CLEAR Overview
CLEAR is a service that uses your eyes or fingerprints to confirm your identity. This is used at many airports and some stadiums to help you speed through security checks. CLEAR isn’t available at all airports in the US, but thanks to partnerships with Delta and United, CLEAR is widely available at many airports across the United States.
At supported airports, CLEAR makes it possible to skip the sometimes very long ID check lines (just before security). Instead, of waiting to show your ID, you can go to the CLEAR aisle (where available) and simply scan your eyes or fingerprints.
This benefit is complementary to TSA PreCheck. The main difference between CLEAR and TSA PreCheck is that CLEAR lets you breeze past the first line at security: the place you line up to show your ID. TSA PreCheck then speeds up the second part because you don’t have to remove your shoes, laptops or liquids, and you usually go through a metal detector rather than a body scanner. The best is to have both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck so that you can zoom through both parts of security every time.
How to get CLEAR for less
By default, CLEAR costs $189 per year, but there are easy ways to reduce the price:
- Student Discount: $60 per year
- Active Duty Military & Veterans: $99
- Government Rate: $99. Federal, State, and Local Government employees are eligible for a discounted rate. Contact memberservices@clearme.com for more information.
- Delta & United members (both are free to join): $179 per year
- Delta & United credit card holders and elite members (not top tier): $149 per year
- Delta Diamond, United 1K, and United Global Services members: FREE
- Family Plan: Add up to 3 adults for $70 per person per year (log into your CLEAR account to add family members).
- Pay with an Amex card that offers a rebate for CLEAR:
- Amex Centurion Card: Statement credit up to $369 per calendar year.
- Amex Platinum Card: Statement credit up to $189 per calendar year.
- Amex consumer Green Card: Statement credit up to $189 per calendar year.
More about the Family Plan (it’s not just for family!)
The family plan isn’t limited to family members. CLEAR’s website is clear about that. Friends are welcome to be in your family plan. They write:
How can I add family members to my account?
Bundle and save! Add up to 3 family members or friends to your account for just $70 each. Family members under 18 years old can always join you in the CLEAR Lane for free.
With an individual membership, there’s no reason to pay more than $179 per year since that’s the price for any Delta or United member. So, if you get together with 3 friends and divide the fees evenly, the four of you would pay only $89.75 each. Here’s the math:
- Member 1: $179
- Member 2: $70
- Member 3: $70
- Member 4: $70
- Total: $389
- Per Member Price: $389 / 4 = $97.25
Of course you can do even better if the primary member has a better discount.
FAQ
Do I need CLEAR if I already have TSA PreCheck?
At airports, CLEAR is complementary to TSA PreCheck. The main difference between CLEAR and TSA PreCheck is that CLEAR lets you breeze past the first line at security: the place you line up to show your ID. TSA PreCheck then speeds up the second part because you don’t have to remove your shoes, laptops or liquids, and you usually go through a metal detector rather than a body scanner. The best is to have both CLEAR and TSA PreCheck so that you can zoom through both parts of security every time.
Who can become a CLEAR member?
CLEAR is pretty clear about this, so I’ll just republish their words:
Who can become a CLEAR Plus member?
Individuals 18 years of age and older can enroll in CLEAR Plus. To enroll must have one of the following forms of photo identification:• US Driver’s License
• US Passport or US Passport Card
• US-Issued Permanent Resident Card
• US State Issued ID
• Global Entry CardAll forms of identification must be valid, unexpired, not amended, and have a photo.
Children under 18 can use the CLEAR Lane for free when accompanied by a CLEAR member, no enrollment needed.
What about kids?
CLEAR is only available to adults 18 and over. Kids under 18 can go through the CLEAR lane when accompanied by a CLEAR member (the CLEAR member doesn’t have to be a family member).
If you are under 18 and traveling alone, you’re out of luck.
What about free CLEAR from Hertz?
This version of CLEAR has been discontinued.
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Looks like it’s $70 not $60? Might need to update.
Fixed that. Thank you
I had no idea about the military veteran discounted price of $99, so you saved me a nice chunk of change, Greg! (AGAIN!) Thank you for the great site, from a long-time reader but rare poster.
Greg, thanks.
$99 Veteran discount
$60 Wife
$159 Total
Neatly tucks into the Amex statement credit.
Regarding point 3, government rate. I emailed them in September, this is the response. Haven’t needed it so far (already had 2 platinum cards to cover myself and spouse so didn’t care what I paid), but will possibly revisit in September, as I’m down a platinum
Thank you for your inquiry.
At this time, CLEAR has a discount for newly-enrolling government officials at the annual rate of $99 annually.
In order to receive this rate, you must enroll/show your Government ID at the airport with your Government ID and .gov email address.
If you are already enrolled, Please have the CLEAR agent from an airport send us a ticket from the POD stating that you have shown your ID.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you soon about how you’d like to proceed.
Thanks! I added the $99 rate into the post.
