Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are two of the best ways to speed through airport security and make your travel experience more enjoyable.
Did you know that many credit cards will cover the cost of your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck?
All you have to do is pay for it with one of our recommended cards below.
Best Overall Value for Travel: Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review)
Best for Airport Lounge Access: The Platinum Card® from American Express (review)
1. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best Overall Value for Travel
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (review) is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, completely offset by a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) for each account anniversary.
Plus, you get airport lounge access via Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
2. The Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Airport Lounge Access
The Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is a great premium travel rewards card for travelers who want airport lounge access, including Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (when flying Delta), Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges.
The American Express Platinum has a $695 annual fee, but you receive many annual statement credits when you enroll your card to offset the fee, including:
- $200 Airline Fee Credit: Select one qualifying airline and then receive up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year when incidental fees are charged by the airline to your Card.
- $200 Hotel Credit: Get up to $200 back in statement credits each year on prepaid Fine Hotels + Resorts® or The Hotel Collection bookings with American Express Travel when you pay with your Platinum Card®.
- $240 Digital Entertainment Credit: Get up to $20 in statement credits each month when you pay for eligible purchases with the Platinum Card® at your choice of one or more of the following providers: Disney+, ESPN+, Hulu, The New York Times, Peacock, SiriusXM, and The Wall Street Journal. Enrollment required.
- $200 Uber Cash Credit: Enjoy Uber VIP status and up to $200 in Uber savings on rides or eats orders in the US annually. Benefit renews annually.
- $155 Walmart+ Credit: Use your Platinum Card® to pay for a monthly Walmart+ membership (subject to auto-renewal) and receive a statement credit that covers the full cost each month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Platinum Card®.
You also earn 5x Membership Rewards points when booking flights directly with airlines or with American Express Travel (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year) and 5x Membership Rewards points when booking prepaid hotels with American Express Travel.
On top of that, you automatically earn Marriott Bonvoy Gold Elite and Hilton Honors Gold statuses, which offer points bonuses, room upgrades, late check-out, and other premier benefits.
3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best Budget Option
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- 5x Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars via Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles Everywhere Else
- 2 Free Visits to Capital One Lounges Each Year
- Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check Credit
- Hertz 5-Star Elite Status
- Rental Car Insurance and Extended Warranty
- $95 Annual Fee
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a travel rewards credit card that earns an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The card also comes with a range of travel benefits, including secondary rental car, no foreign transaction fees, and extended warranty coverage.
Plus, you also get two complimentary passes to visit Capital One lounges each year and an application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck (up to a $100 credit every four years).
4. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for Travel Insurance
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- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
The card_name (review) is a great option for travelers who want premium perks such as airport lounge access and top-tier travel protections.
The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but you receive an annual easy-to use $300 travel credit and access to 1,300+ Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, great benefits such as trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase and return protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cardmembers also earn extra points with:
- 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards.
- 3x points on travel.
- 3x points on dining, and food delivery purchases.
- 1x points everywhere else.
One thing to remember is that you won’t earn points on your first $300 in travel purchases each cardmember year since the $300 travel credit covers those purchases.
You can also cash out points at a 50% bonus (1.5 cents per point) when redeeming points towards travel or transfer the points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
5. The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
Best for Business Travelers
The Business Platinum Card® from American Express (review) is an outstanding choice for business owners who want airport lounge access including the American Express Global Lounge Collection, Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs, Escape Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, and more.
The Business Platinum card also offers several statement credits to offset the $695 annual fee:
- $200 Airline Fee: Annual airline fee credit of up to $200 on charges by the airline you select per calendar year.
- $400 Dell: Annual statement credit on all U.S. Dell purchases, up to $200 semiannually.
- $120 Wireless Phone Services: Annual statement credits for purchases made directly with any U.S. wireless telephone provider, up to $10 per month.
- $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Breeze through security with CLEAR® Plus at 45+ airports nationwide and get up to $189 back per year on your membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Business Platinum Card.
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Statement credits for Global Entry ($100) or TSA PreCheck ($85) every four years (4.5 years for PreCheck).
You can also earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on amextravel.com, and 1.5x points on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year
The American Express Business Platinum comes with automatic Hilton Honors Gold and Marriott Bonvoy Gold so that you can enjoy perks like room upgrades, late check-out, and a points bonus.
Additionally, the points you earn can be transferred to several Amex transfer partners such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Delta SkyMiles, and Marriott Bonvoy. This potentially increases the value of your points depending on how you redeem them.
