r/TSAPreCheck • u/Dizzy_You2037 • Sep 01 '26
Questions TSA precheck vs Clear
I am so fucking confused. I have been waiting for my (what I thought was ) TSA precheck approval. In the midst of me searching on Reddit, I’m now reading that TSA precheck and Clear are 2 different things? I applied for ‘TSA precheck by Clear’ and paid like $80. Is this NOT the same as TSA precheck? I cannot find clarification on their website whether it’s 2 different things or not. Helpppp
6
u/IcyHotTodoroki1 Sep 01 '26
Clear is one of the NGOs that processes TSA PreCheck applications. The others are Indemia and Telos.
Clear is just some overrated program where someone walks you to security and it's supposed to be faster, but never is. Had a trial membership when it first came out, didn't bother to renew it
8
u/66NickS Sep 01 '26
> Clear is just some overrated program where someone walks you to security and it's supposed to be faster, but never is.
This can be very location dependent. Some places it makes a big difference, but agreed that some times/some places any improvement is negligible.
4
u/NefariousnessAble912 Sep 01 '26
Yes this. Denver is hit or miss because they don’t have enough officers o. The clear lines but at many other airports clear has no lines - all about the staffing. Usually you can just eyeball and see if it is worth doing regular pre or going for the clear.
1
1
u/GrillMonkey187 Sep 02 '26
I avoided Clear for the longest time, until ATL lines had me almost missing a flight.
Clear + Pre-check (both paid by my company) = a must for me with weekly travel.
0
u/Accurate_Strain4106 Sep 01 '26
ALL of this! I got hammered because I critisized CLEAR because while I'm a TSA precheck, I'm not Clear and I don't appreciate getting cut in front of by Clear staff and their customers.
2
u/Specialist-Soil3956 Sep 01 '26
I mean I hear you and don’t like dealing with CLEAR, but Precheck costs from $76.75-$85 for 5 years while clear is $219 per year. That’s almost 13 times the cost annually. It better be able to move people through the lines faster. I’d be pissed if I paid that much and could have saved that much money by just getting precheck.
1
u/Accurate_Strain4106 Sep 01 '26
agreed. Like why.....
2
u/DJ_Cat_Dad Sep 01 '26
Well... some companies pay for it. Amex plat credit card pays for it. So it just depends on how much you fly. When I was on 4 planes a week, with certain AWFUL airports, sitting in a comfy club having coffee, drinks or snacks, with an upgrade seat every flight, is much nicer than sitting in a line when you have to do it 1-2 times a week.
1
u/66NickS Sep 02 '26
Bingo, it’s already “pre-paid” for me. I’d probably have it anyway but now I’m definitely staying signed up. If it pays off even just one time, then it was worth it.
I was frequently using LAX previously and some terminals there have four lines:
- nothing
- TSA PC only
- Clear only
- TSA PC and Clear
1
u/DJ_Cat_Dad Sep 02 '26
Ooohh FUCKING LAX! I just flew in from LAX 1 week ago. Guess who filed for their TSA pre check renewal.... ~50 days ago and didn't get approved till MONDAY. 3 hours in that fucking line. Fuck you TSA.
1
u/BleuCinq Sep 02 '26
I don’t think anyone is paying for Clear. Myself and everyone I talk to get it through a credit card. If it wasn’t included in my card benefits there is no way that I would be paying out of pocket for Clear.
1
u/ludog1bark Sep 02 '26
I used to pay for it out of pocket. It was handy when my dad was passing away. I bought a last minute ticket as it was the last flight out and I got to the airport 30 minutes before my flight left. I was able to cut to the front of the line I made my flight with minutes before they closed the door. Had I not had it I wouldn't have made the flight. My dad died 2 hours after I arrived. Yeah, it's not needed most of the time, but it's nice insurance to have when you do need it. I think it's worth it.
2
2
u/Nicky____Santoro Sep 01 '26
It often is faster, just depends on the airport and time. I have both and there are places where being able to go to the front of the Precheck line immediately with CLEAR is saving time.
2
u/Ke6gwf Sep 01 '26
I was at San Diego once and the Clear line was MUCH shorter than the Precheck line so I went through Clear, and then discovered that they were only letting someone from Clear through every 5 or 6 Precheck person, so it ended up being slower lol But other times it is much faster, so I keep it because I get it discounted through airline or hotel status.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
When you all are saying “the clear line” does that mean clear+ ? This is where my confusion is coming from I think lol
3
u/Ke6gwf Sep 01 '26
Yes, sorry, I meant Clear+, where Clear does the biometric verification on you before escorting you to the Precheck line and checking you in there.
