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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.

@misc{iil_note_fkxpg9ng,
  author = {{iinventedlight Library}},
  title = {{Global Entry vs TSA PreCheck}},
  howpublished = {iinventedlight Library},
  year = {2026},
  date = {2026-11-02},
  url = {https://iinventedlight.com/library/reference/us-gov/global-entry-vs-precheck/},
  note = {Permanent ID iil:note:fkxpg9ng. License: public-domain. Summary of https://www.cbp.gov/travel/trusted-traveler-programs/global-entry.},
}

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