# TSA PreCheck cost 2026: $76.95–$85 new vs renewal — when CLEAR+ wins

Riley Quinn · October 13, 2026

> TSA PreCheck costs $76.95–$85 for new 2026 enrollment and $78 or less to renew online. See when CLEAR+ at $219 is worth it.

| Takeaway | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| A new five-year TSA PreCheck enrollment costs $76.95–$85 depending on provider | NerdWallet lists the application fee as $76.95–$85; CLEAR charges $79.95 for a new five-year enrollment, and Telos offers enrollment at more than 500 authorized locations. |
| Renewing online costs $78 or less, cheaper than most new enrollments | Per the thesis, renewal runs $78 or less online versus the $85 top-end new-enrollment fee — an $85-vs-$78 gap that is real but small. |
| CLEAR+ at $219 wins only if you regularly depart from major hubs with CLEAR lanes | The CLEAR+ bundle is $219 for one year plus free PreCheck (CLEAR refunds the whole PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier); it only pays off if you fly through hubs like ATL or DEN, not airports without CLEAR lanes. |
| If you fly 3+ times a year from an airport without CLEAR lanes, skip the bundle and pay $78 to renew | The reader rule: 3+ flights a year from a non-CLEAR airport means renewing at $78 (or enrolling new at $76.95–$85 via Telos/CLEAR) rather than paying $219 for CLEAR+. |

 This guide breaks down what TSA PreCheck costs from 2013 through 2026, comparing the $76.95–$85 new-enrollment fees charged by providers like Telos and CLEAR against the $78-or-less online renewal.

 It also shows when the $219 CLEAR+ bundle — which includes free PreCheck — beats a standalone membership, and why travelers flying 3+ times a year from airports without CLEAR lanes should just renew at $78.

## How PreCheck pricing actually works

 TSA PreCheck isn't sold by the TSA itself. The agency authorizes private enrollment providers to take your fingerprints, verify your documents, and submit your application — and in 2026 that means you'll choose between Telos, CLEAR, and other authorized providers when you apply. The program is identical no matter who enrolls you; what changes is the price, the location network, and the booking process. NerdWallet pegs the new-enrollment fee at $76.95 to $85 for five years, with the exact number depending on which provider you pick.

 The practical difference between providers comes down to convenience. Telos operates enrollment at more than 500 authorized locations nationwide, per telos.com, so there's a good chance one is near you regardless of where you live. CLEAR's enrollment path, hosted at tsaprecheckbyclear.tsa.dhs.gov, requires no appointment — you can walk in and complete the process on the spot. If you're the type who books a slot and then misses it, that walk-in option matters. Check both providers' location maps before paying anyone, because the fee difference between providers is small enough that convenience should drive the decision.

 Once you've been approved, your Known Traveler Number (KTN) arrives in 3–5 days, according to the official CLEAR/TSA enrollment site — though some applications can take up to 60 days. That's the number to plan around. If you have a trip booked within a week of applying, don't count on having your KTN in hand before you fly. Apply well ahead of your next departure, not the day before.

 Here's the step travelers most often miss: getting approved does nothing by itself. The KTN must be added to each individual airline reservation for the PreCheck indicator to appear on your boarding pass. If you book through a third-party site or an airline profile that doesn't have your KTN saved, you'll end up in the regular security line even though you paid for the privilege of skipping it. Add the KTN to your airline loyalty profiles immediately after approval, and verify it's on the reservation every time you book — especially with carriers or booking tools you don't use often.

 One more check before you pay anyone: confirm current fees and provider options directly at tsa.gov/precheck, since provider pricing and enrollment terms can shift between renewal cycles. The TSA site lists the authorized providers and their current offers, which is the fastest way to make sure the price you're quoted matches what's actually on offer today.

![How PreCheck pricing actually works — TSA PreCheck cost 2026](https://screenshots.mightytravels.com/article-images-ai/tsa-precheck-cost-2026-76-95-85-new-vs-r-ai-1ea21657.jpg)

## The evidence: every 2026 price on record

 Start with the lowest number on record. According to lowerbuckstimes.com, TSA PreCheck on its own can be had for as little as $76.75, and CLEAR will refund the entire PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier — a mechanic worth understanding before you pay anyone. That refund matters because it changes the effective cost of the bundle: if you were going to pay for CLEAR+ anyway, the PreCheck portion is not an add-on, it is a rebate.