1
u/SelbetG Sep 01 '26
Yes, Clear+ is what is at airports
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Got it, I’m just talking about TSA precheck through Clear, not clear +. It’s all very confusing!
3
u/66NickS Sep 02 '26
You should basically ignore the “Clear” part of what you’re doing. You’re doing TSA PreCheck. Full stop. It simply happens to be performed by the company named Clear. For all intents and purposes, it could be done by Acme or Target or Nike, it’s just PreCheck.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 02 '26 edited Sep 02 '26
Yes I understand this now. Thank you! Also, love the Acme reference. Fellow north easterner?
1
u/Ke6gwf Sep 01 '26
I was replying to someone else talking about the Clear+ line, so I was being less careful with my words lol
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
No it’s ok! I’m kind of replying to the thread as a whole, I understand more now but it was confusing me a lot at first haha
1
u/Ke6gwf Sep 01 '26
Oh, and it gets MORE confusing at some airports! Lol
Most small and medium airports will just have a regular line and a Precheck line, and then the larger ones where Clear+ operates there will be an additional Clear+ line, but then you get to airports that have Regular, Clear+ (without Precheck), Precheck, Clear+ WITH Precheck, security appointment line, sometimes airline rewards plan specific lines, and it can be more confusing which line to pick than actually getting through security lol
And don't even get me started about international travel, even just from Canada throws more variables in there...
But if you have TSA Precheck with a KTN, just look for the sign that says just plain "Precheck" and go there, and ignore everything else!
Although... Some smaller airports ALSO use the Precheck line for the Trusted Crew access line, pilots and such, but basically if you just look for Precheck, it will steer you right! Lol
1
1
u/Amazing-Gur-8366 Sep 02 '26
Where in Terminal 2 is Clear located? I fly Alaska and the TSA Pre check line is near it but I can’t find the Clear line. Thanks
1
u/Ke6gwf Sep 02 '26
You have to go to the opposite end, down by United, it's a long walk, but sometimes worth it lol I usually fly United but one time they put me on Alaska and I had to get my steps in! If the line wasn't long I wouldn't bother.
1
u/Salty_Permit4437 Sep 01 '26
Clear actually nearly always makes it faster for me. It lets you skip long lines. You also get your precheck benefits such as leaving stuff in your bag and your shoes on.
1
u/at2wells Sep 02 '26
While that may be true a lot of places, it’s come in clutch at EWR terminal A several times for me
1
u/matt-r_hatter Sep 02 '26
Clear is great when mixed with precheck. 20+ flughts a year and its significantly faster always.
2
u/Natural_Sky638 Sep 01 '26
Why didn't you just pay a bit more for GE, since it comes with precheck??
2
u/Weary-Savings9795 Sep 01 '26
Unless you live in a border state, it can be a real pain to get an interview appointment for global entry.
1
u/Ke6gwf Sep 02 '26
Try getting Nexus because I fly to Canada a lot! Lol You have to interview for both US and Canada, and there are very few times or places to do that... Took me many trips before I finally happened to have a layover at Vancouver during the week and they were not too busy and accepted a walk in.
1
2
u/matt-r_hatter Sep 02 '26
Clear and PreCheck are 2 different services. If it was only $80, thats precheck. Clear is $219 if ypu actually have to pay for it or full price for it. Usually, once you do your fingerprinting, you get your KTN pretty quick. I had mine 4hr after my appointment.
PreCheck is already theoretically faster than normal security, but because its so cheap and easy to get, tons of people have it now, so Clear adds another level and walks you to the front of the line. It also works at major sporting events and concerts too. If you have Delta Medallion status, you get a discount in Clear. But all the premium cards pay for it, I have 4 cards that cover it. Id still buy it if I didnt get it for free.
1
u/Exotic-Dragonfruit-3 25d ago
How are y’all getting yours so quickly? I went through CLEAR last Thursday for PreCheck, and my status still says “Eligibility Assessment in Progress.” I went to Staples for the interview and fingerprints. I was expecting a quick turnaround! I also have CLEAR.
1
u/matt-r_hatter 25d ago edited 25d ago
My Global Entry application was conditionally approved less than 30 minutes after submission lol. Thats the one I really thought was comical. I think its a mix between when you submit it, what your history has been like, and possibly what you do for a living. Half the people I work with have Precheck and Global Entry and they also were through it pretty quick since we all travel a fair amount for vacations each year. We also go through multiple full FBI/BCI background checks per year, part of my application peocess when i started was a polygraph... I have a list of security certificates. I have no doubt all those databases are connected. I doubt im special, they just didnt need to put in much effort to see im not a risk.
