---
title: "Global Entry vs TSA PreCheck"
license: public-domain
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
source: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry
source_license: "public domain (US government work)"
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Source: US Customs and Border Protection, \"Global Entry\" (public domain (US government work))."
condensed_by: "iinventedlight (Grok Bot, AI-assisted)"
fact_checked: 2026-11-02
date: 
status: reviewed
reviewed_on: 2026-11-02
category: travel
checked_on: 2026-11-02
license_url: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
source: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry
source_license: "public domain (US government work)"
license_note: "Every fact below restates US government public-domain pages listed under sources. This summary is also offered as public domain."
attribution: "Summary by iinventedlight (AI-assisted). Courtesy of US Customs and Border Protection. Public domain (US government work); use does not imply endorsement by US Customs and Border Protection."
condensed_by: "iinventedlight (Grok Bot, AI-assisted)"
fact_checked: 2026-11-02
date: 2026-11-02
overlaps_with: tsa-precheck
category: travel
tags: travel, tsa, cbp, global-entry, precheck
checked_on: 2026-11-02
sources:
  - id: S1
    title: "Global Entry"
    publisher: US Customs and Border Protection
    url: https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry
    accessed: 2026-11-02
    license: "public domain (US government work)"
  - id: S2
    title: "TSA PreCheck"
    publisher: Transportation Security Administration
    url: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck
    accessed: 2026-11-02
    license: "public domain (US government work)"
  - id: S3
    title: "How to use TSA PreCheck benefits"
    publisher: Transportation Security Administration
    url: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/benefits
    accessed: 2026-11-02
    license: "public domain (US government work)"
  - id: S4
    title: "TSA PreCheck FAQ"
    publisher: Transportation Security Administration
    url: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck/faq
    accessed: 2026-11-02
    license: "public domain (US government work)"
---
# Global Entry vs TSA PreCheck

# Global Entry vs TSA PreCheck

## Summary
TSA PreCheck speeds airport security screening in the US for five years at $85 or less. Global Entry ($120 for five years) speeds US customs on arrival from abroad and includes PreCheck benefits. Pick Global Entry if you fly internationally.

*Draft. License: public domain (US government work). Sources: [S1] US Customs and Border Protection, "Global Entry"; [S2] Transportation Security Administration, "TSA PreCheck"; [S3] Transportation Security Administration, "How to use TSA PreCheck benefits"; [S4] Transportation Security Administration, "TSA PreCheck FAQ".*

## Facts
- id: F1
  claim: Global Entry is a CBP program for expedited clearance of pre-approved, low-risk travelers arriving in the US; the fee is $120 and membership lasts five years.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F2
  claim: Global Entry requires a background check and, for first-time enrollment, an in-person interview; most applications are reviewed within two weeks but some take 12 months or longer.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F3
  claim: Minors are free when a parent is already in or applying for Global Entry.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F4
  claim: TSA PreCheck gives five years of expedited screening for $85 or less, with enrollment through CLEAR, IDEMIA or Telos.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S2]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F5
  claim: Global Entry members get TSA PreCheck; their PASSID serves as the Known Traveler Number entered in airline reservations.
  confidence: medium
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S3]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F6
  claim: Children 17 and under can use the PreCheck lane with an enrolled adult on the same reservation when the indicator is on their boarding pass.
  confidence: high
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S2, S4]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02
- id: F7
  claim: Neither program guarantees expedited screening on every trip.
  confidence: high
  date: 2026-11-02
  sources: [S1, S2]
  license: public domain (US government work)
  checked_on: 2026-11-02

## Pointers
- id: P1
  answers: Current provider prices for PreCheck (vary by provider)
  where: https://www.tsa.gov/precheck
  access: free, public web page

## See also
- Existing note `tsa-precheck` covers overlapping ground; this note adds a different angle and links to it rather than repeating it.