I’ve only seen Clear be faster than precheck once, at the awful SFO airport (where precheck is longer wait then regular TSA, thanks to the dumb scanning equipment they have.. ) And even in this case, it just cut the line to wait to get your ID checked. I would estimate that a clear person saved about 5 minutes in our wait to get through. Note, at SFO, a line of about 50 took an hour to get through. Some system!
So, don’t use it.
I appreciate the useful, real-life quantitative data point. Thanks.
Looks like Delta & United (general) members are now $179
Yep, thanks for the reminder. Fixed.
Can this article be updated with 2022 information?
Add family is now $60 each.
Would appreciate what to expect after initial enrollment for the plus option with Airport Services.
Thanks for the suggestion. I’ve updated this with current pricing.
I’m not sure what you mean about the plus option with Airport services, though?
[…] ago, so I figured I would reactive my CLEAR membership. Frequent Miler has a great resource on 5 ways to get CLEAR for less and one of the ways is to be an AMEX Delta credit card holder and add a family member for less than […]
[…] We flew through Seattle on our way to Kona and had time to exit security to enroll Laura in CLEAR. Thanks to the new American Express Business Platinum Card benefit of $179 CLEAR credit, I was able to reactive my old CLEAR account, get the discounted rate of $109 because I am an AMEX Delta Credit Card holder and add Laura as a family member for $50. I will provide more details of our experience in a future post, but the basics are covered in this Frequent Miler CLEAR Guide. […]
Does the membership date start at the time of payment, or at the time of in person verification? Wondering as my home airport does not have clear (but my most common destination airports do) so have to wait for an upcoming trip to do the verification. so not sure if I should pay now or wait closer to the verification date to get the most time out of it.
Sorry, I don’t know
[…] The next 2 changes introduce the $179 CLEAR Credit which is an annual statement credit. I have had CLEAR in the past but didn’t think the service was worth pay $179 every year. Now that I get a $179 statement credit for CLEAR, I plan on reactivating my membership and adding my wife. Follow these steps to get 2 members for the price of 1. […]
what about signing up for the family plan. Can an account be opened up For a family plan with one Amex Green. Next have two other family members sign up at $50 fee using a different Amex green. This would put 3 people on board with total out of pocket at $19 using the delta link.
what about signing up for the family plan. Can an account be opened up For a family plan with one Amex Green. Next have two other family members sign up at $50 fee using a different Amex green. This would put 3 people on board with total out of pocket at $19 using the delta link.
Yes, I think so. The problem is that when the second year annual fees are due, I don’t know whether you’ll be able to split the charges again.
Is anyone else having the repeated problem of “Looks like we’re experiencing high volumes of traffic. Please try again?” I can’t even start my application. Tried a couple times yesterday and again this morning.
I called. I was trying to apply through the student link, but I don’t think it works. I was told that I had to apply normally then would submit my student ID (etc) to get the student rate.
Following up….I think the best deal (if you don’t have Delta Diamond, United 1K, or United Global Services) is to do the normal application but apply the promo code CLRSLCT for a 3 month free trial membership. Then, near the end of the 3 months, give CLEAR a call (855-253-2763) and have them switch your membership to the United/Delta/Student offer. That’s what they advised when I called, and the call was really quick and easy.
How many years is the fee good for?
1
Tripit Pro users also get a CLEAR offer, 4 months free, then $149/year.
The Amex Green and Amex Delta Gold combo turned out to be a nice little surprise. $9 for Clear? OK!
Do you know if I re-up after previously doing the 3 month trial, will I have to go through the whole registration process at the airport again, or will they still have my biometrics stored?
They keep your biometrics, I did the trial and then didn’t register again until a year later. They still had all my stuff.
Also worth noting is you also get the $109 rate if you are a United or Delta credit card holder. The no annual fee versions of the cards work to get you the discount.
Thanks! I’ve updated the post to include that.
Do you know if I can sign up as a student ($50), but then add family members for $50 each ?
I’d guess not, but I don’t know for sure.
is it possible to split the total fees among members so that we can fully use up the $100 amex green statement credit?
I don’t know if there’s a way to split payments, but I think you could something like this: sign up one person and pay with Green card 1. Add 2 “family” members and pay $100 with Green card 2. That should work for the first year. I’m not sure how you’d handle it for renewing each year.
So let me be CLEAR…..
While I just missed out earlier this year on the shortlived promo.
@Greg
So does the AmEX Green reboot with CLEAR credit stack with UA or DL discount?
Yes. When you sign up through the UA or Delta links, you still pay CLEAR directly
“one of the following forms of photo identification…”
What about US Driver’s License w/o being a Permanent Resident? Wife is in the process of changing status to PR.
That’s an interesting question- as I know that a few states are operating under a final REAL ID act waiver- for state DL (in order to board a Plane or enter Federal facilities – REAL ID DL will have a star in upper right hand corner as as 10.2020)
I am curious how it works in states that currently offer REAL ID DL but if you haven’t renewed DL and been verified for a REAL ID.
More of a curiousity as it’s sad how many TSA screening test miss weapons and forbidden items.
I think that would work. I don’t see anything in their rules that wouldn’t allow it.
I am an immigrant on H1B visa and I got clear membership with just state id.