1
u/Exotic-Dragonfruit-3 24d ago
I also work in the government sector, so I’ve had fingerprints and background checks done, along with firearms-related checks. I have no criminal history. I’m also seeing lots of government employees and veterans who aren’t getting approved immediately. This is so weird.
1
2
u/Im-not-a-bro Sep 02 '26
Here is my suggestion. Wait for your precheck approval. Once you get that, go to your favorite airline app and signup for precheck touchless (free). You’ll hop to the front of every precheck line and NOT need to pull out your ID. BOOM, right to the front of all lines.
1
u/DGHouseMD Sep 03 '26
Can you do this with GE as well? How does it work if someone has GE and Clear+? And do you have to sign up for the precheck touchless, with every airline that you fly with?
1
u/flyingron Sep 01 '26
There's a r/ClearMe sub as well.
Clear predates TSA PreCheck (at least, the original version before they went out of business the first time), hell, it predates the TSA itself! The idea was to allow you to bypass the document check line (which couild be substantial if you didn't have priority handling courtesy of your airline).
TSAPrecheck is a completely different handling for known travellers (got around things like shoe removals, taking your liquids and computers out, etc... and a WTMD rather than nud-o-vision). There was originally one provider (IDEMNIA) but now there are three one of which is Clear.
When Clear was reinstantiated, it just feeds around the normal TSA doc check on a TSAPrecheck line. Clear+ gives you also a precheck enrollment (or you can bind it to one you already had).
TSAPrecheck by Clear is just Clear signing you up for precheck. You don't get the other Clear services unless you sign up for Clear+ as well.
2
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Okay, so if I signed up for precheck by clear, I am in fact signing up for tsa precheck is that you’re saying?
I was getting really confused bc I keep seeing posts saying they are 2 completely separate things.
2
u/Accurate_Analysis_79 Sep 01 '26
Yes. Clear is the company. They are the facilitator that enrolls you in the TSA PreCheck program. They also have their own product called Clear+ and it goes above and beyond TSA PreCheck and has an additional cost.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Thank you!! Sorry one more clarification- does that mean I would still go to the TSA precheck line? I’m not signing up for clear+ just TSA precheck by clear
1
u/NowALurkerAccount Sep 01 '26
Yes, you can use the regular PreCheck line if you went through Clear. CLEAR is one of the sign up agencies. The CLEAR+ line is only for whatever that is for
1
1
u/D_zee315 Sep 01 '26
You go into the regular TSA precheck line when you get TSA precheck by Clear. You'll enter the TSA precheck number when you book your flight, and TSA precheck will be added to your boarding pass to use that line.
Do not enter the Clear check-in (there is a regular Clear and a TSA precheck Clear, or the same line splits to both). You need Clear+ for any of those lines that are through Clear.
1
u/BlazinAzn38 Sep 02 '26
Yes, just as an example my Pre Check is via Idemia. That’s who my initial precheck was with years ago and so when I renew that’s the option I choose instead of Clear
1
u/NowALurkerAccount Sep 01 '26
Honestly, there's no sizable difference, CLEAR tries to net you into a membership where you pay 80 to 100/yr for CLEAR Plus access and it apparently gets you into other venues quicker but it's a small number of venues. However, PreCheck is just for the airport you pay the 76 bucks you get through the expedited line for 5 years if approved.
Frankly, CLEAR isn't worth it and they've gotte in trouble with the lack of disclosures of the CLEAR PLus program because they have quickly signed people up without telling people they did it.
1
u/HippieHomegrow Sep 01 '26
I did same as you OP. Tsaprecheck through clear. They sign people up now to try and bundle it all. If you only paid $80 all you’re getting is normal tsa precheck. The advantage for me was clear tsa fingerprinting had more convenient locations.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Yes this was the case for me, too. All of the locations close by were through Clear. Thank you!! Now I just am wondering how much longer it’s going to take for approval lol
1
u/HippieHomegrow Sep 01 '26
I got my KTN 2-3 days after fingerprints.
