Best Credit Cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck January 2024
Being able to bypass regular security or speed through customs lines for expedited clearance can make traveling a bit less stressful and chaotic. The best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck offer benefits that help offset the cost of applying for these security clearances.
Both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck cost around $100 and need to be renewed every five years. Owning a credit card that offers an application fee credit can cover that cost. We analyzed a broad swath of credit cards in this category, from a variety of issuers, to curate a list of the very best. Here are our selections.
Why trust our credit card experts
Our team of experts evaluates hundreds of credit cards and analyzes thousands of data points to help you find the best card for your situation. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 35+ cards analyzed.
- 8 data points considered.
- 5-step fact-checking process.
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase Bank USA, NA’s Secure Website
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
Best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck of January 2024
Best for elevated rewards redemption
Chase Sapphire Reserve®
On Chase Bank USA, NA’s Secure Website
Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards® immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining. Earn 1x points on all other purchases.
Best for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
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Get 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on American Express Travel; Earn 1.5X points on eligible purchases at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year. Earn 1X points on other eligible purchases.
Best for easy-to-earn welcome bonus
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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Earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases and 5 miles per dollar on flights and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel.
Best for big business spenders
Capital One Venture X Business Card
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Earn 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked via Capital One Travel, 2 miles per $1 on all eligible purchases.
Best for United frequent flyers
United Club℠ Infinite Card
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Earn 4 miles per $1 spent on United® purchases; Earn 2 miles per $1 spent on all other travel and on dining, including eligible delivery services; and earn 1 mile per $1 spent on all other purchases.
Compare the best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck:
Best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck of January 2024
Best for elevated rewards redemption: Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Why this card made the list
When it comes to redeeming your rewards for travel, Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholders get a 50% boost in their points value when booking through the Chase Ultimate Rewards® portal. For example, 60,000 points would be worth $900.
Cardholders receive a statement credit of up to $100 every four years for either Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS application fees. NEXUS is to expedite security screening for travel between the U.S. and Canada. The card also offers Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership (enrollment required) and an up to $300 annual travel credit.
Chase Sapphire Reserve travelers can also rest easy knowing that their card covers a slew of generous travel protections, including emergency evacuation and transportation, trip and baggage insurance/reimbursements and primary car rental insurance.
- Annual fee: $550.
- Rewards: 5 points per $1 on flights and 10 points per $1 on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards® after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: $0.
Best for international airport lounge access: The Platinum Card® from American Express
Why this card made the list
The Platinum Card® from American Express (terms apply, rates & fees) has a whole lot more to offer than just a statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fees and an up to $189 CLEAR® Plus credit. This is the ultimate card for heavy travelers seeking luxury perks.
These perks include elite hotel and rental car status, an up to $200 annual hotel statement credit, an up to $200 annual airline incidental fee statement credit, up to $200 in annual Uber Cash (disbursed in monthly increments), an up to $240 annual digital entertainment statement credit and access to the American Express Global Lounge Collection® of more than 1,400 airport lounges in over 500 airports around the world. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
- Annual fee: $695.
- Rewards: 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel on up to $500,000 per calendar year, 5 points per $1 on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel and 1 point per $1 on other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first six months of card membership.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
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Why this card made the list
While The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
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The information for the The Business Platinum Card® from American Express has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
(terms apply) comes with a high $695 annual fee, what your business gets in return more than makes up for it.
In addition to offering a fee statement credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck membership every four or four and a half years, respectively, cardholders also get an up to $189 CLEAR® Plus credit. CLEAR Plus is a paid airport membership allowing travelers to speed through security via special access at more than 50 airports (mostly domestic) as well as over 15 arenas and stadiums.
Cardholders can also receive over $1,000 in annual statements credits, plus the most comprehensive airport lounge access of any card on the market.
- Annual fee: $695.
- Rewards: 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels through American Express Travel, 1.5 points per $1 at U.S. construction material & hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers and software and cloud system providers, shipping providers, and purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million per calendar year and 1 point per $1 on other eligible purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 120,000 Membership Rewards points after spending $15,000 on eligible purchases in the first three months of card membership.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
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Why this card made the list
While the other cards on this list may have more robust welcome bonuses, the required spend to earn that bonus is much higher than what’s required for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
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The information for the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
. Plus, the card comes with an up to $100 credit every four years for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Cardholders also receive a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus and a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel.
You’ll also get access to Capital One, Priority Pass (enrollment required) and Plaza Premium Group lounges. The primary cardholder can bring up to two guests in with them, making it a great option for those traveling with large groups.
- Annual fee: $395.
- Rewards: 2 miles per $1 on purchases, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked through Capital One Travel and 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel.
