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These Credit cards give a FULL refund on Global Entry/TSA PreCheck® fees
Yes, there is a long list of credit cards that will actually reimburse the fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® when you charge it to them. If you carry more than one of the cards down below, and you’re looking to get family members in on the action, you could spread them on various cards. Heck, some cards even extend the benefit to authorized users and give them a fee credit as well. Let’s take a look at the difference between TSA PreCheck® and Global Entry as well as which credit cards will reimburse the fee you pay.
If you’d like to learn more about Global Entry – read this full article
Trusted Traveler: TSA PreCheck® vs Global Entry
Global Entry expedites your immigration and customs process when you’re returning to the USA from a foreign country. TSA PreCheck® expedites your security when you’re going from Check-In to Gateside at airports where TSA operates. Note, some of these are outside the US like in Canada or the UAE.
- TSA PreCheck® can reduce your security wait times
- Global Entry can reduce your immigration and customs wait times
One thing you should realize, Global Entry provides a Known Traveler ID which can be used for TSA PreCheck® as well. Meaning, Global Entry comes with de facto TSA PreCheck® vis a vis the your Known Traveler number, so if you apply for Global Entry and are approved, you’re getting both.
This does not work the other way around, if you get TSA PreCheck®, you don’t get Global Entry.
This is why, if you travel internationally at all, I recommend getting Global Entry. However, if you don’t, its worth your while to get TSA PreCheck® to reduce your security wait times here in the USA.
- TSA PreCheck® = $85
- Global Entry $100
Credit Cards reimburse the TSA PreCheck® or Global Enetry fee.
Note that the fees are reimbursed as statement credits and usually it is once every 4 years for Global Entry and every 5 years for TSA PreCheck®, and you have to choose one. If you’ve received a TSA PreCheck® credit, you won’t be eligible for a Global Entry credit on that credit card until the timeframe passes. This isn’t a hard and fast rule, but generally the case.
If I’ve missed any, just drop a comment and I’ll update the list.
American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express – any version
- The Business Platinum® Card from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
- Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
- Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® from American Express® Card
Barclay
- Barclay Aviator Silver
- Mastercard® Black Card™
- Mastercard® Gold Card™
Bank of America
Capital one
Chase
- Aeroplan® Credit Card
- Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance for Business
- Chase Sapphire Reserve®
- Ritz Card from Chase
- IHG One Rewards Premier Card from Chase
- IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
- United(SM) Explorer Card
- United Club(SM) Infinite Card
- United Quest (SM) Card
Citi
City National
- Crystal® Visa Infinite® Credit Card
UBS
- UBS Visa Infinite® Credit Card
US Bank
- SkyPass Select Visa Signature® Card
- U.S. Bank Altitude™ Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
- U.S. Bank FlexPerks® Gold American Express®
Suntrust
- Suntrust Travel Rewards Credit Card
Truist
- Enjoy Capital Credit Card
A trick to get TSA PreCheck® faster
Most people think you need to go to the airport, but you don’t. Staples is an authorized enrollment center, and during your application process, you will be given options of where to conduct your TSA PreCheck® interview. You can just search for your local Staples, and save yourself not only a commute to the airport, but a ton of wait time since these locations seldomly have lines.
A trick to getting Global Entry Faster
Global Entry interviews are taking almost a year now to schedule. The trick is to go through the entire application process ( you can learn more here ) and as long as you are conditionally approved, or pending your interview, you can do this when you arrive back from yoru international trip. This is called Enrollment on Arrival.
What do I need to bring?
- A valid passport. If you travel using more than one passport, please bring them all to the interview so that the information can be added to your file.
- Documents providing evidence of residency. Examples are: driver’s license (if the address is current), mortgage statement, rental payment statement, utility bill, etc. This is not required for minors.
- A permanent resident card (if applicable)
Overall
I’d recommend getting Global Entry so you can get both it and TSA PreCheck®. But, if you don’t anticipate any international travel, get TSA PreCheck®, enroll at Staples, and use one of the cards listed above to get a statement credit.
Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these entities.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Welcome Offer
60k Points after $4k spend in 3 months
Annual Fee
$95
Points Earned
Transferrable Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 60k points after $4k spend in 3 months
- Worth $750 in Chase Travel℠ and way more if you maximize transfer partners
- 5x on all travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
- 3x on dining, including eligible delivery services for takeout & dining out
- 3x on select streaming services
- 3x on online grocery purchases
- (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
- $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit via Chase Travel℠
- The begins immediately for new cardmembers and after your account anniversary for existing cardmembers
- 2x on all other travel
- 10% Anniversary Bonus
- Every year you keep the card, your total spend will yield a 10% points bonus. If you spend $10k in a year, you’ll get 1k bonus points
- Chase Sapphire Preferred continues to redeem at 1.25c in the Chase Travel℠ and the slew of other benefits remain in tact including Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver ( primary ), purchase protections, etc.
- Points are transferrable to 14 Ultimate Rewards partners
- Redeem in Chase Travel℠ for 1.25 cents per point
- No foreign transaction fees
- Suite of Travel and Purchase Coverage
- Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver is my favorite
- Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024
- $95 Annual Fee
We keep an up to date spreadsheet that lists the best ever offers: You can find that spreadsheet here.
Historically 80k is a very, very good offer and hit in both 2022 and 2023. In 2021, we saw the offer hit an all time high of 100k. Who knows if that will ever come back.
Main Cast:
Cards that earn flexible points and should be used on the bulk of your purchases.
Supporting Cast:
Cards that earn fixed points in the currency of the airline/hotel and can not be transferred at attractive rates. These cards yield benefits that make it worth keeping, but not necessarily worth putting a lot of your everyday spend on.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® is exceptional starter card and offers transferrable Ultimate Rewards, and pairs well with other Chase cards.
If you carry this card alongside Chase’s cashback cards like the Chase Freedom Flex℠and Chase Freedom Unlimited® or the business versions: Ink Business Cash® , Ink Business Unlimited® you can combine the points into Preferred account and transfer into hotel and airline partners
Annual fee is quite low at $95 a year + you get a 10% anniversary bonus on points + $50 hotel credit in Chase travel.
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