TSA Reduces Cost of Pre-Check Enrollment Fee

Instead of raising prices and adding to inflation, The US Government is rolling back the price of the TSA PreCheck program by 10%.

That’s good news for anybody who is returning to traveling again and wants to avoid long airport security lines.

Now, instead of paying $85 for five years, it’s $78 for five years – by my math, that’s about $15 a year to be on the fast line at the airport. Another great feature of TSA PreCheck is that you don’t have to remove your shoes or belt or take your laptop or your 3-1-1 compliant liquids out of your carry-on.

Cost to renew remains same – $70 – and you can do that online.

For first time applications, an in-person review is required

There are more than 500 enrollment centers nationwide. In addition to offices in major cities, the TSA has application offices at major airports.

After the in-person appointment, most applicants receive their Known Traveler Number (KTN) in about three to five days by regular US Mail.

Important –

Having a TSA PreCheck Travelers does not automatically get you onto the expedited PreCheck line.
You must add your KTN to your flight reservation so the airline knows you have expedited security screening
If you are a member of an airline’s frequent flyer program, add your KTN to your personal identification profile, so it’s there for all flights. It’s a good reason to join a frequent flyer program, which is free to join.

“For individuals and families with plans to fly this holiday season, now is the time to enroll or renew in TSA PreCheck,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “TSA PreCheck offers significant benefits to those who meet its enrollment standards—less physical contact, fewer items on the conveyor belt and faster screening.”

Those interested in enrolling online in TSA PreCheck should visit www.tsa.gov/precheck.

Use only a .gov site when enrolling or renewing for TSA PreCheck to avoid fraudulent websites – including those interested in stealing your identity – and unnecessary fees.

TSA PreCheck is facing competition from the private sector.

If you’ve been to an airport recently you can’t miss the all the CLEAR lines as well as all the CLEAR employees actively selling their service at roughly $189 per year. The main challenge with CLEAR is that it still is not available in many airports.

So your choice is a federal government program for less than $20 a year or a private program for nearly 10X. To me that’s a no-brainer.

Another alternative is Global Entry, which speeds returning from overseas by allowing you to use one of the kiosks instead of waiting on line for a US Customs & Border Protection official.

US citizens, permanent residents and citizens of countries including Mexico, Switzerland and Germany are eligible for Global Entry cards.

Global Entry costs $100 for five years. Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck, so it’s a $20 upgrade and you are covered both domestically and internationally. That’s another no-brainer.

I just renewed my Global Entry card. Does that tell you anything?

ecoXplorer Evelyn Kanter is a journalist with 20+ years of experience as a newspaper and magazine writer, radio & TV news producer & reporter, and author of guidebooks and smartphone apps – all focusing on travel, automotive, the environment and your rights as a consumer.