TTPRADARTSA PreCheck speeds up the security checkpoint at U.S. airports. Global Entry speeds up your return into the U.S. after international travel, and it already comes with TSA PreCheck built in. That second part is the one most people get wrong.
What each program actually covers
TSA PreCheck is a TSA program for domestic security screening. Members use dedicated lanes where they keep their shoes, belt, and light jacket on, and leave laptops and 3-1-1 liquids inside their bag. It applies at the TSA checkpoint, nothing else.
Global Entry is a CBP program for re-entering the United States after you've been abroad. Approved members skip the standard customs line and use a kiosk at major airports; the benefit is also available at land borders. It applies to CBP processing on arrival.
PreCheck alone gets you nothing at customs. Global Entry alone would be the reverse, except that CBP bundles TSA PreCheck access into every Global Entry membership, so that gap doesn't actually exist in practice.
Global Entry already includes TSA PreCheck
CBP lists TSA PreCheck access as one of the benefits included with Global Entry membership. If you have Global Entry, you do not need to separately apply for or pay for PreCheck. You already have it.
To see it on your boarding pass, TSA requires a Known Traveler Number entered into your airline reservation or frequent-flyer profile. For Global Entry members, that number is your CBP PASS ID, the nine-digit number issued with your membership and printed on the back of your physical Global Entry card. You enter it once in your airline profile and it applies to future bookings.
The reverse is not true. Standalone TSA PreCheck does not include Global Entry, and it gets you nothing at a Global Entry kiosk after an international flight. The two are separate applications with separate approvals.
Cost, time, and what the process involves
PreCheck is cheaper and faster to get. It's an online application followed by a brief in-person enrollment appointment, roughly ten minutes, for identity documents, fingerprints, and a photo. There's no formal interview.
Global Entry costs more and takes more steps. After the online application and fee, CBP runs a background review, then you complete an in-person interview at an enrollment center or through the Enrollment on Arrival or Departure options at eligible airports.
| Program | Cost | Process | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSA PreCheck | $76.75 to $85, depending on provider | Online application, short in-person appointment, no interview | 5 years |
| Global Entry | $120 | Online application, background review, in-person interview | 5 years |
Both are five-year memberships. If you'd rather not guess when an enrollment center near you has openings, TTPRadar tracks live Global Entry wait times across the enrollment centers we monitor.
Who should get which
If you only fly domestically, get TSA PreCheck. It's cheaper, faster to obtain, and gives you everything you'd actually use.
If you fly internationally even occasionally, Global Entry is the better buy. It costs more up front, but it bundles PreCheck in, so you're not paying for two separate memberships to cover both ends of a trip.
If you already have standalone PreCheck and started traveling internationally more, it's worth applying for Global Entry instead of renewing PreCheck alone. Global Entry replaces it entirely rather than stacking on top of it. Our FAQ covers renewal timing and eligibility questions that come up during that switch.