Want CLEAR? These 4 Cards Will Cover the $199 Annual Fee

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 $199 … for free, why not? 

Think of CLEAR Plus as a fast pass to skip to the front of the security screening line. Head to the CLEAR Plus 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 $199 a year, CLEAR Plus is exorbitantly expensive compared to the $78 for a five-year membership PreCheck will cost you … unless you have one of the few travel credit cards that will cover the entire cost of CLEAR, of course.

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

How Much Does CLEAR Plus Cost?

After a price increase, the cost of a CLEAR Plus membership is now $199 each year. But there are some easy ways to make that cost 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 $179 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 $149 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 Plus as a free perk

Travel Cards that Cover CLEAR Plus Membership

There is an almost dizzying array of credit 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 Plus.

Scan through the list, and you’ll see that none of them are exactly “cheap” travel credit 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 $199 should kick in automatically to erase the cost.

The Platinum Card® from American Express

The top-tier card in the American Express travel portfolio – *Amex Platinum Card* provides an annual credit of up to $199 to completely cover the cost of CLEAR.

It’s one of the new perks that was added to the card after a major benefits refresh a few years ago – which also pushed the card’s annual fee from $550 up to its current rate of $695 (see rates & fees).

Among its laundry list benefits, it’s currently the only personal credit card that will reimburse you for both 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

Learn More about *Amex Platinum Card*

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 Plus membership, this benefit alone can easily justify the Green card’s $150 annual fee (see rates & fees). 

Read our full review of the American Express Green Card

Learn More about the *Amex Green Card*

The Hilton Aspire Card

Hilton-loyal travelers 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 Honors American Express Aspire Card – got a serious makeover last year, adding a slew of new benefits, tweaking others, and raising its annual fee from $450 to $550 a year. One of those new perks is – you guessed it – a credit that will cover signing up or renewing your CLEAR membership.

Apply Here for the Hilton Honors Aspire Card (for full disclosure, this is our personal referral link)

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

All information about the Hilton Honors Aspire Card has been collected independently by Thrifty Traveler and has not been reviewed by the issuer.

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 $199 to completely cover the cost of a CLEAR Plus membership after an overhaul early last year. The credit for CLEAR Plus along with a handful of other additional perks pushed the card’s annual fee from $595 up to $695 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.

Read next: Amex Launches Additional Benefits on the Business Platinum Card

Learn More about *Business Platinum Card*

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