Best Credit Cards for TSA PreCheck and Global Entry for March 2023

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card* strikes the best balance between annual fee, TSA Precheck or Global Entry Credit and rewards program. The cost is $95 annually, but that fee will be worth it for many travelers. The welcome bonus — 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on the card in the first three months as a cardholder — is worth $750 if you redeem it for travel. Meanwhile, the 2x miles rewards rate on all of your purchases is both competitive and simple.

You get up to a $100 credit toward either TSA Precheck or Global Entry — but not both (this is the case with all of the picks on this list). You can renew this membership and get a new statement credit every four years.

This card also grants you two visits to Capital One Lounges throughout the year, though these lounges are currently only open at Dallas Fort Worth (DFW) airport. Two more are scheduled to open in 2023, at Denver (DEN) and Washington DC (IAD).

For more information, see our full review of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card.

The Truist Enjoy Travel Credit Card* is a rare card that both offers TSA Precheck or a Global Entry credit and has no annual fee. Since this card is all upside, you could apply purely for the credit, but can also earn rewards on your purchases to redeem for cash back, gift cards or merchandise. While the rewards rates aren’t as strong as other cash-back credit cards, it’s still a great pick for those looking to skip the lines at airport security.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card* is both the youngest and least expensive of premium travel cards — those that cost several hundred dollars annually in exchange for more luxurious travel benefits. The annual fee is $395, which you can mostly offset if you can use the $300 annual travel statement credit you can earn automatically when booking travel through the Capital One Travel portal. A 10,000 miles bonus — worth $100 toward travel — is also awarded to you at each account anniversary.

Otherwise, the flat rewards rate and welcome bonus are identical to that of the Capital One Venture card, but you’ll get extra rewards if you book hotels, rental cars or flights through Capital One Travel. Like the other card picks, you can earn a statement credit up to $100 toward TSA Precheck or Global Entry every four years, if you use your Venture X card when applying.

For more information, check out our full review of the Capital One Venture X Credit Card.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers the best rewards of premium travel credit cards. Though it’s more expensive than the Venture X at $550 annually, the $300 annual statement credit for travel is much more widely applicable since you don’t have to book your travel through Chase in order to earn it.

The welcome bonus and rewards earn you Chase Ultimate Rewards points. You can redeem these points for 50% more than their cash-back value if you redeem them for travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. So, for instance: The Sapphire Reserve’s welcome bonus earns you 60,000 bonus points if you spend $4,000 on the card in the first three months. While this can be redeemed for a statement credit for $600, it’s worth $900 when redeemed as travel points through Chase’s portal.

In addition to the up to $100 statement credit for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry every four years, you also get Priority Pass Select membership that lets you visit over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide. For more details about the rewards and travel perks, see our full review of the Chase Sapphire Reserve.

The Platinum Card from American Express isn’t known for its rewards — but it makes up for it with its extensive credits, including (you guessed it) a credit for TSA Precheck or Global Entry. If you can take advantage of some of the other credits, then you should be able to make up for the $695 annual fee. Some of the other travel-related credits include:

• Up to $189 statement credit for CLEAR® membership each year. Whereas TSA Precheck expedites physical screenings at airports, Clear expedites your document processing by scanning and recognizing your face and eyes. Clear must be renewed every year, which your Platinum Amex will reimburse you for.

• Unlimited access to participating locations in the Global Lounge Collection for you and up to two guests, depending on the lounge and location. This includes AmEx Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Club Lounges, Priority Pass lounges and more. With over 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries, The Platinum Amex has more access to airport lounges than the other cards on this list.

• Up to $200 airline fee statement credit per calendar year. This doesn’t include flight costs themselves, but will cover incidental travel fees on one selected qualifying airline, including things like checked bags and in-flight refreshments.

To read about the other annual credits this card offers, check out our full review of The Platinum Card from American Express.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Enrollment may be required for select American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.