6. United℠ Explorer Card
Best for United Purchases
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- 2X Miles on United Purchases, Dining, and Hotel Stays
- 2 United Club One-Time Passes Per Year
- Free First Checked Bags for Two People
- Up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus Credit
- 25% Savings on United In-Flight Food and Drinks
- Priority Boarding
- Primary Rental Car and Trip Delay Insurance
- $0 Intro Annual Fee, Then $95 Per Year
The card_name (review) is one of my favorite cards to keep long-term because of the great benefits when flying United, including:
- Free first checked bag when you pay using the Explorer card;
- Two free United Club passes each account anniversary;
- Priority boarding for you and companions on the same reservation;
- Extra award space when redeeming your United miles;
- 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United; and
- Premier upgrades on award tickets.
Even if you’re not a frequent United flyer, the money-saving perks and travel benefits of this card can still make it a worthwhile choice.
Besides the airline-specific benefits, the United Explorer card offers purchase protection, extended warranty, and trip cancellation/interruption insurance, providing peace of mind while traveling.
7. Capital One Spark Miles for Business
Best for Small Businesses
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- Unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- 2x Miles On Every Purchase
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, $95 Thereafter
- Free employee cards which also earn unlimited 2X miles from their purchases
The Capital One Spark Miles for Business is one of the top travel rewards credit cards for small business owners.
The card earns unlimited 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. It also earns unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, which can be transferred to Capital One’s airline and hotel partners.
The Spark Miles also offers a statement credit for your Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application (up to $100) and no foreign transaction fees.
8. Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
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- 6X Points at Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Up to a $300 Statement Credit for Eligible Purchases at Restaurants Worldwide Each Year ($25 Per Month)
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite Status
- 25 Elite Night Credits Each Year
- Free Anniversary Night Award (Up to 85,000 Points)
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- $650 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates and Fees)
The Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card (review) is a premium hotel card that gets you Platinum Elite status, a free annual hotel night up to 85,000 points, 6x points at Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and Priority Pass airport lounge access.
The Bonvoy Brillant comes with several great statement credits to help offset the annual fee, including:
- Up to $300 in statement credits per calendar year (up to $25 per month) for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide.
- Priority Pass airport lounge access
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
- Cell phone insurance
- 25 Marriott Elite night credits to help you reach higher status
9. Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
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- Admirals Club Lounge Membership
- Free Checked Bag (for you and 8 travel companions)
- Priority Boarding and Priority Check-In
- Global Entry / TSA Pre-Check Credit
- $595 Annual Fee
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® is a good option for frequent American Airlines travelers since it offers an Admirals Club membership, free checked bags, priority boarding, and priority check-in on American Airlines.
10. IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
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- 10x Points at IHG Hotels and Resorts
- 5x Points on Travel, Dining, and Gas
- 3x Points on All Other Purchases
- IHG Platinum Elite Status
- Anniversary Free Night
- 4th Night Free on Awards
- Baggage and Trip Interruption/Cancellation Insurance
- Purchase Protection for 120 Days
- $99 Annual Fee
The card_name (review) is the easiest shortcut to obtaining IHG Platinum elite status, which is a higher tier that offers a 60% points bonus, complimentary suite upgrades, milestone rewards, and late check-out.
The $99 annual fee is easy to recoup for IHG loyalists, as the card comes with a free anniversary hotel night at hotels costing 40,000 points or at least $125 per night plus a fourth night free that you can use to maximize the 140,000 welcome bonus points earned after spending $3,000.
The IHG Premier offers solid returns on spending, earning 10x points at IHG properties plus 10x points for your IHG Rewards membership and 6x points for having the Platinum Elite status for a total of 26x points on hotel stays, and 5x points on travel, gas, and dining.
This card has a wide array of protections, including trip cancellation, travel accident, baggage delay, purchase, and secondary rental car insurance.
11. Aeroplan® Credit Card
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- 3x Points at Grocery Stores, Restaurants, and Air Canada directly.
- New Cardmember Aeroplan 25K Elite Status for This Year and Next Year
- Free First Checked Bag for You & Up to 8 Companions
- $95 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees.
The Aeroplan® Credit Card is a unique card that offers nice benefits on Air Canada and preferred pricing when redeeming your Aeroplan points.
The Aeroplan Card earns 3x points per dollar at grocery stores, restaurants, eligible food delivery services, and with Air Canada directly.
Cardmembers also get a free first checked bag for themselves plus 8 companions on the same reservation, and new cardmembers will receive Air Canada 25K Elite Status for the remainder of the year plus the following calendar year.
