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Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?

TSA PreCheck now has 355 sign-up centers. (Image: TSA)

TSA PreCheck now has 370 sign-up centers. (Image: TSA)

The Transportation Security Administration has been urging travelers to sign up for its PreCheck trusted traveler program as the best way to avoid long lines at security checkpoints – but a new survey suggests that the PreCheck fee might be too pricey, slowing down enrollment.

TSA has a target of 25 million members for PreCheck, but it has fallen far behind that goal. So far, fewer than 2.8 million travelers have joined. Joining PreCheck requires a background interview at a TSA PreCheck enrollment center and payment of an $85 fee for a five-year membership.

The new survey of 1,000 domestic travelers conducted for the U.S. Travel Association (USTA) found that just over one in five said they expect to enroll in PreCheck as it is. But of the rest, half said they considered the $85 fee to be a deterrent to signing up for the program.

USTA said that if TSA would reduce the sign-up fee, that could go a long way toward boosting membership in PreCheck, which offers members an expedited security clearance process in which they don’t have to remove shoes or take laptops out of their cases. (PreCheck privileges are also extended to members of Customs & Border Protection’s Global Entry program, which carries a comparable $100 fee but also allows faster re-entry to the U.S. for international travelers.)

A lower fee and simpler enrollment procedure could bring in as many as 7 million new PreCheck members, USTA estimated. About one in five survey respondents who said they were unlikely to join cited a cumbersome enrollment process, and said they would prefer an online option.

TSA has made a big push to facilitate PreCheck membership in the past couple of years, using an outside vendor called MorphoTrust to expand the number of enrollment centers to 370 nationwide. The $85 fee is split between TSA, MorphoTrust and the FBI, which provides a fingerprint-based criminal background check for applicants.

What do YOU think? Is $85 (or just $17 per year) too much to pay for PreCheck? (Personally, I would probably pay more than that, but ….) Please leave your comments below!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Comments

  1. $85 for 5 years is too expensive? Quite ridiculous; I’d pay $85 annually for PreChek.

  2. I can’t believe TSA is even thinking about lowering the fee. Then again, this is the agency that created Pre-Check to expedite screening for safe travelers who were willing to go through the screening process, and then, in their infinite wisdom, started directing people who weren’t Pre-check members into the Pre-Check line. Of course, most had no idea how the system operated which slowed things down even more. Can someone explain how that increased safety and expedited anything?

    I paid the fee, took 2 hours out of my day, submitted to a background check including fingerprints (how will that be done online?) and then had to deal with closed lanes and crowds of inexperienced travelers who got to use Pre-Check for free.

    Personally, I think Pre-Check should be limited to frequent flyers who are statistically the safest of all travelers. Yes, terrorists have the money to fly more frequently, but they risk “blowing their cover” the more they fly. If only frequent flyers could use Pre-check, then TSA’s original goal of will be accomplished. Making Pre-Check more accessible to the masses isn’t going to make anything safer, but will slow down the Pre-Check lanes even more.

    Apparently, I don’t get it. Can someone enlighten me?

  3. I think it’s quite inexpensive as well. The low pricing made sense as an introductory offering. There are numerous credit cards which reimburse the Global Entry fee, which is even higher. Certainly grateful the service exists.

  4. Maybe it needs to be the other way around… instead of getting trained after you enroll, maybe you should have to go through a “qualification” for PreCheck, which includes being able to get through a checkpoint quickly and easily, and following instructions that you’re given.. I agree with others on here that I have seen a _ton_ of people go through the PreCheck lanes, only to have them pull laptops out, have to pull stuff out of their pockets for the metal detectors, and have on shoes that can’t be easily removed… which just infuriates the rest of us who _know_ how to go through checkpoints by now.

  5. Honestly, if you’re concerned about the travel time, see if you can make it coincide with a trip you’re already taking or a conference that you’re planning on attending… I went to VMWorld last year in San Francisco, and it just so happened that there were a ton of interview slots available at SFO the day before the conference started… I just headed to SF a day early and got my interview out of the way. When I came back through JFK a few weeks later, it was definitely worth it… I was through immigration and waiting for my bag to come off the baggage claim in less than 5 minutes… nobody else was even using the Global Entry kiosks..

