Considering getting TSA PreCheck in order to get through security lines faster? It’s an appealing thought, but will it be worth the cost if you aren’t traveling all the time any more?
Cost If You Pay For A New TSA PreCheck Application
Today, in November 2022, it currently costs $85 to apply for TSA PreCheck. This is a 5-year fee, so while you have to pay out $78 today, you’ll only end up paying $15.60 per year for TSA Pre.
You can only get TSA PreCheck from https://www.tsa.gov/precheck, so don’t try to apply for it anywhere else! On other sites you might accidentally be signing up for an advisory service or some form of expediter, which you almost certainly don’t want or need. Only the official .gov site will get you the PreCheck application that you are in search of.
Prior to November 2022 the price to get PreCheck was $85 for 5 years, but the price was reduced by $7, as announced in this TSA press release.
Cost To Renew TSA PreCheck
If you are a current TSA PreCheck member and your 5-year term is up, then you probably want to renew your status.
The typical renewal fee for PreCheck is $70. This can be done online with minimal effort if you have all your documents order. Like a new application, the renewal is for a 5-year term, so you will end up paying $14 per year for your renewed Precheck status.
If you go to an in-person PreCheck renewal then the non-refundable fee will be $78, just like the original, non-renewal fee you paid for PreCheck.
Are Discounts Available On TSA PreCheck?
No, the TSA does not offer any discounts on PreCheck. Senior citizens, children, and military discounts are not available — everyone has to pay the full fee unless they have a credit card or similar mechanism for getting PreCheck either for free or at a lower rate.
How To Get TSA PreCheck For Free
Many people who have PreCheck don’t actually pay for it directly, but rather they have some sort of premium credit card that gets the free PreCheck. Most of these cards require a yearly payment so PreCheck isn’t really “free” but the cost is indirect and often spread over many perks and discounts so it can be a very good deal nonetheless.
Here is a list of credit cards that either give you a statement credit when the card is used to buy PreCheck or that let you spend points to pay for your PreCheck application (via TSA.gov):
- Aesthetics Card Visa® Rewards Credit Card
- Arvest Visa Signature® Credit Card
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card
- Capital One® Spark® Miles Card
- Capital One® Venture® Card
- Capital One® Venture X® Card
- Certain American Express® Credit Cards
- Chase Sapphire ReserveSM
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World EliteTM MasterCard®
- Citi Prestige® Card
- Commerce Bank® World Elite Mastercard®
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Diners Club® Carte Blanche® Corporate Card
- Expedia® Rewards Voyager Card from Citi
- HSBC Elite World Elite Mastercard®
- HSBC Premier World Mastercard®
- IHG® Rewards Club
- Marriott Bonvoy™
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card
- MasterCard® Black Card™
- MasterCard® Gold Card™
- Navy Federal’s Visa Signature® Flagship Rewards Card
- Orbitz Rewards®
- PenFed Pathfinder® Rewards Visa Signature® Card
- Provident World+ Travel®
- Radisson Rewards Americas
- Southwest Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
- Truist Business Travel Rewards credit card
- Truist Enjoy Beyond credit card
- Truist Enjoy Travel credit card
- UBS Visa Infinite Credit Card
- United ClubSM Infinite Card
- UnitedSM Explorer Card
- United MileagePlus® (By Redeeming Miles)
- United QuestSM Card
- US Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
- US Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express® Card
Using a TWIC
If you have an active Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) then you can technically get PreCheck for free. You don’t actually have the apply for TSA Pre, but rather you can use your TWIC card’s ID number (the CIN) as your Known Traveler Number (KTN). This will be sufficient for getting into PreCheck lines just like through the normal KTN process.
You can’t automatically get a KTN simply because you have a TWIC though — you must be eligible for all the standard PreCheck requirements as well.