Writer: Adam West
Editor: Lillian Guevara-Castro
Reviewer: Ashley Fricker
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Frequent travelers understand the misery of long airport security lines — unless they have one of the best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck®. These cards reimburse you for all or part of your fees to join one of these services and can make your travel experience even better with added benefits that come with being a cardholder (lounge access, anyone?).
There’s no need to wait in line while holding your belt and shoes, nervously staring as the minutes melt from the clock and your departure time nears. Instead, you could breeze through security, leave the other travelers in the dust, and still have time to grab a snack before boarding.
Best Overall
Consumer | Business | FAQs | Ranking Methodology
Best Overall Card For Global Entry & TSA PreCheck®
Whether you travel domestically or globally, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® has your back. All cardmembers receive a $100 application fee credit for either Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® — but that’s just the beginning.
- Earn 125,000 bonus points after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Get more than $2,700 in annual value with Sapphire Reserve.
- Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide & 1x points on all other purchases
- $300 annual travel credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
- Access over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide with a complimentary Priority Pass™ Select membership, plus every Chase Sapphire Lounge® by The Club with two guests. Plus, up to $120 towards Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck® every 4 years
- Get up to $150 in statement credits every six months for a maximum of $300 annually for dining at restaurants that are part of Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance, no foreign transaction fees, and more.
- Get complimentary Apple TV+, the exclusive streaming home of Apple Originals. Plus Apple Music — all the music you love, across all your devices. Subscriptions run through 6/22/27 — a value of $250 annually
- Member FDIC
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Chase Sapphire Reserve® was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
As a cardholder, you’ll receive $300 in travel credits each year that you can use to reimburse travel expenses for business or pleasure. After you receive your travel credit, you’ll begin accruing elevated Ultimate Rewards points on all travel-related expenses. And you’ll get 50% more value for all of your points when you redeem them through the Chase portal.
All this, plus you’ll have access to more than 1,300 premium lounges through your Priority Pass™ Select membership.
Other Top Cards For Global Entry & TSA PreCheck®
Some travel credit cards place limitations on how and when you can redeem your points. They impose blackout dates or carrier restrictions, so you can only book your travel during a predetermined availability window.
Other cards, such as the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, accrue miles that you can redeem to cover all or part of a previous travel-related purchase. And, for the benefit you specifically seek — cardholders receive up to a $120 application fee credit for your choice of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®.
- Earn a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Top rated mobile app
You’ll find no restrictions on how and when you redeem your miles, and your earnings have no expiration date, giving you the freedom to use your rewards whenever, and however, you choose.
The Platinum Card® from American Express has long been a frontrunner in the luxury travel card category. For a hefty annual fee, you can earn 5X membership rewards points for flights booked directly with airlines or flight and hotel bookings on American Express Travel.
Of course, benefits also include a statement credit toward Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or CLEAR fees when you use your Platinum American Express Card to pay for the application.
- Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
- Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
- Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
- Enjoy access to 1,300+ lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge and Landing locations and participating Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Top rated mobile app
A Capital One premium travel rewards card to rival the Reserve and Platinum offerings is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It has annual travel and anniversary credits that offset the annual fee, plus reimbursement for TSA Precheck or Global Entry fees.
- Earn 185,000 Marriott Bonvoy Bonus Points after you use your new Card to make $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of Card Membership.
- Earn 6X Points on hotels for eligible purchases at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3X Points at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines, and 2X Points for each dollar on everything else.
- Each calendar year, get up to $300 (up to $25 per month) in statement credits for eligible purchases made on the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® Card at restaurants worldwide.
- Receive 1 Free Night Award every year after your Card renewal month. Award can be used for one night (redemption level at or under 85,000 Marriott Bonvoy® points) at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy®
- Book direct using a special rate for a 2-night minimum stay at The Ritz-Carlton® or St. Regis® and get up to $100 in credit for qualifying charges.
- With Card Membership, you can enroll in Priority Pass™ Select, which offers unlimited access to over 1,200 lounges in over 130 countries, regardless of which carrier or class you are flying.
