Traveling This Holiday Season? Here's How to Get TSA PreCheck for Free

Is there anything we dread more than a long line during the holiday season? Getting through airport security can be a nightmare in busy airports, especially this time of year. With TSA PreCheck lane, you can breeze through long lines without ever taking your shoes off.

The right credit card can also help you enjoy this membership for free, if it offers a full travel credit for TSA PreCheck.

With a five-year membership starting at $78, the price tag of TSA PreCheck breaks down to about $16 a year, a cost that can be well worth it for frequent travelers. However, many credit cards offer statement credits toward the cost of TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus when you pay the application fee with your card. While this benefit is commonly offered from premium travel cards that charge hundreds in annual fees, I’ve found a good selection of no- or low-annual-fee cards that offer this perk. You’re welcome.

Read more: Which Credit Cards Offer Airport Lounge Access for Free? We Do the Math

First, make sure to apply for the right travel program

Before you start browsing card benefits for TSA PreCheck, consider if you need a different travel program like Global Entry or Nexus.

TSA PreCheck vs. Global Entry vs. Nexus

TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and Nexus are all trusted traveler programs run by the Department of Homeland Security. These programs have slightly different uses and application criteria, but all serve the same purpose: to give prescreened travelers a streamlined process at US airport security or when crossing certain border checkpoints. 

All these programs require an application — and an accompanying nonrefundable application fee — but an application doesn’t guarantee acceptance. Applicants must be vetted and undergo an in-person enrollment or interview (depending on the program) to gain membership. You may be denied if you have a criminal history, falsify application information, or have violated federal security or customs/immigration regulations, among other reasons. 

TSA PreCheck members can access dedicated TSA PreCheck security screening lanes when available, which may result in shorter waits than standard lanes. You won’t need to remove your shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets when going through security either. 

Global Entry and Nexus members can automatically get TSA PreCheck in addition to streamlined processing at certain international borders.

Here’s a quick comparison of the three programs and their benefits:

How to get TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus through a credit card

Certain credit cards, typically travel cards, offer a statement credit for the application or membership fee to TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus or other expedited airport screening programs like CLEAR. Different cards offer credits for different programs, but TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are the most common. 

In order to get this credit, you must pay your application or renewal fee with this credit card. In most cases, you’ll get a credit for one application fee for the actual fee amount up to the maximum credit amount. For example, if your card offers a $120 credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry and you opt for TSA PreCheck with an $85 application fee, you’ll only get $85 in statement credit, not $120. If you apply for multiple programs, the statement credit typically gets applied just to the first one. 

Apart from giving you a statement credit for the application fee, your credit card issuer has nothing to do with the program or the application process. Everyone applies through the same official application channels run by the US government. This is different from perks like credit card Priority Pass, where cardholders activate their membership through their card issuer.

Most cards offer one credit every four years or so, which is enough to get continuous coverage for one person as TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Nexus memberships all last five years. 

Pro tip: The application fee for Global Entry and Nexus recently increased on Oct. 1, 2024, from $100 and $50, respectively, to $120 for each. Some credit cards have updated their credit to reflect the new fee amounts, while others haven’t. If a card’s maximum credit amount is less than the current application fee for Global Entry or Nexus, you won’t be fully reimbursed for the fee. 

Credit cards that offer TSA PreCheck or Global Entry reimbursement for free

If you’re looking to get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry without having to pay an annual fee for a credit card, here are the no-annual-fee cards I’d recommend:

*Credit union card; may need to meet certain membership eligibility criteria to apply. 

$0 intro annual fee cards with TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus credits

There are certain cards that waive their annual fee for your first year, essentially getting you a credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus for no extra money. 

*Credit union card; may need to meet certain membership eligibility criteria to apply. 

While you could technically get the card, use the credit and then cancel the card for no out-of-pocket cost, doing so could damage your credit score or chance of getting approved by the same issuer again.

Low annual fee cards that offer TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus credits

If you want a higher tier travel credit card, you might consider a card that charges an annual fee that’s lower than the credit it offers for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or Nexus. While you technically won’t be getting a membership for free, you could still save more than you would by buying the membership outright.

Keep in mind that you’ll only offset your costs for the first out of four years (in most cases). Most cards only receive one credit every four years. For the other three years, you won’t be able to offset the annual fee with this particular credit, although the card may offer other travel benefits or rewards that make the annual fee worth it. 

Like with the $0 intro annual fee cards, you in theory could cancel these cards after you’ve received the credit the first year, but do so at your own risk.

*Credit union card; may need to meet certain membership eligibility criteria to apply. 
**(see rates and fees)

Do you really need TSA PreCheck? Thoughts from a frequent traveler who almost never uses it

I’ve been traveling for the past year — I’ve visited over 36 countries since September of 2023 — but I rarely use TSA PreCheck since I’m not in the US often. I’ve flown out of domestic airports a total of five times during this timeframe and only used TSA PreCheck for one or two of those flights. 

TSA PreCheck hasn’t been very helpful for me — at least not yet. My home airport has relatively short general screening lines, and taking my laptop out or my shoes off isn’t a huge deal. This is definitely not a membership I would pay cash or open an annual-fee card for, nor one I would renew unless I got it for free again.

But that’s just me. If you frequently fly in and out of US airports, or if your home airport is large and has long security lines, TSA PreCheck can be a major convenience and time saver. 

For now, I feel the same way about TSA PreCheck as I do about Priority Pass: it’s nice to have and occasionally useful, but it’s not going to make or break my travel experience. It’s also far from my top concern when choosing a new credit card. 

More travel advice

*All information about the Aeroplan® Credit Card, Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card, Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, Choice Privileges® Select Mastercard®, IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card, Navy Federal Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Card*, PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card, Truist Enjoy Beyond credit card, USAA Eagle Navigator™ Visa Signature® Credit Card*, American Airlines Credit Union Visa® Signature credit*, Arvest Visa Signature® Credit Card, Truist Enjoy Travel credit card, U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card, Capital One® Spark® Miles Card, Provident World+ Travel® Visa Signature®*, Truist Business Travel Rewards credit card and the United℠ Explorer Card has been collected independently by CNET and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

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