- Welcome bonus: 75,000 miles after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
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Why this card made the list
The Capital One Venture X Business Card
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The information for the Capital One Venture X Business Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
offers a huge welcome bonus but with an equally huge spend to earn it. There’s also a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel and an additional 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary — which can negate the card’s $395 annual fee.
There is a statement credit of up to $100 available every four years when you use your card to apply or renew for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. Primary cardholders also receive complimentary Priority Pass (enrollment required) and Capital One airport lounge access, which includes entry for the cardholder and up to two guests.
- Annual fee: $395.
- Rewards: 10 miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars booked via Capital One Travel, 5 miles per $1 on flights booked via Capital One Travel, 2 miles per $1 on other eligible purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 150,000 miles after spending $30,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: None.
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Why this card made the list
The United Club℠ Infinite Card
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The information for the United Club℠ Infinite Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
offers a credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for the application fee for either Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. You’ll also receive a complimentary United Club airport lounge membership, which typically costs $650 per year.
United travelers with the card will also receive Premier Access travel services with the airline — which includes priority security lanes, priority boarding and baggage handling — as well as free first and second checked bags for the cardholder and one traveling companion. And, you can earn 500 Premier qualifying points (PQPs) for every $12,000 spent on the United Club Infinite Card (up to 8,000 PQPs in a calendar year), which can be applied toward Premier status qualification.
- Annual fee: $525.
- Rewards: 4 miles per $1 at United, 2 miles per $1 on all other travel, dining including eligible delivery services and 1 mile on all other purchases.
- Welcome bonus: 90,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.
- Foreign transaction fees: $0.
Our credit cards team has spent hours analyzing hundreds of travel credit cards. We took a deep dive into the details of each product and that analysis, combined with our years of experience covering credit cards, informed us as we developed these credit card rankings. We factored the following into our analysis:
- Annual fees.
- Travel reward rates.
- Value of rewards.
- Redemption options.
- Additional benefits that a card may offer for travelers, such as travel insurance.
Global Entry vs. TSA PreCheck
While Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are both Department of Homeland Security Trusted Traveler programs, they aren’t the same.
TSA PreCheck offers expedited security screening only at U.S. airports, where Global Entry provides faster security processing through customs and immigration when returning to the U.S. from abroad.
If you travel both domestically and internationally, it may be wise to apply for Global Entry as membership includes TSA PreCheck.
TSA PreCheck
TSA PreCheck costs $78 for new applicants and lasts five years. Renewal costs vary by provider and can cost anywhere from $70 to $78. To apply, visit tsa.gov/precheck and select an enrollment provider and location near you.
Once your application is submitted online, you will have to attend a 10-minute appointment where you will be fingerprinted, photographed, undergo a security check and provide payment. You will need to bring a valid driver’s license, passport or permanent resident card for identity verification.
Once approved, you’ll receive a Known Traveler Number (KTN). When you include your KTN on your airline reservations, the TSA PreCheck should appear on your boarding pass.
The benefits include a dedicated security line for TSA PreCheck travelers where you won’t have to remove your shoes, belt, light jackets or remove liquids from your bags. Plus, children under 17 traveling with you on the same reservation can go through TSA PreCheck security checks.
Global Entry
Global Entry costs $100 for new applicants and also lasts five years. Renewal costs the same amount. You can apply by creating a Trusted Traveler Program account, then login and complete the application (which requires a non-refundable payment).
Know that it may take anywhere from four to six months for your application to be processed. Once your application is accepted and conditionally approved, you’ll be instructed to set up an interview at a Global Entry enrollment center. You’ll need to bring a valid passport and another form of ID, such as a driver’s license or ID card or permanent resident card.
Global Entry has eligibility restrictions that may prevent you from acceptance, which can be found at cbp.gov. Once approved, you’ll enter your Known Traveler Number on your travel reservations, which will also get you TSA PreCheck clearance.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Global Entry, a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program, allows expedited clearance for approved travelers when arriving in the U.S. from international destinations via specialized kiosks. Once going through a thorough background check, interview and paying the $100 fee, approved applicants can move more quickly through customs.
Global Entry needs to be renewed every five years and includes TSA PreCheck. It costs $100 for new applicants.
TSA PreCheck is limited to domestic travel in the United States and allows you to go through expedited security lines where you aren’t required to remove your shoes, belts, light jackets, liquid bags or laptops. It costs $78 for new applicants and has to be renewed every five years.
Yes, when you enter your Global Entry Known Traveler Number on your airline reservation, your boarding pass should include TSA PreCheck clearance.
Global Entry applicants are subjected to a more thorough background check than TSA PreCheck, which can include a criminal history, arrest warrant and firearm checks, as well as citizenship verification.
If you travel both internationally and domestically throughout the year, then you’d benefit from just applying for Global Entry since it includes TSA PreCheck.
For rates and fees for The Platinum Card® from American Express please visit this page.
