbursement. Some of these cards offer additional airline fee credits which may offset the high annual fee but it depends on whether those are of use to you personally.
More specific information regarding the reimbursement of Global Entry and TSA Precheck fees can be found in the terms and conditions for each card.
Redeeming Points and Miles for Free TSA Precheck
You can also redeem some of your points or miles for free TSA Precheck. Personally I would not use my miles/points for free TSA Precheck given that so many credit cards offer TSA Precheck reimbursement but if you have points in a travel loyalty program that you don’t need it is good to have the option.
• IHG Rewards: Redeem 30,000 points
• Marriott Bonvoy: Redeem 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points
• Radisson Rewards: Redeem 65,000 points
• Southwest Rapid Rewards: Redeem 10,000 Rapid Rewards points
• United MileagePlus: Redeem 11,000 miles
More Ways to Get Free TSA Precheck
• Orbitz Rewards Platinum members have a choice to receive free TSA Precheck (but not free Global Entry) as one of their perks
• Children 12 years old or younger get free TSA Precheck when traveling with a parent or guardian that has TSA Precheck but children do not get free Global Entry.
For more information on how to apply for Global Entry and TSA Precheck see related posts:
• Guide to Global Entry: Application and Interview Process
• How to Renew Global Entry
• How to Get TSA PreCheck
• TSA Precheck vs. Global Entry: Which Is Best For You?
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Thank you for sharing- I’ve been contemplating getting this for a while now and I am definitely going to look into these tips!
If you already have flight reservations, will TSA pre-check help?
Yes as long as you can enter your known traveler number on your frequent flyer account before your flight.
To get to use TSA precheck, you have to call the airline in order to input your known traveler number on file so a TSA precheck logo can be printed on your boarding pass. However, some budget airlines like Spirit and Frontier do not enroll in the program so no one can use TSA precheck even though you are a member. At the airport, they will check your boarding pass for that TSA precheck logo before allowing you to the lane.
It would be useful to list the annual fee for these cards. Many of them are quite pricey – as much as $500.
That’s a good idea. Will try to revise the post and add the annual fees. Some cards do have a high annual fee but they offer annual credits that can offset the fee. I would not apply for those cards solely for the free Global Entry but it would be a bonus.
You are absolutely right. The whole thing is a money making scam for TSA. My income and ability/willingness to pay a $85 – $100 fee for this privilege is just pure B.S.
The Pre Check or Global pass should be issue for free based [purely on your background check ( which can easily be done on-line … thus not requiring any govt. employee to be paid )
Just applied for Global Entry today. It felt good charging it on my Chase Sapphire Reserve!
Glad to hear it. We are over 5/24 so have not been able to get the Chase Sapphire Reserve yet.
Or you could actually get it for free without these obscene annual fees (some as high as $550), by applying to the First National Bank of Omaha TravElite card that covers Global Entry, yet has no annual fee.
Missed that one! Revised the post to add it to the list of cards. Thanks!
I have one of the cards with a high annual fee but there are benefits – free companion tkt ( which covers the fee completely) and sky club membership and more
looks like First National Bank Travelite does not have an annual fee, covers cost for global entry also covers $100 of bag check and in flight food/drink fees plus gives you a bonus of $250 if you spend $2500 in 3 months
Yes, it almost sounds too good to be true! It’s a good option for people that don’t have the other premium credit cards on the list.
Coming at this from another direction, if you apply for a Nexus card, for example to use the drive-through lane at the US/Canada border, it costs $50. You get the Nexus card, plus they throw in Global Entry for free.
Strange but true.
Yes NEXUS is cheaper at $50 versus $100 for Global Entry but there are many credit cards that will reimburse you for the Global Entry fee so you would end up paying zero for Global Entry. None of those cards reimburse you for NEXUS however.
So if I already have TSA Precheck and I want Global Entry do I still have to pay the gull $100.00 fee or is there a way to add it onto TSA Precheck? Also, I am a US citizen but we are going to be flying out of Toronto Canada to go to Europe. Would it make more sense to get Nexus? Is Nexus only good for entry from US into Canada and vice versa? Looks like Brian’s comment states that Nexus is only $50.00.
You cannot add Global Entry to TSA Precheck, you would have to apply for Global Entry and pay the full $100.00 fee (unless you have one of the credit cards listed in this post which will reimburse you for the fee).
If you don’t have one of these cards, I would wait until your TSA Precheck expires and then apply for Global Entry or Nexus at that time.
Nexus is $50 so it is cheaper than Global Entry but none of these cards will reimburse you for Nexus. Nexus includes all the benefits of Global Entry but also expedited entry when you fly or drive into Canada. This post compares NEXUS to Global Entry so you might find it useful when deciding which one is best for you: https://thetravelsisters.com/how-to-get-tsa-precheck-global-entry-nexus-sentri
You can check TSA pre check by Arvest Visa Signature Credit Card.
Bank of America Premium Rewards card etc