TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry: the $120 Fee and the Interview

TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry in 2026: the $120 Fee, the Interview and the Renewal Date

TSA PreCheck gets you through security at US airports faster: shoes on, laptop in the bag. Global Entry gets you through US customs when you fly home from abroad, and it includes PreCheck. In October 2026, Global Entry costs $120 for five years, and PreCheck costs $79.75 to $85 for five years, depending on the enrollment provider. So for about $35 to $40 more you get both, as long as you have a passport and can get through a background check and an interview. Many older comparisons still say Global Entry costs $100: CBP raised it to $120 in October 2024.

TSA PreCheck vs Global Entry at a glance

Prices and rules below are from CBP's Global Entry page and TSA's PreCheck page, checked on October 23, 2026.

	TSA PreCheck	Global Entry
What it speeds up	Security screening at US airports	US customs on return from abroad, plus PreCheck
Cost	$79.75 to $85 for 5 years (IDEMIA $79.75, CLEAR $84.95, Telos $85.00)	$120 for 5 years
Who runs it	TSA, through three enrollment providers	U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Passport needed	No	Yes, plus one other ID at the interview
In person	About 10 minutes: documents, fingerprints, photo	An interview, after conditional approval
Typical wait	Known Traveler Number in 3 to 5 days, some up to 60	Most reviewed within 2 weeks, some 12 months or more
Kids	17 and under can go through with an adult on the same reservation, free	Minors apply free with a parent who has or is applying for Global Entry

The fee for both is paid once for five years. CBP says the $120 Global Entry fee is non-refundable, even if the application is denied.

Which one to choose

Pick Global Entry if you have a passport and fly internationally, even once or twice a year. The difference in price is small, and you skip both the security line on the way out and the customs line on the way back.

Pick PreCheck if you only fly within the US, do not have a passport, or cannot get to an interview before your next trip. PreCheck also has many more enrollment locations: TSA lists over 1,300 across its three providers.

For families: with PreCheck, kids 17 and under can use the lane with a PreCheck adult on the same airline reservation, without their own number. Global Entry lanes are only for members, so every child who flies with you abroad needs their own membership. CBP waives the fee for minors who apply with a parent.

Some credit cards and loyalty programs reimburse one of these fees. TSA keeps a page about it, and it is worth checking before you pay.

The Global Entry interview

This is the step that slows people down. After you apply and pay in your Trusted Traveler Programs account, CBP runs a background check. Most applications come back within two weeks, but some take up to 12 months or longer. If you are conditionally approved, your account tells you to schedule an interview at an enrollment center, one interview per person, with your passport and one other ID.

Appointments near big airports can be weeks out. CBP also offers Enrollment on Arrival: if you are conditionally approved, you can do the interview when you land in the US from an international trip, during your normal customs inspection, without an appointment. You follow the signs in the international terminal and bring your passport and proof of address, such as a driver's license with your current address or a utility bill. A trip you already have booked can take care of the interview.

The date to watch is the conditional approval email. It is easy to read it, decide to book "later", and fly without the interview done.

The renewal date for each

Both memberships last five years, and the rules for renewing are different.

Global Entry: you can renew starting one year before it expires. If you submit the renewal before the expiration date, CBP lets you keep using your benefits for up to 24 months after it while the renewal is processed. Submit it one day late and that grace does not apply.
TSA PreCheck: you can renew online up to six months before it expires. The new five years start when the old ones end, so renewing early costs you nothing.

PreCheck has no card at all, and a Global Entry card tends to sit in a drawer, so both dates usually live in an email or an online account you rarely open. If you are not sure when yours ends, check now, while there is time before the holidays.

Passports run on their own clock, and Global Entry is useless with an expired one. Our guide to the passport six-month rule explains why the real deadline comes before the date printed in it.

Where Tracy fits

Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, does not apply, pay or schedule anything with CBP or TSA. She keeps the dates that sit in emails for years.

Send her the approval email screenshot or a photo of the confirmation from Telegram, Chrome or the web. She keeps whose membership it is, which program, and when renewal opens, and she comes back with a reminder when it is time. If several people in your family have different programs, ask her "whose Global Entry runs out next?" and she answers from what you sent. It is the same idea as the renewal dates nobody mails you a letter about.

Frequently asked questions

Is Global Entry worth it over TSA PreCheck?

For most people with a passport who fly abroad at least once a year, yes. Global Entry is $120 for five years and includes PreCheck, about $35 to $40 more than PreCheck alone.

Does Global Entry include TSA PreCheck?

Yes. Global Entry members get TSA PreCheck. Your Global Entry membership number (PASSID) is your Known Traveler Number: add it to every airline reservation.

How much does Global Entry cost in 2026?

$120 for five years, non-refundable even if the application is denied. Minors applying with a parent who has or is applying for Global Entry pay nothing.

How much does TSA PreCheck cost?

$79.75 to $85 for five years, depending on the provider: IDEMIA $79.75, CLEAR $84.95 and Telos $85.00 on October 23, 2026. Online renewal is cheaper.

How early can you renew Global Entry?

Up to one year before it expires. If you submit before the expiration date, you can keep using it for up to 24 months while the renewal is processed.