Big spenders can also earn nice perks: 500 bonus points for every $2,000 you spend in a calendar month (up to 1,500 bonus points per month), and a one-tier status upgrade when you spend $50,000 on the card in a calendar year.
12. United Club℠ Infinite Card
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- 4X Miles on United Purchases
- 2X Miles on Dining, Travel, Transit, and Rideshare
- United Club Airport Lounge Access
- IHG Platinum and Avis President’s Club Elite Status
- Free First and Second Checked Bags
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- $525 Annual Fee
The card_name (review) offers United Club membership for the primary cardholder if you have a same-day boarding pass for travel on United, a Star Alliance partner, or a contracted partner.
You can also bring two adults or one adult and dependent children under 21 years of age as guests.
The card also offers 4 miles per dollar spent on United purchases, 2 miles per dollar spent on travel and dining, and 1 mile per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Plus, you and one companion can get your first and second checked bags free on United-operated flights when you buy the tickets with your card.
13. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card
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- 3X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines Purchases
- First Checked Bag Free
- Airport Lounge Access
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- $550 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card (review) earns 3x SkyMiles on Delta purchases and comes with complimentary Delta Sky Club* and The Centurion Lounge access, making it a stellar choice for frequent Delta flyers.
For a $550 annual fee, this premium card offers excellent Delta-specific perks such as free first checked bag, 20% back on in-flight purchases, upgrade priority, and an annual companion certificate that gets you a Domestic First Class, Delta Comfort+, or Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate upon renewing your card every year.
* Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
14. Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card
The Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card (review) is great for Delta loyalists, offering a Domestic Main Cabin round-trip companion certificate every year upon renewing your card.
For a $250 annual fee, getting this card unlocks valuable flying benefits, including a first checked bag free that saves you up to $60 per person on a round-trip Delta flight, a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, and 20% savings as statement credit on in-flight food and beverages.
15. U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card
- Earn 50,000 Points After Spending $4,500 in the First 90 Days.
- 5X Points on Prepaid Hotels and Car Rentals Booked via the Altitude Rewards Center
- 3X Points on Travel and Mobile Wallet
- Up to $325 Annual Credits for Travel and Dining
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Global Entry / TSA PreCheck Credit
- $400 Annual Fee
The U.S. Bank Altitude® Reserve Visa Infinite® Card is a premium credit card that earns 3x points per dollar on travel and mobile wallet spending (equivalent to 4.5% cash back toward travel).
The 3x points on spending via a mobile wallet is a unique benefit, which can make this card very lucrative if you frequently spend in places where you can pay using Apple Pay/Samsung Pay/Google Pay, such as at Costco, the grocery stores, gas stations/EV charging stations, home improvement stores, etc.
The card also comes with nice travel protections and Priority Pass airport lounge access.
16. Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card
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- 3x SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines
- Airport Lounge Access
- Priority Boarding and Free First Checked Bag
- Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- $550 Annual Fee and No Foreign Transaction Fees (Rates & Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card (review) earns 3x SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines and offers airport lounge access to the Delta Sky Club*, American Express Centurion Lounges, and Escape Lounges.
The Delta Reserve Business has a $550 annual fee, which is offset by the airport lounge access and other perks such as an annual companion certificate, Non-Medallion Upgrades, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, free first checked bag, priority boarding, and 20% statement credit for food and drinks.
* Effective 2/1/25, Reserve Card Members will receive 10 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of Visits each year starting on 2/1/25, the total eligible purchases on the Card must equal $75,000 or more between 1/1/24 and 12/31/24, and each calendar year thereafter.
17. Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card
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- 4X Points on Southwest Airlines
- 2X Points in Ridesharing, Transit, Social Media and Search Engine Advertising, Internet, Cable, & Phone
- 9,000 Bonus Points for Each Cardmember Anniversary
- 4 Upgraded Boardings Per Year
- 365 InFlight WiFi Credits Each year
- $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Credit
- $199 Annual Fee
The Southwest® Rapid Rewards® Performance Business Credit Card (review) is Southwest’s top-tier business credit card earning 4x points on Southwest purchases, 3x points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners, and 2x points on online advertising, internet, cable, phone, ridesharing, and local transit.
For a $199 annual fee, you also get four upgraded boardings annually, 9,000 bonus points every cardmember anniversary, $100 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit every four years, and up to 365 in-flight Wi-Fi credits.
The Southwest Performance Business card also comes with lost luggage reimbursement, baggage delay insurance, secondary rental car insurance, purchase protection, and an extended warranty.
For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please click here.
For the rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, please click here.