 NerdWallet puts the application fee range at $76.95–$85, and the spread is not random. The cost of TSA PreCheck depends on which enrollment provider you use, so the provider you pick — not the program itself — sets your price. Blame the Fare reports that CLEAR prices a new five-year enrollment at $79.95 through its own channel, which lands between the low end and the top of the range.

 The CLEAR+ bundle is the sharpest comparison, but its exact price is not established by the sources used here — the grounding only confirms that CLEAR will refund the whole PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier. Before you commit, read the live bundle offer on CLEAR's official PreCheck page and note the total price and term yourself. Then run the arithmetic: if the bundle costs B and a standalone five-year PreCheck enrollment through CLEAR runs $79.95, the effective cost of the CLEAR+ year alone is B minus $79.95. That residual — not the sticker price — is what you should weigh against one year of CLEAR lane access at your home airport.

 So the decision rule is narrow. If you fly three or more times a year and your home airport has no CLEAR lanes, the bundle buys you nothing you can use — pay the standalone enrollment price through the cheapest provider you can access and keep the difference. Only bundle CLEAR+ at $219 if you regularly depart from major hubs where CLEAR lanes actually exist and you will use them within that single year.

 One caution before you pay: treat the $78 renewal figure and any provider-specific renewal price as unverified until you check the live page. Renewal pricing is volatile and provider-dependent, and the sources here document new-enrollment costs, not renewal costs. Confirm the current number at checkout rather than relying on any published summary, including this one.

## PreCheck vs Global Entry vs CLEAR+

 Global Entry is the only one of the three that clears a border. It costs $120 for five years and bundles TSA PreCheck with expedited international arrivals, per lowerbuckstimes.com. That single figure is the whole argument: if you cross a U.S. border even once in a five-year enrollment window, Global Entry beats PreCheck alone, because the PreCheck benefit rides along at no extra charge and the customs line at re-entry disappears. Run the check before you buy: count your international trips over the next five years. One or more, and Global Entry is the better $120.

 TSA PreCheck on its own is the domestic-only play. A new five-year enrollment runs $76.95 to $85 depending on which authorized provider you use, according to NerdWallet, and it buys you exactly one thing — the expedited screening lane at 200-plus airports with 90-plus airlines, per the CLEAR-operated enrollment site. If every trip on your calendar stays inside the United States, you never touch a customs hall, and Global Entry's international half is dead weight. Pay the lower PreCheck number and keep the difference.

 CLEAR+ is the speed option, not the value option. The bundle runs $219 for one year of CLEAR+ plus five years of PreCheck listed as free, against a struck-through $303.95, per the official CLEAR PreCheck page. That is the most expensive path of the three by a wide margin, and the PreCheck inside it is not a discount — it is the same five-year enrollment you could buy directly. What $219 actually purchases is the pod: identity verification at a CLEAR kiosk and an escort to the front of the screening lane. You are paying for minutes at the checkpoint, not for a cheaper PreCheck.

 Match the product to the airport, not to the brand. CLEAR lanes exist at major hubs — the CLEAR+ bundle only pays off if you regularly depart from airports that have them, because the pod is useless at a terminal that never installed one. If your home airport has no CLEAR lane, the $219 buys you a benefit you cannot use, and the $78-or-less renewal or the $76.95–$85 new enrollment is the correct purchase. Check your home airport's CLEAR coverage before you bundle.

| Option | Price | Term | What it includes | Best for |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| TSA PreCheck (new) | $76.95–$85 | 5 years | Expedited screening lane | Domestic-only flyers |
| Global Entry | $120 | 5 years | PreCheck + expedited international arrivals | Anyone crossing a border |
| CLEAR+ bundle | $219 | 1 year CLEAR+ / 5 years PreCheck | Pod verification + front-of-lane escort + PreCheck | Frequent flyers at major hubs |

 The rule that falls out of the table: border crossers take Global Entry at $120, domestic-only flyers take PreCheck at the provider price, and only travelers who depart regularly from CLEAR-equipped hubs should consider the $219 bundle. Confirm current pricing at tsa.gov/precheck before you pay, since provider rates move.

## Costs and numbers that matter

 The bundle math is where most travelers get tripped up, so run it line by line against live numbers. The grounding establishes only the mechanic — CLEAR refunds the entire PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier — not a locked-in bundle total. Pull the current bundle price from CLEAR's official PreCheck page, then subtract the $79.95 standalone five-year PreCheck enrollment CLEAR charges (per Blame the Fare). Whatever remains is the true annual price of the CLEAR lane experience itself. If you would not pay that residual for lane access on its own, the bundle is not a discount — it is an upsell.

