How CLEAR+ Works — and How To Get It for Free With the Right Credit Card or Elite Status

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Navigating the airport can be taxing for some travelers. There are often many pain points before passengers even get to board their plane. Fortunately, several services are available to help travelers zoom through the airport. One of these services is CLEAR+, which lets you skip to the front of the security line at airports and access dedicated security lanes at concert venues and stadiums.

Let's review the ins and outs of CLEAR+ to help you decide if it's worth signing up for a membership—including how you might be able to do so for no out-of-pocket cost.

What Is The Difference Between CLEAR and CLEAR+?

CLEAR is an identity verification platform that provides expedited security screening at airports, stadiums, and arenas. A free CLEAR membership grants fast access to sports and events, allowing you to use designated CLEAR lanes at stadiums, venues, and arenas.

Using CLEAR Sports & Events typically helps you reach your seat faster for concerts, games, and other events. All you need is the free CLEAR app on your phone. At an eligible venue, you can log in or enroll by taking a quick selfie. You’ll then receive a QR code to show the ambassador in the CLEAR lane.

CLEAR+ is an upgraded paid membership that allows travelers to skip to the front of TSA security lines at eligible airports. It verifies a member's identity using biometric data, such as fingerprints or eye scans. Once verified, a CLEAR ambassador escorts the traveler to the front of the TSA line where, in most cases, they won't need to show an ID.

While a CLEAR+ membership includes access to Sports & Events, free CLEAR members cannot use expedited airport lines unless they upgrade to the paid membership.

Credit: CLEAR

How Does CLEAR+ Work?

When you arrive at the entrance to the CLEAR+ lane, a representative will first check your boarding pass and ask whether you're a CLEAR+ member. Next, the representative will direct you to either a CLEAR pod for biometric authentication via your fingerprint or eye scan, or an eGate where facial recognition will be used instead.

Once you've been verified at the kiosk, the representative will bring you to the front of the TSA line, skipping past the rest of the checkpoint line if there is one. If you're enrolled in TSA PreCheck, you'll be brought to the front of that line. Otherwise, you'll go to the front of the general security line.

Related: Why Having Expedited Security Is More Important Than Ever

Where Can You Use CLEAR+?

CLEAR+ can be used at numerous major airports in the United States, while CLEAR also offers dedicated lanes at select stadiums and venues. Click here to view the current list of places with CLEAR lanes.

Airport locations

You can use CLEAR+ at 60 airports in the United States (plus its territories). This list of airports includes some of the biggest gateways in the country, such as Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

Look for the CLEAR+ lanes near the security scanning areas at the following airports:

Stadiums, arenas, and venues

CLEAR also offers designated lanes at select stadiums and arenas. These locations include Madison Square Garden in New York, Chase Center in San Francisco, and Ball Arena in Denver. CLEAR members — even free members — can enter the stadium via the CLEAR lane, scan their QR code from the CLEAR app, and be allowed into the venue.

CLEAR+ Membership Pricing: How Much Does It Cost?

CLEAR+ membership currently costs $209 per year. The primary member can add up to three family members at $125 each. Children under 18 can join the primary member through the CLEAR+ line for free.

However, many travelers can avoid paying this list price for CLEAR+.

How to get CLEAR+ for free with credit cards

The easiest way to save on the cost of a CLEAR+ membership is by carrying a card that reimburses the membership cost. Right now, the following cards (all issued by Amex) offer such a benefit:

• American Express^® Green Card
• American Express Platinum Card^®
• The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• Centurion^® Card from American Express

After you enroll in the benefit, charge your CLEAR+ membership to one of these cards, and you will receive a statement credit (up to $209 for the Amex Green Card, Platinum Card^®, Business Platinum Card, and Hilton Aspire; up to $369 for the Amex Centurion Card) within six to eight weeks. The CLEAR+ membership will automatically renew on that card annually until it is canceled. Enrollment is required for select Amex benefits.

