Don’t pay for TSA Precheck
Today we just have a quick word of advice for our readers: don’t pay for TSA PreCheck. There are two reasons for this.
First, Global Entry is better. TSA PreCheck costs $78 for 5 years of validity, while Global Entry costs $100 for 5 years. Considering that Global Entry includes PreCheck, $22 is a fairly paltry savings that can quickly evaporate if you ever need (or want) to pay for Global Entry down the line. I never thought I would fly internationally, so I paid for PreCheck many years ago, but quickly realized after my first international trip that I should invest in Global Entry to speed through the customs lines. If you never fly internationally (or you’re willing to slog through customs), the $22 savings might be worthwhile, but if you have even a slight ambition to travel abroad, I would recommend splurging to get access to both programs via Global Entry, lest you end up paying another $100 for Global entry down the line.
Second, the $22 is basically a moot point, because TONS of credit cards offer a statement credit for purchases toward Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. These include LazyPoints favorites like the Capital One Venture X (negative net annual fee, double points, lounge access), IHG Premier (free annual night, Platinum Elite status, United Travel Bank Cash). Why pay $78 for Precheck or $100 for Global Entry when you could pay $95 for the IHG Premier and get Global Entry for free, plus the card’s benefits, plus the 140,000-point welcome offer, good for at least $600 worth of hotel stays. You could then cancel the card or downgrade to the no-fee IHG Traveler after the first year and keep enjoying Precheck or Global Entry benefits for four more years.
Even if you don’t want to get a credit card for these programs, you might know someone who has more of these credits than they know what to do with. My household has four of these cards, and we have eyes on a few more. My dad dropped $78 on PreCheck when I could have “bought” it for him for free and pocketed the points—what a waste. Even with the statement credits being limited to once every 4 years, we’ll never be able to use all our credits on our own. So even if you don’t have or want to pick up the Venture X or IHG Premier or one of the other cards carrying this benefit, there’s a decent chance someone in your family does and might be willing to gift you a membership.
Conclusion
In sum, while TSA Precheck is great, you might regret spending money on it if you later need to invest in Global Entry for international travels. And regardless, you won’t want to spend money on it all when there are so many great credit cards that offer it for free–so many, in fact, that you probably know someone with some of those benefits sitting idle who might be willing to gift you a membership.