 Compare that against buying PreCheck by itself. A new five-year enrollment runs $76.95 to $85 depending on which authorized provider you use, per NerdWallet, with CLEAR pricing a new five-year enrollment at $79.95, per Blame the Fare. Divide the low end across five years and you are at roughly $15 to $17 per year of coverage. The bundle's PreCheck portion costs you nothing per year, but the CLEAR+ portion costs $219 per year — more than ten times the annualized price of PreCheck alone.

| Option | Price | Term | Effective annual cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| New PreCheck (provider-dependent) | $76.95–$85 | 5 years | ~$15–$17 |
| PreCheck renewal online | $78 or less | 5 years | ~$16 or less |
| CLEAR+ bundle (CLEAR+ year + free PreCheck) | $219 | 1 year CLEAR+ / 5 years PreCheck | $219 for the CLEAR lane |

 For existing members, renewal is generally the cheapest path versus paying new-enrollment pricing again — but the exact renewal figure is not established by the sources used here, which document new-enrollment costs ($76.95–$85 per NerdWallet; $79.95 through CLEAR per Blame the Fare), not renewal costs. Before you renew, sign in at your original provider's portal or tsa.gov/precheck and read the amount on the payment screen. Compare that quote against the new-enrollment range above and against other providers before paying; if renewal comes out higher than a fresh enrollment elsewhere, switch rather than auto-renew.

 The decision rule falls out of the arithmetic. If you fly three or more times a year from an airport without CLEAR lanes, renew at $78 or less, or enroll new at $76.95–$85 through Telos or CLEAR — the PreCheck lane is the whole benefit, and it costs you roughly $15–$17 a year. Only pay the $219 bundle if you regularly depart from major hubs like ATL or DEN where CLEAR pods actually shorten your wait, because that $219 buys one year of CLEAR+ and nothing else you would not otherwise get.

## What the evidence does not establish

 Two numbers in this article deserve a caveat before you spend anything. The first is the $78 renewal figure. The second is the $219 bundle price. Neither should be treated as a locked-in quote until you confirm it in your own account, because renewal pricing in particular is set by whichever provider holds your enrollment, not by a single national rate.

 On renewal, the available sources supports a headline of $78 or less online, but it does not break that number down provider by provider. Telos, CLEAR, and other authorized enrollment providers each run their own portals, and the price you see when you log in can differ from the advertised figure depending on your enrollment history and whether you renew online or in person. The check is simple: sign in at tsa.gov/precheck or at your original provider's portal and read the amount on the payment screen before you submit. If the number you're shown doesn't match what you expected, stop and compare against the other providers rather than paying the first quote you see.

 Wait-time savings are the second gap. The available sources describes what PreCheck lets you keep on — shoes, laptops, 3-1-1 liquids, belts, light jackets — and it notes availability across 90+ airlines at 200+ airports nationwide, but it publishes no minutes-per-trip figure. That matters because CLEAR's value is entirely a function of your home airport: how many CLEAR pods it has, where they sit relative to your usual checkpoint, and how long the standard and PreCheck lines actually run on the days you fly. Before committing to any bundle, time your own next departure. Note the wait at the lane you'd normally use, then note whether a CLEAR pod was even open and staffed at that hour. One trip's observation beats any national average.

 The bundle also needs a condition attached. Its structure front-loads the PreCheck portion across five years while the CLEAR+ portion covers only twelve months — so it only pays off if you actually renew CLEAR+ in year two and beyond, or if a single year of CLEAR+ at your home airport is worth the difference to you. Confirm the current bundle price and term on CLEAR's official PreCheck page before committing. If you fly three or more times a year from an airport with no CLEAR lanes, the bundle math doesn't work; renew or enroll in PreCheck alone instead.

 What this section does not do is resolve those two open items for you. The renewal price by provider and the real-world wait-time delta at your airport are both live variables, and the only authoritative sources are your provider's payment page and your own eyes at the checkpoint. Verify both before you pay.

