Should I get TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, and which is better for international travel?

What each one actually gets you

TSA PreCheck is a domestic-security shortcut. On participating airlines at US airports you use a dedicated lane, usually keep your shoes, belt and light jacket on, leave liquids and laptops in the bag, and walk through a metal detector rather than a body scanner. It does nothing at the border.

Global Entry is a border programme. It gives you the Trusted Traveler lane at US customs — in practice a kiosk or app-based declaration and a short conversation instead of the main queue — and, crucially, it bundles TSA PreCheck, so you get the domestic lane too. That bundling is why the price comparison is lopsided.

If you fly internationally even once in five years, Global Entry is usually the cheaper of the two per useful feature. If you only ever fly domestically, PreCheck is the whole of what you need.

Cost, compared honestly

• TSA PreCheck: about $78 to $85 for five years, depending on which of the official enrolment providers you use. There is no interview beyond a short in-person visit for fingerprints and document checks.

• Global Entry: $120 for five years, including TSA PreCheck. Children under 18 can be added free when a parent or guardian is a member or applying at the same time.

Several US travel credit cards reimburse the application fee as a statement credit, which turns either into a free benefit if you already hold one. Check the current terms rather than assuming — the credit is usually once every four to five years.

How long it takes, which is the real difference

PreCheck background vetting is typically three to five days, occasionally a few weeks. Once you are approved you attend a short enrolment appointment, and your Known Traveler Number is active almost immediately after.

Global Entry is the slow one. US Customs and Border Protection says many applications get a decision within two weeks, but anything complicated can run four to six months. After conditional approval you still need an interview, and appointment slots at busy enrolment centres can be weeks or months out.

The workaround worth knowing: Enrolment on Arrival. You can complete the Global Entry interview when you land back in the US from an international trip, without booking a separate appointment. It is often the fastest route to finishing the process — but you need to be arriving from abroad, so it only helps after a trip.

Which to choose

Get Global Entry if you travel internationally at all, want the customs lane, and can start the process early enough that a slow background check does not matter. Applying months before a trip costs nothing extra.

Get PreCheck alone if your travel is domestic, or if you have an international trip coming up soon and would rather have a usable number in a week than a pending application. You can add Global Entry later; the PreCheck membership does not transfer, but the fee is small enough that overlapping a year or two is not a disaster.

If you are not a US citizen or lawful permanent resident, neither is open to you in the standard form — Global Entry has separate arrangements with a list of partner countries, and PreCheck eligibility depends on your airline and immigration status. Check the official programme pages rather than a blog.

After you are approved

Add your Known Traveler Number to every airline booking, not just your frequent-flyer profile — it has to be on the reservation itself. On most US carriers you can add it to an existing booking, and a number entered only in a saved profile will not always carry across.

Global Entry members also need to keep their passport details current. If you renew your passport you must update it in the Trusted Traveler system, or the kiosk will not match you and you will be sent to the regular queue.

Frequently asked questions