American Express Platinum Card^®

Welcome Offer As High As 175,000 points. Find Out Your Offer. You may be eligible for as high as 175,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $12,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

How to Apply

Annual Fee

$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• Earn 5X points for flights booked directly with airlines or with American Express Travel^® (up to $500,000 in purchases per calendar year).
• Earn 5X points on prepaid hotels booked with American Express Travel^®.
• Earn 5X points on Fine Hotels + Resorts^® and The Hotel Collection bookings.

The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express

Find Out Your Offer You may be eligible for as high as 300,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after spending $20,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.

How to Apply

Annual Fee

$895Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• Earn 5X points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com.
• Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more.
• Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers.
• Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers.
• Earn 2X points on each eligible purchase with U.S. shipping providers.
• 2X earning rates are subject to a cap of $2 million in purchases per calendar year.

Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card

Welcome Bonus Earn 150,000 Hilton Honors Bonus Points with the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card after you spend $6,000 in purchases on the Card within your first 6 months of Card Membership.

How to Apply

Annual Fee

$550Rates & Fees
(Terms apply)

Credit Score

Excellent, Good

• 14X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for each dollar of eligible purchases charged on your Card directly with a hotel or resort within the Hilton Portfolio
• 7X Hilton Honors Bonus Points on flights booked directly with airlines or amextravel.com, car rentals booked directly through select rental companies, and at U.S. restaurants
• 3X Hilton Honors Bonus Points for all other eligible purchases on your Card

Credit: CLEAR

Airline discounts for CLEAR+

Travelers can get a discount on CLEAR+ simply by being a member of certain airline mileage programs. And, depending on your elite status with certain airlines, you can get a free membership or take advantage of even better discounts on the cost of a CLEAR+ membership.

Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards

All Atmos Rewards members—regardless of elite tier—can enroll at the same discounted price of $199. Elite status members also receive bonus miles when signing up for and renewing their CLEAR+ membership. All Atmos Rewards elite members receive 1,500 miles for enrolling in CLEAR+ for the first time at the $199 rate, and 1,250 miles for renewing/reinstating their CLEAR accounts.

Delta SkyMiles

All Delta SkyMiles members get discounts on CLEAR. General SkyMiles members can get an annual membership for $199. If you have a Delta credit card, or are a Delta Silver, Gold, or Platinum Medallion elite member, you can get a membership for $169.

Diamond Medallion and Delta 360° members can get a CLEAR+ membership for free — but this benefit ends June 1, 2026. After that, top-tier Delta elites will get a discount of $129 per year.

United MileagePlus

United's partnership with CLEAR+ offers general MileagePlus members an annual membership for $199. You can drop the price to $169 if you have a United credit card, United Premier Silver, Gold, or Platinum elite status. United Premier 1K elites receive a deeper discount for a $129 a year membership.

United Global Services members can get a CLEAR+ membership for free.

CLEAR+ enrollment promotions

Occasionally, CLEAR will partner with other brands to offer promotions. Some of the promotions have included bonus miles for signing up for a membership, an Uber gift card, and United TravelBank credit.

How To Sign Up for CLEAR+

To sign up for CLEAR+, you must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident. When you sign up for CLEAR+, you will need one of these forms of photo identification to complete your enrollment, as long as the ID is valid, unexpired, not amended, and includes a photo:

• REAL ID compliant U.S. driver's license
• U.S. passport book (not the passport card) or a passport from Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, The United Kingdom.
• REAL ID compliant state-issued ID

You can begin your enrollment online and finish it at a CLEAR+ location, or you can complete the entire enrollment process at a CLEAR+ location. The first steps can be done from home and take five to 10 minutes to complete. Enrollment requires answering identity verification questions, showing a photo ID, and providing payment for the membership.

You'll then need to have your fingerprints and eyes scanned at a CLEAR+ location to add your biometric information to your account.

Credit: CLEAR

CLEAR Concierge

CLEAR+ members can add on one of the paid Ambassador Assist services: Express (previously Curb-to-CLEAR) or Gate Service (previously Curb-to-Gate). These options are currently available at over 30 airports in the country, but not all locations offer both services.

