There's about to be a whole lot more TSA PreCheck members … and it could lead to far longer lines at your home airport.
The single-most popular travel credit card on the market, *chase sapphire preferred*, is adding a $120 credit to cover the entire cost of signing up for either TSA PreCheck and Global Entry among a slew of other new perks – all without adding the. That's great news for new and longtime Sapphire Preferred cardholders alike … but spells trouble for travelers already waiting in PreCheck lines.
Here's why.
The TSA surpassed 20 million PreCheck members back in 2024 – up 5 million from just a year prior. With growing awareness about this fast-pass through security, price drops and discounts, and an ever-increasing number of cards that offer a credit to cover the cost of signing up, that number is likely substantially higher today.
But the Chase Sapphire Preferred could lead to an influx of new users like we've never seen before. It's the most popular travel credit card on the market, period.
According to Chase itself in 2024, the company had more than 60 million credit card users in the U.S. And while we don't know exactly how many of them have the Chase Sapphire Preferred, we do know that more than 50% of the (6,000 and counting) travelers using our Credit Card Benefit Tracker have a Chase Sapphire Preferred Card open. Again, that makes it far and away the most popular card.
So we can safely assume that several million cardholders will now be able to sign up for TSA PreCheck at no cost after that new benefit kicks in next Monday, June 15. And considering the annual fee is only $95, it's also safe to assume many more Americans will be signing up for the card, too – especially if Chase rolls out another massive welcome bonus to lure in new applicants, as they typically do at least once a year.
Sure, some of those cardholders likely already have PreCheck – but they could use their new benefit to sign up a friend or family member. Others surely won't bother signing up at all.
But at a time when many TSA PreCheck lines are longer than ever, this positive new benefit is going to cause some serious negatives for travelers nationwide as millions of travelers leave the general security lines behind for the first time.
Make no mistake: PreCheck will still be an excellent service. You get into a shorter line, get to keep your liquids and electronics in your bag and a light coat and belt on. And Global Entry is even better: It offers PreCheck benefits as well as a fast pass through customs and immigration upon return to the U.S.
Bottom Line
We expect several million new TSA PreCheck members to join the program this year thanks to the revamped Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.
A new $120 credit will cover the cost of PreCheck for what could easily be tens of millions of cardholders. While not every cardholder will apply and some may already have PreCheck, millions of new potential applicants could lead to longer lines at airports.
