Home › Travel
Travel

TSA PreCheck vs. Global Entry: Which One Should You Get?

PreCheck speeds up security when you leave a U.S. airport. Global Entry speeds up your return from abroad and includes PreCheck benefits. Here’s how they compare on cost and process.

By SHOP & SPOT EditorsLast reviewed Nov 9, 2026Research-based guide · 4 sources

This guide has no shopping links. When a guide does, we may earn a commission; it doesn’t change what we recommend. Affiliate disclosure

A passport and a boarding pass resting on a bag.

Photo: CardMapr.nl on Unsplash

This guide is for travelers deciding between the two trusted traveler programs, or wondering whether they need both.

Both programs save time at the airport, but at different points of the trip. PreCheck is about the security line when you depart. Global Entry is about customs when you come back into the United States.

The quick answer

  • Mostly domestic travel? TSA PreCheck covers the security checkpoint for a lower fee.
  • Traveling abroad at least occasionally? Global Entry costs more, but CBP says Global Entry members are eligible for TSA PreCheck benefits as well.3

Side by side

TSA PreCheck Global Entry
What it speeds up TSA security screening when you depart a U.S. airport, including to a foreign country2 Entry into the U.S. for pre-approved travelers3
Includes the other? No Members are eligible for PreCheck benefits3
Fee $77.95 to $85, depending on the enrollment provider1 $120, effective October 1, 20244
Membership length Five years2 Check CBP’s current terms when you apply
Interview Through the enrollment provider In-person interview, after background checks4
Who can enroll U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents2 See CBP’s eligibility rules

What PreCheck changes at security

TSA says PreCheck members don’t need to remove shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts or light jackets.1 TSA also says children 17 and under can join an adult in the PreCheck lane when PreCheck appears on the child’s boarding pass.1

The liquids limit itself doesn’t change. See our TSA liquids guide.

How to decide

Our advice:

  1. If you take one international trip in the next five years, the price gap between the two is small compared with the time Global Entry can save on return.
  2. If you never leave the country, PreCheck alone is enough.
  3. Check whether a credit card you already have reimburses the application fee before you pay.
  4. Apply well before a trip; interviews and approvals can take time.

Before you apply

  • Count your expected international trips.
  • Compare the current fees on TSA’s and CBP’s sites.
  • Have your passport and ID ready for the application.
  • Put your Known Traveler Number on every airline booking once approved.

Sources & method

How we researched this

  • This is a research-based guide, not a hands-on product test.
  • Every measurement and safety figure is attributed to the source it comes from. Where we give our own advice, we say so.
  • We don’t rank or recommend specific products in this guide.

Sources

  1. TSA PreCheck, Transportation Security Administration. Accessed Nov 9, 2026.
  2. TSA PreCheck FAQ, Transportation Security Administration. Accessed Nov 9, 2026.
  3. Global Entry Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed Nov 9, 2026.
  4. CBP Announces Trusted Traveler Programs Fee Changes, U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Accessed Nov 9, 2026.

Review history

  • Published Nov 9, 2026.