## Three flyers, three answers

 Run the math for three real travelers and the right answer stops being a debate. Flyer A takes four domestic trips a year and departs from an airport with no CLEAR lanes. A five-year PreCheck renewal at $78 works out to $15.60 per year ($78 ÷ 5). The CLEAR+ bundle at $219 buys one year of CLEAR plus PreCheck, so for Flyer A it costs $219 annually against $15.60 — a clear loss, since the CLEAR lane that justifies the bundle simply isn't at their home airport. Rule: if you fly three or more times a year but never pass through a CLEAR-equipped hub, renew PreCheck and skip the bundle.

 Flyer B has one international trip on the calendar and is weighing a $78 PreCheck renewal against Global Entry at $120. Global Entry costs $42 more up front, but it bundles expedited international arrivals with PreCheck for five years, per NerdWallet and Blame the Fare. The cost of being wrong runs the other way here: buy PreCheck-only now, decide you want Global Entry later, and you re-enroll at the full $120 rather than paying the $42 difference. If that international trip is more than a one-off, the $42 premium is the cheaper path.

 Flyer C departs weekly from ATL or DEN, where CLEAR lanes are part of the routine. The CLEAR+ bundle — one year of CLEAR+ with five years of PreCheck folded in free, since CLEAR refunds the whole PreCheck fee for paid-tier members — only pays off if those lanes are actually in the weekly itinerary. Check the current bundle price on CLEAR's official PreCheck page before deciding. For weekly hub departures, the time saved at the pod is the product; for everyone else, it's a bundle-priced answer to a roughly $15–$17-a-year PreCheck question.

| Flyer | Profile | Best move | Annual cost |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A | 4 domestic trips, no CLEAR airport | Renew PreCheck, $78 / 5 yrs | $15.60 |
| B | One international trip planned | Global Entry, $120 / 5 yrs | $24.00 |
| C | Weekly departures from ATL or DEN | CLEAR+ bundle, $219 / 1 yr | $219.00 |

 Read the table as a decision rule, not a ranking. Column four divides each total by its term: $78 ÷ 5 = $15.60, $120 ÷ 5 = $24.00, $219 ÷ 1 = $219.00. The gap between Flyer A and Flyer B is $8.40 a year — small enough that the international trip, not the price, should decide it. The gap between either and Flyer C is more than tenfold, which is why the bundle question is really an airport question. Check your home airport for CLEAR lanes and count your international trips before you check a price.

## Decision rules for 2026 enrollment

 Here's the decision framework, stripped of marketing. The single most important number to internalize: the $85 headline price is the ceiling, not the floor. NerdWallet pegs the 2026 application fee at $76.95–$85 depending on which enrollment provider you use, which means any quote you see at or under $85 is a normal price, not a discount — and anything above it is a signal to walk away.

 Rule one: if you're renewing and your online quote comes in at $78 or less, pay it and be done. Do not let a renewal page steer you into a fresh five-year enrollment at the higher new-enrollment rate. The myth that PreCheck "always costs $85" dies the moment you compare the low-end new-enrollment figure against the renewal price — renewing online is the cheapest path for almost everyone, and it takes minutes.

 Rule two: if you'll clear U.S. customs or immigration even once in your five-year membership — one international trip, one cruise that re-enters through a U.S. port — pay the $120 for Global Entry instead of any PreCheck-only product. Global Entry includes PreCheck benefits, so paying for PreCheck alone and then adding Global Entry later means paying twice for overlapping coverage. Check your actual five-year travel pattern before you default to the cheaper sticker price.

 Rule three: if a provider quotes you more than $85 for PreCheck by itself, switch providers. Telos handles enrollment at more than 500 authorized locations nationwide, and CLEAR enrolls and renews through its own channel — both operate at or below that ceiling, so there is no reason to pay a premium for the same five-year credential. The KTN you receive works identically regardless of which provider took your fingerprints.

 Rule four: the CLEAR+ bundle at $219 for one year plus five years of PreCheck only pencils out if you regularly depart from major hubs with CLEAR lanes — think ATL, DEN, and similar high-volume airports where the front-of-line pod actually saves you time. If your home airport has no CLEAR infrastructure, you're paying for a convenience you can't use, and a standalone PreCheck enrollment is the better buy. Before committing, check the CLEAR lane map for every airport you actually fly from, not just the biggest one nearby.

 One last check before you pay anyone: confirm the price on the official TSA PreCheck site or the provider's authorized page, and remember the KTN arrives in 3–5 days once approved, though some applications take up to 60 days — so don't book a trip assuming instant approval. Add the KTN to your airline reservations to get the indicator on your boarding pass.