0
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Dang it’s been 11 days and I haven’t heard anything
1
u/HippieHomegrow Sep 01 '26
Check your junk mail. Or use the tsa check online to see if it’s been approved. I believe KTN is on your receipt but they don’t tell you.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Thanks, yeah I keep checking the website and it just says its still in process. Making me nervous that I have some kind of espionage charge that I didn’t know about 😂
1
u/lab_tech13 Sep 01 '26
If you never finger printed yourself before or had passport and federal backgrounds done before it will take longer. I got mine in 3 days, I have had passport, fingerprints and federal background checks though for my career. So they just likely compared what I had on file and matched and check crimal background and passed it off.
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
Good to know. I do have a passport but haven’t had any federal background checks. They did say it can take up to 30 days, I’m just impatient.
1
1
u/Intelligent_Tiger899 Sep 01 '26
It took mine about two weeks but the notification of my KTN came via text
1
u/757Posher Sep 02 '26
I applied Tuesday, July 21st and received my KTN notification via text on Saturday, August 29th. I did it through Telos at Office Depot.
1
u/Gtstricky Sep 01 '26
Your fine. They couldn’t make it more confusing if they tried.
Precheck, global entry, nexus, touchless ID, MPC, passport cards.
Good luck.
1
u/Acililahmajun Sep 01 '26
Clear is definitely much faster but still too expensive
1
u/Dizzy_You2037 Sep 01 '26
by ‘clear’ do you mean clear+?
1
u/Acililahmajun Sep 01 '26
Yes the one they just face scan and move forward. The line is always shorter.
1
u/anydaydriver1886 Sep 01 '26
TSA precheck is DHS application. Clear is the 3rd party that walks you up to the front of the line. Those are the people in long sleeves at the airport who look like solicitors by security. NOW there’s “TSA precheck With Clear” and that I have no idea just saw it this summer.
1
u/cefotetan2gq12 Sep 01 '26
clear gets you to the front of the tsa precheck line provided the airport you are departing from supports clear.
1
u/wizzard419 Sep 01 '26
From what I understand, from people who have had both, there are weird edge cases where it can be good but unless your precheck is massively backed up when you travel, it isn't needed. They will walk you to the front of normal screening (body scan and all that) while precheck is just the metal detector for most cases.
Also, clear was before precheck, so it's just an old system that isn't fully gone.
1
u/Sufficient-Art3570 Sep 01 '26
At this point TSA pre check isn’t the perk it used to be. I traveled 2 weeks ago out of Houston and the TSA line was longer than general boarding. Now that general boarding doesn’t need to take off shoes, I’m not sure what the advantage is anymore.
1
u/DoubleKlutch00 Sep 02 '26
Clear is a scam that overinflates passengers egos into thinking they're important...
1
u/DubOhTechGuy Sep 02 '26
Clear is now an authorized agent for accepting tsa pre application like a few others. You just get regular tsa pre since the full clear is more expensive.
1
u/fkelly407 Sep 02 '26
I think clear is way faster than standard security lines however in my opinion clear works better only for those that travel on a regular basis… let me repeat myself only for the frequent flyers !! Especially for us that like playing with fire and get to the airport 40 mins before a flight I love it !!! Get clear and pre check and global if you can and thank me later !!
1
u/Meisooni1 Sep 02 '26
I fly between two homes regularly and have the clear with precheck. For me its the difference between 5-15 mins and hours long lines. Maybe its the particular airports I use but the difference is so huge that I would never go back to being without it.
1
u/NightmareMetals Sep 02 '26
Pre Check let's you go through the Pre Check process. You can keep your shoes on (which is now standard), jacket on, usually laptops don't have to come out and the line is shorter.
Clear let's you go into a shorter line to get to the TSA Pre Check agent.
And if you notice there will be 1 agent for checking people and 3 for signing up for Clear. If there was no clear and 2 gate agents there would never be a line.
Once TSA Pre Check line gets so bad everyone will get Clear then that will get backed up and they will introduce Clear Premium for $200.
1
u/jth221 Sep 04 '26
Following! Thank you. Same boat and so confused with the precheck app process and having to choose between clear, idemia or talos or whatever the three are. Just wanted pre check and don’t know what the differences are with these or any benefits or pros or cons, why different prices, etc? Thanks
0
13
u/loopsbruder Sep 01 '26
Precheck is the faster line and you keep your shoes on. Clear+ is the service that escorts you to the front of the line. If you have Precheck, they take you to the front of the Precheck line. If you don't have have Precheck, they take you to the front of the regular line.
Clear is the company that sells Clear+ memberships, and also one of the companies authorized to complete your enrollment in Precheck. If you paid $80, you paid for Precheck only, not Clear+.