- $650 Annual Fee
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card pays out Marriott Bonvoy points on all purchases. All cardholders also receive a $100 statement credit for Global Entry or an $85 credit for TSA PreCheck® as well as complimentary Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite status and one free night at participating hotels and resorts each year.
Cardholders also get return protection, purchase protection, and extended warranty benefits — making this a great card to purchase electronics and other pricey items with.
Business Cards For Global Entry & TSA PreCheck®
If your business has you constantly traveling by air, you don’t want long security lines slowing you down. After all, time is money — and you can’t make money if you’re waiting in line.
With the cards below, you can earn premium rewards to help your business grow — and some will give you statement credits to pay for your TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry membership to speed up the security process.
- Earn a one-time welcome bonus of 100,000 miles once you spend $10,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 2X miles per dollar on every purchase, everywhere, no limits or category restrictions, and miles won't expire for the life of the account
- Receive up to $220 in credits: Receive an annual $50 travel credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel, up to an annual $50 statement credit for purchases at qualifying advertising or software merchants, plus up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® every four years. Terms and conditions apply
- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel
- Transfer your miles to 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Redeem your miles instantly for any travel-related purchases, from flights and hotels to ride-sharing services
- $95 annual fee
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
- Top rated mobile app
The Capital One Venture Business is our top choice for business travel credit cards because it doesn’t limit how you redeem your miles. Instead of navigating blackout dates and carrier restrictions, you can redeem your miles for statement credits that eliminate some, or all, of your previous travel-related expenses.
And, you’ll receive a statement credit for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, whichever you prefer.
- Earn 200,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $20,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of card membership
- Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, 1.5X points on business categories and purchases of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million per calendar year, and 1X point for each dollar you spend on other purchases.
- Get up to $400 back per year toward U.S. purchases with Dell Technologies, up to $360 back per year for purchases with Indeed, and $120 back per year for wireless telephone service purchases on the Business Platinum Card, plus additional credits. Enrollment is required for all.
- Access to more than 1,400 lounges across 140 countries and counting with the American Express Global Lounge Collection®
- Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, are charged by the airline to your Business Platinum Card® Account.
- $695 Annual Fee
The Business Platinum Card® charges a hefty annual fee, but you can offset that upfront cost if you properly manage the card’s many rewards. This includes 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels arranged through amextravel.com, an annual airline fee credit, and several business-related annual credits when you enroll.
When you pay with Membership Rewards points for all or part of an eligible airfare, you’ll get 35% of those points back. A $100 statement credit for Global Entry or $85 toward TSA PreCheck® membership helps get you through security and into one of the more than 1,200 lounges you’ll have access to through the American Express Global Lounge Collection.
Additional Disclosure: Non-Monetized. The information related to Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card was collected by CardRates and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of this product/card. Product details may vary. Please see issuer website for current information. CardRates does not receive commission for this product.
Southwest remains one of the country’s most popular airlines because of its low prices and high-end customer service. With the Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card, you can access the best of the airline carrier and all it has to offer.
After your first year with the card, you’ll also receive 9,000 bonus points that you can redeem for flights, gift cards, and more. You’ll also qualify for A-List status quicker because you can earn 1,500 tier qualifying points for every $10,000 spent. You need to earn 35,000 tier qualifying points or fly 25 Southwest Airlines® one-way qualifying flights per calendar year to qualify for A-List status.
What’s the Difference Between Global Entry & TSAPreCheck®?
You can join TSA PreCheck® as a standalone service or pay a little more to get the benefits of Global Entry in one membership.
TSA PreCheck® provides expedited security screening for flights departing from U.S. Airports. If you’ve flown lately, you’ve likely seen the separate line at most airport security checkpoints.
This line allows travelers to pass to the front of security. Most airports also allow members to get through security with fewer hurdles, such as taking off their shoes and belt.
Global Entry provides expedited U.S. customs screening for international travelers entering the United States. All international travelers must go through a security screening when entering the U.S. that can sometimes take hours to complete (depending on your arrival airport). Global Entry members check in at the Global Entry kiosk, which can save a tremendous amount of time on your trip.
TSA PreCheck® costs $85 and Global Entry costs $100 for a five-year membership. You can sign up at a local enrollment center or online through the Trusted Traveler Program (TTP).
