If you have a vacation coming up or are already making travel plans to visit family during the fast-approaching holiday season, you could benefit from the new CLEAR Plus deal — especially if you hate crowds and value convenience. You can now score two months of CLEAR Plus for free, letting you avoid standard TSA checkpoints and move faster through airport security.
How does CLEAR work? Travelers enter the CLEAR Lane at the security checkpoint, where an ambassador verifies their identity by scanning their eyes or fingerprints. Once verified, travelers go to the front of the TSA screening line. The service is available at 59 airports nationwide, as well as at participating sports stadiums, rental car locations and other venues.
Here's what you need to know about enrolling in a two-month CLEAR Plus trial.
From just $107.88 $24.99 for Kiplinger Personal Finance
Be a smarter, better informed investor.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Two-month CLEAR Plus free trial
Usually, a CLEAR Plus membership costs $209 per year — and that is the amount you'll be charged after your free trial period. But you can cancel your membership at any time for no cost. So if you don’t travel often enough to justify the hefty annual fee, but don’t want to deal with long airport security lines on your upcoming trip, it may be worth it to sign up for the free two-month trial, as long as you remember to cancel it before you’re charged for the full member annual rate.
You can start the sign-up process for a free trial online, but you’ll need to complete your enrollment in person before using the CLEAR lanes, which you can do in the airport at one of the CLEAR enrollment centers. You'll need to bring a form of photo identification, like a passport or driver’s license, and have your eyes and/or fingerprints scanned to complete the enrollment process.
To cancel your membership, you must do so in your CLEAR customer account, which you can register for or access at www.clearme.com. You may also contact customer service at memberservices@clearme.com or 1-855-CLEARME (253-2763) to cancel.
You may also be able to score a free or discounted CLEAR Plus membership depending on what travel credit card you have. For example, the Platinum Card from American Express and the American Express Green Card both offer a $199 CLEAR Plus credit.
Additional ways to save
There are several additional ways to save on a CLEAR Plus membership.
Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members receive a free annual CLEAR Plus membership. Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members, as well as Delta SkyMiles American Express Card members receive $40 off and pay $159 for an annual membership. General SkyMiles members receive $10 off and pay $189 for an annual membership.
United Airlines MileagePlus Premier 1K or Global Services members receive a free CLEAR subscription until May 1, 2025. After May 1, Premier 1K members will no longer receive a free membership, but can purchase a membership at a discounted rate of $129. Premier Silver, Premier Gold, Premier Platinum and United U.S. Credit cardmembers can buy a CLEAR membership for $159 per year. MileagePlus members can purchase a CLEAR membership for $189.
The American Express Platinum Card and Green Card can receive up to $199 in statement credits per calendar year after you use your card to buy a CLEAR Plus membership. The credits you receive cover the cost of the CLEAR Plus membership.
Related Content
-
S&P 500 Tops 6,500 Even as Nvidia Slips: Stock Market TodayThe world's most valuable company closed lower after earnings, but the S&P 500 managed to notch a new record high.
-
Is Trump's Tax Plan Speeding Up the Looming Social Security Funding Crisis?Social Security Social Security's combined retirement funds are running out of cash, and its insolvency date is expected to occur in less than a decade.
-
How to Keep Your Work Friends After You RetireWork friendships can boost teamwork, lift your spirits, and make the job more fun. But when you retire, these friendships can fade. Here's a look at why that happens and what you can do about it.
-
These 5 Rules Separate the Rich From Everyone ElseFrom ownership to mindset, these core principles help explain why some people build lasting wealth and others stay stuck.
-
Retirees, Make These Financial Moves Before the Fed Cuts RatesThe Fed will likely reduce interest rates in mid-September. Financial experts explain where retirees should invest now to boost retirement funds.
-
How to Handle Costly Medical Bills — SmartlyIf you’re looking for a way to pay for looming health care expenses, or if you’ve already fallen into debt, you have avenues to ease the burden.
-
I’ve Got $50,000 Burning A Hole in My Pocket. Where Do I Park It Amid Rate Cuts So I Don’t Lose Ground?Why a mix of CDs can protect $50,000 from shrinking yields.
-
The Future of Financial Advice Is Human: Gen Z Trusts Advisers, But AI Skills MatterGraduates entering the workforce trust human advisers more than AI tools with their financial planning. But AI can still enhance the client/adviser relationship.
-
Building a Business That Lasts: The Critical Steps to Avoid Blunders'Another Way' author David Whorton offers advice on how to build an 'evergreen' business that endures by avoiding common pitfalls that can lead to failure.
-
How Grandparents Can Help with Education ExpensesBefore paying for your grandkids' education, it's important to consider how to help them without risking your own retirement. Here are 10 things to think about.
