Table of Contents
Points Miles and Bling (blog) contains referral or affiliate links. The blog receives a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your continued support. Credit Card issuers are not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details, current product information, and Terms and Conditions, click the link included.
We’ve sung the praises of NEXUS, which includes TSA Precheck and Global Entry. A relatively newer player to the scene, CLEAR+ is also offering an expedited way through security. Previously limited to Americans, CLEAR+ is now available for Canadians and other international travellers. Should you get CLEAR+, especially if you already have Nexus? Let’s find out.
What is CLEAR+?
In short, CLEAR+ replaces the TSA ID check with biometric screening. (CLEAR+ saves your biometric data when you sign up.)
Essentially, you verify your biometric data and scan your boarding pass at a CLEAR+ kiosk, then head directly to the security checkpoint. More recently, CLEAR+ is replacing kiosks with new e-gates for a more efficient and streamlined verification process.
Unlike TSA Precheck, CLEAR+ does not change anything about security screening; you still need to remove your laptop, liquids, and other items that TSA requires. CLEAR+ is a shortcut for the ID screening only, essentially bypassing that line. Since much of the wait is usually before the ID check, CLEAR+ often lets you bypass most of the queue as a CLEAR+ employee escorts you directly to the security line after using the kiosk.
It does come at a (high) price of $209 USD per year. You can add up to three family members at a slightly lower rate of $125 USD per person. Like NEXUS, children under 18 are free.
CLEAR+ includes Avis Preferred Plus as a benefit, so you might as well take advantage of it if you have CLEAR+. Needless to say, Avis Preferred Plus alone is not a reason to sign up for CLEAR+, as you likely already have access to it based on your Aeroplan status or co-branded credit card.
Enrolling in CLEAR+
Enrolling in CLEAR+ is much easier than applying for NEXUS or TSA PreCheck. Since a private company operates CLEAR+ instead of a government agency, you don’t need to wait for approval or schedule an appointment. Enrolling at an airport with the CLEAR+ kiosk takes only a few minutes and involves scanning your passport, your biometric data (face), and then completing payment.
CLEAR+ advertises signing up online, but Canadian passport-holders must scan their passports in person, which eliminates most of the convenience.
Funnily enough, CLEAR+ accepted NEXUS cards as identification many years ago, allowing Canadians who enrolled then to continue using CLEAR+ even after the program stopped accepting NEXUS cards.
CLEAR+ vs. NEXUS (TSA Precheck)
The short answer is no, it’s not worth paying $209 USD for CLEAR+ unless your home airport consistently has shorter CLEAR+ lines than TSA Precheck, which is rarely the case.
Personally, I only use CLEAR+ when there is a combined CLEAR+ and TSA Precheck lane. At select airports, there are four separate lines:
- TSA Precheck
- CLEAR+
- TSA Precheck combined with CLEAR+
- Regular line
In this case, the combined line is fantastic because it lets you skip the ID check and keep all your liquids and electronics in your bag in security. I don’t find taking out my ID that arduous compared to opening my bags at security, so I rarely enter the CLEAR+ line.
In the seven years I’ve had CLEAR+, I recall only one time TSA Precheck had a very long line and CLEAR+ being much shorter, and that was the only time I went into the CLEAR+ line. Usually, the TSA Precheck line isn’t very long (and if it is, there’s usually a combined CLEAR+ line available for that reason).
If you’re going to pay for one of them, NEXUS is a much better deal at $120 USD since it includes expedited customs entry (Global Entry) in the U.S. and Canada on top of TSA Precheck.
Get CLEAR+ for Free
The only reason I (and many other Canadians) have CLEAR+ is that many U.S. credit cards include an annual CLEAR+ credit as a perk. In this case, signing up is a no-brainer, even if you never end up using it. CLEAR+ isn’t only offered on premium cards, either: the Amex Green card offers the full $209 credit with a $150 annual fee.
The following U.S. cards cover the entire $209 fee:
- Amex Platinum
- Amex Business Platinum
- Amex Green
- Amex Hilton Aspire
Meanwhile, the Delta co-branded cards by Amex and the United co-branded cards by Chase offer a $40 discount.
You can also get access to a free or discounted CLEAR+ membership through airline elite status, with a $10 discount just for being a member with United, Delta, and Alaska. Atmos members also earn 1,500 points for enrolling.
Delta Diamond members get CLEAR+ for free, while United Premier 1K members get an $80 discount. Top-tier invitation-only Delta 360 and United Global Services also get CLEAR+ for free.
Other Delta and United Elite members get $40 off, the same discount as those who hold their co-branded credit cards.
Takeaway
For Canadians, NEXUS remains the better overall value compared to CLEAR+. At $120 USD, it includes TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, while also speeding up border crossings into both Canada and the U.S. CLEAR+ only replaces the ID-check portion of airport security and does not change the actual screening process.
That said, CLEAR+ is still worthwhile if you get it for free through a U.S. credit card or frequently travel through airports with combined CLEAR+ and TSA PreCheck lanes. In those situations, skipping both the ID line and most security hassles can make for a smoother airport experience.