The current processing time for new member applications is between two weeks and six months, so be sure to apply well before your next trip if you want to save time at the airport.
Can I Upgrade TSA PreCheck® to Global Entry?
Unfortunately, you cannot. While Global Entry members get all the benefits of TSA PreCheck®, you can only access the expedited customs screening process with a Global Entry membership.
Based on the current fee schedule, Global Entry costs just $15 more ($100) than TSA PreCheck® ($85) for a five-year membership. If you regularly travel abroad, it’s worth the added cost.
You must pay the $100 fee at the time of signup if you decide to add Global Entry — you cannot pay the $15 difference at a later date to add it.
Some people opt only for the TSA PreCheck® membership because the TSA has a history of rejecting Global Entry applications for seemingly minor infractions.
Plus, you’ll likely have to schedule an in-person interview for Global Entry consideration.
These appointments fill up fast and have limited interview locations. Some view this as an inconvenience if you don’t plan on using the service frequently.
If you qualify for both memberships, live close enough to an interview center, and plan on using the membership more than once over the five-year period, it’s worth the small added expense and time investment to minimize the security delays during overseas travel.
What is the Current Wait Time For Global Entry?
If you’re a first-time applicant to the program, you should plan for, at a minimum, a 90-day wait for approval. Unlike passports or other travel paperwork, you cannot pay for expedited Global Entry service.
Once you’ve submitted your application, you can track the vetting process through the Trusted Traveler Program website. The website provides updates on your application status and quickly notifies you if you’ve been approved, denied, or received conditional approval pending the submission of more information.
You can check the status of your application from your TTP Dashboard, which is displayed after you log in.
If conditionally approved, you will receive a notification to schedule an in-person interview. You must schedule this within 365 days of the update or risk losing your application fee.
If you’re not a frequent overseas traveler, you may want to consider the basic TSA PreCheck® program. While this program won’t help you with customs wait times, you can at least breeze through domestic security lines.
The current wait time to receive a decision on your TSA PreCheck® application is between two and three weeks after you submit it. Your membership — either through TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry — is good for five years after approval. More than 200 airports support TSA PreCheck®.
Is Global Entry Worth it?
If you regularly travel internationally, you can reap many rewards by breezing through security lines at domestic airports and customs checkpoints.
The average security wait time at some U.S. airports can be as long as one hour during busy times. Other U.S. airports (SFO being the slowest) may take up to an additional hour — or longer — when you’re returning to the U.S. from another country.
That said, the process to gain Global Entry access isn’t quick or painless. It can include an extensive interview, fees, and at least a six-month wait time before you receive a verdict.
And, if you’re denied, you won’t receive a refund of your fees. Archaic rules in the TSA’s acceptance standards cause applicants to be denied for seemingly minor infractions that may have taken place several years ago.
That said, Global Entry is a tremendously beneficial program for frequent international travelers. But, if you don’t plan on leaving the U.S. much over the next five years, you may want to consider signing up for TSA PreCheck® instead.
You may consider TSA PreCheck® instead of Global Entry if your flights are mostly domestic. Photo credits: tsa.gov
This will help you save time on your domestic flights, and it has far more lenient acceptance standards with a two- to three-week turnaround.
Ranking Methodology
Our list of the best credit cards for Global Entry and TSA PreCheck® benefits evaluates cards that reimburse cardholders for the fees associated with these services. We assessed each card’s annual fees, rates and terms offered, rewards programs and redemption values, other travel perks offered, and other criteria relevant to this article.
CardRates’ reviews undergo a thorough editorial integrity process to ensure that content is not compromised by advertiser influence.
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Editorial Note: Our site content is not provided or commissioned by any credit card issuer(s). Opinions expressed on CardRates.com are the author's alone, not those of any credit card issuer, and have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by credit card issuers. Every reasonable effort has been made to maintain accurate information; however, all credit card offer details, including information about rewards, signup bonuses, introductory offers, and other terms and conditions, is presented without warranty. Clicking on any offer on CardRates.com will direct you to the issuer's website, where you can review the current terms and conditions of the offer.
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