How to Gift a TSA PreCheck or Global Entry Membership—for Free

If you have more than one credit card that covers the cost of TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, you can give a free membership to someone else. Here’s what to know.
Navy blue and gold U.S. passport, with Global Entry form extending from it, on wood tabletop

Most travel-focused credit cards offer reimbursements for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. Anyone can use those credits, not just cardholders.

Photo by Evgenia Parajanian/Shutterstock

In this Article

This article was originally published in 2024 and most recently updated on September 9, 2026, with current information.

There are plenty of tangible gifts for people who love to travel, but we’d argue that the true best gifts for frequent travelers are TSA PreCheck and Global Entry. The former speeds up getting through U.S. airport security and the latter lets you clear immigration on your return to the USA at lightning speed. TSA PreCheck on its own costs $77–$85 (price depends on which provider you use); Global Entry, which automatically includes TSA PreCheck, costs $120, and many premium cards reimburse these fees. This year, consider a gift they’ll actually use: Here’s how you can give someone TSA PreCheck and Global Entry—for free.

Can you gift your TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit to someone else?

Yes, you can give someone TSA PreCheck or Global Entry as a gift. You don’t need to gift both, because Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck. Many credit cards reimburse the application fees for these programs as a statement credit. Depending on the card, the credit is available once every four or 4.5 years, because TSA PreCheck and Global Entry memberships last five years.

If you have one premium credit card and you’ve used the credit for your own TSA PreCheck or Global Entry, you won’t be able to gift it. But if you have multiple travel credit cards, you’ll have multiple chances to have these two programs reimbursed. Don’t let them to go waste.

How to use your credit card’s TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit for someone else

Using your credit card’s TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit for someone else is easy. First, choose which program you want to gift. Then, provide the person’s information, including their first and last name, and pay the fee: $77 for TSA PreCheck and $120 for Global Entry, which itself includes TSA PreCheck. You’ll be reimbursed with a statement credit. TSA confirms that the name of the credit card holder does not need to match the name of the person applying for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.

Which credit cards let you share the credit with someone else?

The following credit cards offer a statement credit every four to 4.5 years to cover either the $120 cost of Global Entry or up to $85 for TSA PreCheck. These credits can be used to pay for one of these programs for someone else. TSA has a list of all credit cards that pay for some or all of TSA PreCheck.

  • Aeroplan® Credit Card
  • Capital One Venture X Business
  • Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
  • Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred®
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve®
  • Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
  • Delta SkyMiles Platinum Business American Express Card
  • Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card
  • IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card
  • IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
  • Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
  • Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
  • The Platinum Card® from American Express: authorized users also get the credit
  • The Business Platinum Card® from American Express: authorized users also get the credit
  • United℠ Explorer Card
  • United Quest℠ Card

Sophie Friedman contributed to the reporting of this story.

Bailey Berg is a Colorado-based travel writer and editor who covers breaking news, trends, sustainability, and outdoor adventure. She is the author of Secret Alaska: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure (Reedy Press, April 2025) and the former associate travel news editor at Afar and has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and National Geographic.

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