TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and NEXUS are trusted traveler programs that can help you speed through security or immigration during your travels. Each of these programs requires enrollment and charges an application fee.
Fortunately, many credit cards offer a credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS. And getting the credit is as simple as charging your application fee to your eligible card. If you hold a premium travel credit card, there’s a good chance that you already hold a card that can get you PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS for free.
Here’s how you can get a trusted traveler credit for Global Entry, PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees.
How trusted traveler credits work
If your card offers credit for your TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS application fee, receiving the credit is as simple as charging the fee to your application fee to your card. Typically, you’ll be reimbursed as a statement credit within a few weeks of charging the enrollment fee to your card.
Keep in mind that paying the fee does not guarantee approval. If DHS decides you are ineligible for Global Entry or PreCheck, you will still get charged the application fee, even if you are denied entry into the program.
In most cases, the credits are for only one eligible program. You can’t, for example, charge an $85 PreCheck application fee and then later get credited for a Global Entry enrollment, unless you wait the 4 to 4.5 years after enrollment.
Finally, I have yet to see a check against the application to ensure that the name on the application matches the name on the card. If you have multiple cards that offer trusted traveler credits, you could use them for family members or close friends and still receive the credit.
Popular cards that offer credits for PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS
Here are some of the popular cards from large banks that offer credits for trusted traveler programs, plus the details on how each bank’s credits work.
American Express cards with TSA PreCheck and Global Entry credits
Some premium American Express cards offers a credit for TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry, but not NEXUS. These credits are up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck or $120 once every 4 years for Global Entry. You can only earn a credit for one program.
Here are the Amex cards that offer this benefit:
- The Platinum Card® from American Express (including all branded variants of The Platinum Card®)
- The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum Business American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
Capital One cards with credits for PreCheck and Global Entry
A few Capital One cards offer a statement credit of up to $120, once every 4 years for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry enrollment fees. Here are the Capital One cards that offer this credit:
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
- Capital One Venture X Business
- Spark Miles
Chase cards with credits for PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS
All Chase cards that offer a Trusted Traveler program statement credit offer a credit of up to $120, once every 4 years, for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS. Here are the Chase cards offering this credit:
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® Credit Card
- Chase Sapphire Reserve for Business℠ Credit Card
- Aeroplan® Card
- United Explorer℠ Card
- United Quest℠ Card
- United Club℠ Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
Citi cards with credits for PreCheck or Global Entry
A few Citi cards let you earn a credit of up to $120, once every 4 years, for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Here are the Citi cards with this benefit:
- Citi Strata Elite℠ Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card
US Bank cards with PreCheck and Global Entry credits
A few U.S. Bank cards offer a credit for PreCheck or Global Entry, but U.S. Bank hasn’t yet updated the amount of the credits it offers to match the increased Global Entry enrollment fee. These cards offer a $100 credit for either program, once every 4 years:
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card (no longer available to new cardmembers)
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Connect Visa Signature® Card
What is a trusted traveler program?
Trusted traveler programs pre-approve low-risk travelers for expedited security and immigration screenings. Depending on the program, you may receive expedited security screenings at airports or at international border crossings. Here are the three most common trusted traveler programs:
TSA PreCheck® is run by the Transportation Security Administration and offers expedited security screening at over 200 airports across the country. If you’re enrolled in PreCheck, you usually won’t be required to remove your shoes, belt, or light jacket and your liquids and laptops can stay in your bags.
Global Entry is a program run by U.S. Customs and Border Protection that enables expedited clearance into the United States when returning from an international destination. Global Entry members use dedicated kiosks and can often bypass long waits at immigration. If you are approved for Global Entry, you will also be enrolled in TSA PreCheck.
NEXUS is a trusted traveler program jointly run by the United States and Canada. It allows for expedited crossing at northern land border crossings, as well as access to expediting immigration procedures at U.S. and Canadian airports. Eligible NEXUS members are automatically granted access to all Global Entry kiosks as well as TSA PreCheck.
Quick take: Easy value play that can make travel more pleasant
Aaron Hurd
Executive Editor of Cards and Points
Trusted travel program credits are a fairly common benefit among premium travel credit cards and, although I wouldn’t consider the value of the credits when determining whether to keep or cancel a card, if you have a card that offers these credits, getting access to these programs for free is nice.
Personally, I’ve been enrolled in Global Entry since the program’s inception and I was able to take advantage of TSA PreCheck when it was being beta-tested at the Detroit Airport before being rolled out nationwide. Both programs highly increase my quality of life when traveling because they get me through immigration and airport security faster. Frankly, if you travel even once a year, you should enroll in a trusted traveler program.
At the end of the day, if you are a frequent traveler, a trusted traveler credit is a nice benefit that can displace the $85-$120 you probably would be spending anyway.
Bottom line
Many premium credit cards offers a trusted traveler credit for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS. If you already hold one of the best travel credit cards, you likely already have this benefit on your card. Using the right card can get you a cash credit on your PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS membership fee once every 5 years.
