How to Get a Free or Discounted Clear Airport Security Membership

Even if you have TSA PreCheck, now might be the time to add Clear to your list of ways to get through airport security faster. Clear works like this: After signing up online and completing a short in-person biometric scan to verify your identity, you’ll be able to walk up to a Clear kiosk at any airport where there is one and scan your fingerprints or eyes. Then a Clear representative will escort you straight to the security checkpoint, bypassing the regular line where the TSA agents check your ID.

How much does Clear cost?

As of May 19, 2022, it costs $189 for an annual Clear membership, compared to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership. But if you’re a new member and sign up now, you can get a Clear membership for just $149 or test it out for two months for free.

How to get a discounted Clear membership or free trial

Right now, AFAR readers new to Clear can get a discounted 12-month membership for just $149 with the promo code “AFF149”. If you’re not ready to commit to a full year, you can also sign up for a 2-month free trail with the promo code “2FREE”.

Buy Now: $149 for 12 months with promo code “AFF149” (Was $179), clearme.com

Clear discounts for Delta SkyMiles members

Anyone with a SkyMiles account (which is free to sign up for) can pay $119 for an annual Clear membership—a savings of $60 off the full price. If you’re a Platinum, Gold, or Silver Medallion member on Delta, or have a Delta SkyMiles credit card, you’ll only pay $109. And if you hold Delta’s coveted Diamond Medallion status, you can get a Clear membership for free. To enroll, simply sign up at clearme.com/partner/delta using your SkyMiles account number.

Clear discounts for United MileagePlus members

United’s Premier 1K members are eligible for a free Clear membership, while Premier Platinum, Gold, Silver, and United U.S. credit card members can sign up for a $109 annual Clear membership. Even if you only have a basic free MileagePlus account, you still qualify for a discounted $119 annual Clear membership. To link your frequent flyer account with a membership, add your MileagePlus number when signing up atm clearme.com/partner/united.

Clear statement credits for Amex Platinum Card holders

In addition to offering statement credits covering Global Entry and TSA PreCheck fees, the Platinum Card® from American Express also offers up to $189 in statement credits each year towards an annual Clear membership fee. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express also offers this statement credit.

Related

TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, and Clear: What’s the Difference?

Is Clear worth it?

Overall, a Clear membership is only worth it if you regularly fly through one of the 40 U.S. airports it currently serves, including JFK, LAX, and Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. But if you’re a sports fan, your Clear membership also allows you to skip the line at many major sports stadiums throughout the country, including Oracle Park in San Francisco and Denver’s Coors Field. 

Which airports have Clear?

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Texas
• Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Maryland
• Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, Alabama
• Boston Logan International Airport, Massachusetts
• Chicago Midway International Airport, Illinois
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, Kentucky
• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Ohio
• Dallas Love Field Airport, Texas
• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Texas
• Denver International Airport, Colorado
• Detroit Metro Airport, Michigan
• Dulles International Airport, Washington, D.C.
• Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Florida
• George Bush Intercontinental Airport, Houston
• Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia
• JFK International Airport, New York
• John Glenn Columbus International Airport, Ohio
• LaGuardia Airport, New York
• Los Angeles International Airport, California
• Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, Louisiana
• McCarren International Airport, Las Vegas
• Miami International Airport, Florida
• Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport, Minnesota
• Nashville International Airport, Tennessee
• Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey
• Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport, California
• Oakland International Airport, California
• O’Hare International Airport, Chicago
• Orlando International Airport, Florida
• Palm Beach International Airport, Florida
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Arizona
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, D.C.
• Sacramento International Airport, California
• Salt Lake City International Airport, Utah
• San Antonio International Airport, Texas
• San Francisco International Airport, California
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Washington
• St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Missouri
• Westchester County Airport, New York
• William P. Hobby Airport, Houston

Is Clear better than TSA PreCheck?

While TSA PreCheck is in more than 200 airports compared to the few dozen Clear serves, several people on Twitter pointed out why having both memberships is actually worth the money if you fly often.

Keep in mind that if you just have a Clear membership without a TSA PreCheck membership, you'll still get to go to the front of the regular airport security line but will need to take off your shoes and remove your electronics from your bag while going through checkpoint.

This article originally appeared online on July 2018; it was updated in September 2020, January 2022, and again on May 20, 2022, to include current information.

>> Next: Clear Develops a Health ID That Includes Coronavirus Screening