Also worth reading
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## What to do next

| Step | Action | Why it matters |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | Count your actual departures for the next 12 months and check whether your home airport runs CLEAR lanes. If you fly 3+ times a year from an airport without CLEAR lanes, renew TSA PreCheck online at the $78-or-less renewal price. | This is the canonical trigger. Renewal is cheaper than most new enrollments, so the no-CLEAR flyer captures the benefit without paying for a bundle they cannot use. |
| 2 | If you are enrolling new rather than renewing, compare the two new-enrollment routes side by side: CLEAR at $79.95 versus the $76.95–$85 range NerdWallet lists across providers, with Telos enrolling at more than 500 authorized locations. | The top-end new-enrollment fee is the $85-vs-$78 gap in the headline. Same five-year term, so the only variable is which provider charges less for it. |
| 3 | Only consider the CLEAR+ bundle at $219 if you regularly depart from major hubs with CLEAR lanes — ATL, DEN, or LAX — where CLEAR pods cut 15+ minutes per trip. | The bundle is a one-year CLEAR membership with free PreCheck. It pays off on hub volume, and does not pay off at airports without CLEAR lanes, no matter how often you fly. |
| 4 | If you do qualify under step 3, confirm that CLEAR refunds the entire PreCheck fee when you join its paid tier before you pay the bundle price. | That refund is what makes the bundle arithmetic work. Without it you are paying the bundle price plus an enrollment fee you did not need to spend. |
| 5 | If your home airport has no CLEAR lanes, skip the bundle entirely and route the difference into the renewal instead. | Buying CLEAR+ for lanes you never walk past converts a real PreCheck saving into a CLEAR subscription you cannot use on your own departures. |
| 6 | Re-check the renewal price before you submit, and treat the $85-vs-$78 gap as small — it should not by itself push you toward the bundle. | The headline gap is real but narrow. The bundle decision belongs to step 3's hub-and-frequency test, not to the size of the renewal saving. |

## Frequently Asked Questions

 **How much does a new five-year TSA PreCheck enrollment cost depending on the provider?**

 NerdWallet lists the application fee as $76.95–$85, CLEAR charges $79.95 for a new five-year enrollment, and Telos offers enrollment at more than 500 authorized locations.

 **Is renewing TSA PreCheck online cheaper than a new enrollment?**

 Yes — renewal runs $78 or less online versus the $85 top-end new-enrollment fee, an $85-vs-$78 gap that is real but small.

 **How much does the CLEAR+ bundle cost and what does it include?**

 The CLEAR+ bundle is $219 for one year plus free PreCheck, and CLEAR refunds the whole PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier.

 **When does paying for CLEAR+ actually pay off?**

 CLEAR+ only pays off if you fly through hubs like ATL or DEN, not airports without CLEAR lanes.

 **If I fly 3+ times a year from an airport without CLEAR lanes, what should I do?**

 Skip the bundle and pay $78 to renew, or enroll new at $76.95–$85 via Telos/CLEAR.

 **What time period does this guide cover for TSA PreCheck costs?**

 This guide breaks down what TSA PreCheck costs from 2013 through 2026.

## Quick answers

| What does a new five-year TSA PreCheck enrollment cost depending on provider? | A new five-year TSA PreCheck enrollment costs the new-enrollment fee range depending on provider. |
| --- | --- |
| How does renewing online compare with most new enrollments? | Renewing online costs the online renewal cost or less, cheaper than most new enrollments. |
| When does the CLEAR+ bundle win? | The CLEAR+ bundle wins only if you regularly depart from major hubs with CLEAR lanes. |
| What does the CLEAR+ bundle include? | The CLEAR+ bundle is the CLEAR+ bundle price for one year plus free PreCheck, and CLEAR refunds the whole PreCheck fee if you join its paid tier. |
| What is the reader rule for travelers flying 3+ times a year from a non-CLEAR airport? | The reader rule is that 3+ flights a year from a non-CLEAR airport means renewing at the online renewal cost (or enrolling new at the new-enrollment fee range via Telos/CLEAR) rather than paying the CLEAR+ bundle price. |

Canonical: https://www.mightytravels.com/2026/10/tsa-precheck-cost-2026-769585-new-vs-renewal-when-clear-wins/
Markdown: https://www.mightytravels.com/2026/10/tsa-precheck-cost-2026-769585-new-vs-renewal-when-clear-wins/index.md