What Credit Cards Cover Your CLEAR Membership?

CLEAR is a biometric identity verification service designed to streamline security screening at participating airports and venues across the United States. This program uses unique physical characteristics, such as fingerprints and iris scans, to verify identity, allowing members to bypass the traditional ID check line. This can lead to a more efficient and expedited journey through security checkpoints. Certain credit cards offer benefits that can help offset the cost of a CLEAR membership.

Credit Cards with CLEAR Statement Credits

Several premium credit cards provide statement credits for CLEAR membership, effectively covering or significantly reducing the annual fee. The Platinum Card® from American Express offers up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year for CLEAR Plus membership fees. This benefit applies to both the personal and Business Platinum Card® from American Express, both of which carry an annual fee of $695.

The American Express® Green Card also provides a statement credit of up to $209 annually for CLEAR Plus membership, with an annual fee of $150. The Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card also offers up to $209 in statement credits per calendar year for CLEAR Plus membership, with an annual fee of $550.

Some co-branded airline credit cards, such as various Delta SkyMiles American Express Cards and United MileagePlus cards, do not offer a direct statement credit for the full CLEAR membership fee. Instead, these cards often provide access to discounted CLEAR membership rates. For example, Delta SkyMiles American Express Card members may be eligible for a reduced annual CLEAR membership fee, with the discount level often depending on their Delta SkyMiles elite status. United MileagePlus cardholders can access discounted CLEAR rates based on their MileagePlus status.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve, a popular travel card, does not offer direct reimbursement for CLEAR Plus membership. While this card provides credits for other trusted traveler programs like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, CLEAR Plus is not eligible for reimbursement through its benefits.

Activating Your CLEAR Credit

Utilizing your eligible credit card benefit for a CLEAR membership involves a straightforward process. Enroll directly with CLEAR through their official website. During enrollment, or when updating your payment method for an existing account, use your eligible credit card to pay the annual membership fee.

After the charge posts to your credit card account, the statement credit will be automatically applied. While the credit may appear within a few days, it can sometimes take up to six to eight weeks to post to your account. Monitor your credit card statement to confirm the credit has been received. Existing CLEAR members can update their stored payment method in their CLEAR account to trigger the benefit for their next renewal. Completing the enrollment process for CLEAR Plus requires an in-person visit to a participating airport location to verify your identity with a valid government-issued ID and to perform the necessary biometric scans.

Key Details of CLEAR Benefit Programs

The statement credits offered by credit cards for CLEAR membership operate on a calendar year basis. This means the benefit resets on January 1st each year, allowing cardholders to receive the credit annually, regardless of when they initially enrolled. This calendar year structure can be advantageous, potentially allowing a cardholder to receive two credits within a short period if they enroll late in one year and renew early in the next.

For families, CLEAR offers a family plan where members can add up to three additional adults at a discounted rate, typically around $119 to $125 per person annually, after the primary membership. Children under 18 years of age can accompany a registered adult through the CLEAR lane for free. While the credit card benefit usually covers only one primary CLEAR membership, the credit can be applied towards the cost of the primary membership, and any family additions would be charged separately.

Credit card benefits and their terms are subject to change over time. Card issuers may modify the amount of the credit, the eligibility criteria, or even discontinue the benefit entirely. Review the most current terms and conditions of your specific credit card benefits directly with the issuer.