If you hate waiting in long airport security lines, you’ve likely found yourself considering a Clear+ membership. You may have even been tempted by one of the eager Clear employees who offer to whisk you away from those long lines and to one of the Clear kiosks to enroll and immediately skip to the front.
But the annual membership jumped from $199 in 2024 to $209 in 2025 and now, the company announced another $10 price hike taking effect this month.
At its new price of $219 per year, travelers should take a careful look at exactly what a Clear+ membership gets you and whether it’s worth it for the way you travel.
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How is Clear+ different from TSA PreCheck or Global Entry?
(Image credit: Kent Nishimura / Stringer)
If you’re trying to cut your wait time at the airport, you’ve likely tried to compare Clear+, TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. The differences can be confusing. But the short version is:
|
Program |
What it does |
Operated by |
Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
TSA PreCheck |
Speeds up TSA security screening |
U.S. government |
Up to $85 for five years |
|
Global Entry |
Speeds up U.S. customs when returning from international travel; includes TSA PreCheck |
U.S. government |
$120 for five years |
|
Clear+ |
Speeds up the ID check before TSA screening |
Private company |
$209 per year |
All three come with their own separate lines that can often be shorter than the general security line. A single traveler can pair the memberships for even faster processing through airport security.
Is Clear+ worth it?
Even before the latest price hike, Clear+ was already significantly more expensive than TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. As of this latest price hike, travelers are looking at a $219 bill every year to keep their Clear+ membership active.
Meanwhile, TSA PreCheck only costs $85 or less every five years and Global Entry costs $120 every five years. Global Entry also automatically includes TSA PreCheck so you wouldn’t need to enroll in both. That works out to a maximum of $24 per year compared to Clear’s $219 per year.
It’s also worth noting that many travel rewards cards offer full statement credits for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry so if you have one of those, you wouldn’t even need to pay the $24 per year to get access to those faster screening programs.
For less frequent travelers, the steeper price tag on a Clear+ membership is unlikely to pay off, especially as the Clear lane is not guaranteed to be the fastest lane. But for frequent flyers, pairing Clear+ with either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry can give you options at the airport so that you’re always in the fastest line, no matter what the lines look like that day.
If you can get Clear+ for free through your credit card (more on that below), there’s no reason not to go for it – unless you have privacy concerns around giving your data to a private company. But if you don’t have a way to get it for free, you’ll have to weigh the amount of time you currently spend waiting in airport security lines against that rising price tag.
How to get Clear+ for free (or cheap)
If you don’t have or want any of those American Express credit cards, you can also get a partial statement credit for Clear+ with Delta-branded American Express cards and United MileagePlus Premier cards.
All Delta SkyMiles American Express cards come with a $40 discount on the Clear+ membership. Meanwhile, if you have any of the United MileagePlus Premier cards, you’ll get $30 off the annual fee.
Lastly, Clear also offers special pricing for military and government employees. Currently, if you’re eligible for that special pricing, you can get the membership for just $125 per year.
