We've asked ourselves again and again, and so have countless other travelers: “Is CLEAR+ even worth it anymore?”

For many, the answer is simple: If you can get the security service that normally costs $209 … for free, why not? 

Think of CLEAR+ as a fast pass to skip to the front of the security screening line. Head to the CLEAR+ lane at participating airports, scan your fingerprints (or use the company's new facial recognition), and head to the front of the TSA line. It even works well in tandem with TSA PreCheck®.

But at $209 a year, CLEAR+ is exorbitantly expensive compared to the $78 for a five-year membership PreCheck will cost you … unless you have one of the few travel cards that will cover the entire cost of CLEAR+, of course.

If you're thinking about joining CLEAR+, or are already paying for it out of pocket, here's what you need in your wallet.

 

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How Much Does CLEAR+ Cost?

After a price increase last year, the cost of a CLEAR+ membership is now $209 each year. But there are some easy ways to make it a bit cheaper:

  • Do you have a Delta SkyMiles account or a United MileagePlus account? Travelers who link their free Delta or United frequent flier accounts pay $199 a year. Flyers with Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines can also get discounts.
  • Travelers with Delta or United elite status (or a co-branded Delta SkyMiles Amex card or one of United's Chase cards) will pay $169 a year
  • You can add up to three adults to your “Family Plan” account for an additional $99 each (minors can tag along for free)
  • United 1K or Delta Diamond Medallion status members get CLEAR+ as a free perk

 

two people standing in front of a row of CLEAR kiosks

 

Travel Cards that Cover CLEAR+ Membership

There is an almost dizzying array of cards that will cover a TSA PreCheck® or Global Entry membership. Yet there are currently only four cards that will provide any relief when it comes to purchasing CLEAR+.

Scan through the list, and you'll see that none of them are exactly “cheap” travel cards. Nearly all of them are premium travel cards with annual fees north of $500. But if you already have one of them – or are considering it – you're in luck.

Pay for your annual CLEAR+ membership with one of these cards, and a credit of up to $209 should kick in automatically to erase the cost.

 

American Express Platinum Card®

The top-tier *Amex Platinum Card* provides an annual credit of up to $209 to completely cover the cost of CLEAR+. It's one of the newer perks that was added to the card after a major benefits refresh a few years ago.

Among its laundry list of benefits, it's currently the only personal card that will reimburse you for both a CLEAR+ membership and provide up to a $120 credit to cover the cost of Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Add in the airport lounge access the card provides, and there is perhaps no better card to improve the time you spend in airports.

Read our full review of the Platinum Card from American Express

 

*amex platinum*

 

Learn more about the *amex platinum*.

 

The American Express® Green Card

The *Amex Green Card* doesn't get a lot of attention from travelers, or even from American Express itself. But if you're looking for the cheapest card on this list that will cover the cost of CLEAR+, it's this one. 

If you are already paying for a CLEAR+ membership, this benefit alone can easily justify the Green card's $150 annual fee (see rates & fees). 

All information about the American Express® Green Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler. 

 

American Express Green Card

 

Learn more about the American Express® Green Card (for full disclosure, this is not an affiliate link).

 

The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Travelers loyal to Hilton may not need to look far for a way to cover the cost of CLEAR+ altogether.

The hotel chain's top credit card – the *Hilton Aspire* – got a serious makeover a few years ago, adding a slew of new benefits, tweaking others, and raising its annual fee from $450 to $550 a year (see rates & fees). One of those new perks is – you guessed it – a credit that will cover signing up or renewing your CLEAR+ membership.

Read our full review of the Hilton Aspire Card … and why it's our favorite hotel card, period!

 

*Hilton Aspire*

 

Learn more about the *Hilton Aspire*

 

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

Like the personal American Express Platinum Card, *Business Platinum Card*  also offers an annual credit of up to $209 to completely cover the cost of a CLEAR+ membership after an overhaul back in 2022. The credit for CLEAR+, along with a handful of other additional perks, pushed the card's annual fee to annual_fees each year (see rates & fees). That's the same annual fee you'll find on the personal Platinum card mentioned above.

Like the personal version of the Platinum Card, the Business Platinum also offers a credit of up to $120 to cover TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, too.

 

*biz platinum*

 

Learn more about *biz platinum*

 

Bottom Line

While there are plenty of travel rewards cards that will provide reimbursement for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, only four cards will help you cover the cost of signing up for (or renewing) CLEAR+. Use one of them to pay for your annual membership, and you're set.

 

Photos courtesy of CLEAR