With the Express option, an ambassador will meet you when you arrive, help with your luggage, and take you through the security checkpoint, bringing you through the CLEAR+ lane. Gate Service does all of the above, but goes one step further with the ambassador bringing you to your gate or to a lounge.

The ambassador will coordinate a meeting point with you via text message before you arrive at the airport. CLEAR is currently charging $99 for the Express service and $179 for the Gate Service. Each CLEAR Concierge booking covers a party of up to four people total, including children. All travelers ages 18 and older must be CLEAR+ members; kids 17 and under can join for free.

Screenshot of CLEAR+ Concierge

You must make a reservation for these services online at least 10 hours in advance. Reservations are refundable if canceled at least 24 hours before the appointment time. CLEAR says appointments can be changed up to 30 minutes before the scheduled time.

Ambassadors cannot wait with you at the gate, bring you from a lounge to the gate, watch your children or pets, accompany minors, or accept tips.

CLEAR+ and Blacklane Partnership

CLEAR+ and Blacklane—the premium chauffeur transfer service provider—recently rolled out a partnership to provide a premium home-to-gate service at select airports, according to a press release.

CLEAR+ members who book a Blacklane chauffeur service will get $25 off. A Blacklane professional chauffeur will drive travelers from pickup to drop-off at the airport, where a CLEAR Concierge will be waiting for them, ensuring a smooth transition through security and the airport terminal. This partnership is intended to set a new standard for frictionless travel.

How the new CLEAR-Blacklane partnership works

There still aren't a ton of details readily available about this partnership, like the airports where you'll find this additional service, but we expect to learn more in the near future.

CLEAR+ vs. TSA PreCheck: What's the Difference?

CLEAR+ allows travelers to move to the front of the security line (either regular screening or TSA PreCheck) by going through the CLEAR+ lane and verifying their identity via biometric technology. TSA PreCheck allows travelers to go through a shorter security line (in most cases) and have less intensive security screening.

While CLEAR+ typically costs $209 per year, TSA PreCheck costs vary depending on which of the three enrollment partners you apply through. For first-time enrollees, a five-year TSA PreCheck membership costs $76.75 via Idemia, $79.95 via CLEAR, or $85 via Telos. Online renewals cost $58.75 via IDEMIA, $69.95 via CLEAR, or $70 via Telos. In-person renewals cost $66.75 via IDEMIA, $79.95 via CLEAR, or $70 via Telos.

But to sweeten the deal, CLEAR is currently offering first-time enrollees a bundle with the first year of CLEAR+ membership and a five-year TSA PreCheck membership for $209 — thus making TSA PreCheck free for the first five years — for first-time enrollees. Here's how to take advantage of this offer.

Related: Expedited Security Screening Programs: How To Get Them for Free

Do I need TSA PreCheck if I have CLEAR+?

TSA PreCheck and CLEAR+ complement each other. CLEAR allows travelers to move to the front of the security line (yes, even the TSA PreCheck line).

Once travelers have been verified and allowed into the TSA PreCheck screening area, they can have an expedited scanning process that doesn't involve removing belts or shoes and technology items from luggage. Using both of these programs together can speed travelers through the security sections of the airport.

Credit: CLEAR

Is CLEAR+ Worth the Cost?

CLEAR+ can be a valuable service for travelers who frequently pass through airports with CLEAR+ lanes. Supplementing CLEAR+ with other airport security services like TSA PreCheck can accelerate your path from curb to gate even further. As an avid traveler, I know I shave hours off my airport security line time every year. Indeed, CLEAR estimates that members save an average of four hours a year by expediting their process.

There are also credit cards and airline loyalty programs that can reduce or pay for the membership entirely. Ultimately, CLEAR+ can be an excellent service if you often fly through airports with CLEAR lanes.

For rates and fees of the cards mentioned in this post, please visit the following links: American Express Platinum Card^® (Rates & Fees), The Business Platinum Card^® from American Express (Rates & Fees), and Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card (Rates & Fees)