  6. The airlines have to give the data for the flyer to the TSA, who will be running the screening… There is (presumably) a cost for the airlines to interface with that system to make everything work, which is why only the larger airlines participated to begin with — and why they originally made it for their frequent flyers (the big airlines were willing to spend a few dollars to make things better for their high-dollar flyers, who might then spend more dollars with their airline because of the advantage of PreCheck. At least that’s how a friend of mine who used to work for Delta explained to me 😉

  7. I don’t know if the solution is to raise the fee. I think as flytoomuch pointed out, the solution is to only those who pay to use the line.

  8. It is NOT too expensive. At $17 per year to keep your shoes on, not take your laptop out, and have a quicker line it is well worth the price. People pay more than that to get expedited treatment on airlines (i.e. American charging $36 PER FLIGHT for priority boarding and priority security…where you still need to remove shoes, laptop, etc.)

  9. I am an Atlanta based frequent flyer who could not imagine Hartsfield without Pre-Check. I have completed almost 100 segments so far this year, with about 40 check-ins at Hartsfield, including the much dreaded Monday morning. As I will do tomorrow morning, I will arrive about 1.5 hours before my flight and it will take about 20 minutes to make it through the Pre-Check line, most of that snaking back and forth through the obstacle course the “helpers” set up. Pre-Check makes the life of a frequent Delta flyer much easier. I have cut the amount if time I have to wait in the airport to its absolute minimum. That being said…

    I think the price is good , maybe a bit low. I joined within 3 months of the Pre-Check program being announced and implemented in ATL. I was Clear prior to this. At the time, Global Entry was the only thing offered, but even today, it is a no-brainer. I will renew again next year. But TSA needs to limit the lines to the people who pay for Pre-Check. In ATL, this will force many frequent flyers who expect Pre-Check to start paying for it. And it will keep the people who have no idea what they are doing in the Pre-Check line out of it. It will also remove the need for the extra TSA person to tell us that we do not need to remove our shoes or belts or light jackets or laptops.

  10. I think people hear $85 and think it’s expensive because they don’t realize it’s over a 5-year period. I think it’s well worth the investment and I’d definitely pay even more for the service. I think it also depends on the frequency of travel for a lot of people though.

  11. Closed, or “not available at this airport,” or “not available via this airline.” I’m flying into Denver in a few weeks, and have seen the stories about the hellish lines there. “No problem, we have TSAPre!” Except that we’re flying on Frontier, which apparently “doesn’t participate” in Pre. Why is it up to the airlines? They’re not doing the screening, the TSA is!

  12. Thanks for all the great comments on this one, folks! Too many to respond to individually! Sounds like we are all pretty much on the same page. I’ll be sure our TSA contacts see this.

  13. Last time at int’l arrivals in SEA, the wait was about 15-20 minutes if I recall correctly. That length of wait doesn’t motivate me to drive 9 hours once every five years. But of course my situation isn’t the norm.

  14. I live in Montana and the interview site is the MT-Canada border, which I’d be driving to. What does that have to do with the frequency of my international travel?

  15. Exactly the reason to raise the price. If you only fly once a year, you are not experienced enough to use the TSA PreCheck line.

  16. Absolutely. When you enroll in TSA PreCheck, you need to be trained on how to be efficient, and know the drill. Not be totally dis-oriented and not know what to do when you approach the security checkpoint. The best one of all are those who can’t find their ID and boarding passes, closely followed by those who load up their pockets with cell phones, change, metal etc, instead of just packing it into the carry on when you get dressed to go to the airport.

  17. If they cost is an issue, you clearly do not travel enough to warrant the use of the TSA PreCheck line. If you are 4.5 hours from Global Entry, then clearly you must not be flying to an international destination that often.

  18. Not only is it NOT too expensive, dont over do it TSA. Otherwise, it will become like an over-subscribed car pool lane, and there will be no advantage in using it. It should also be reserved for more frequent fliers. When they allowed random people into the Pre Check line, it slowed to a crawl. Not because of the volume of people, but because of the IN EXPERIENCED travelers, who did not know how to go through a security checkpoint. They would have 8 pounds of change in their pockets, oversized metal belts, tons of jewelry, and just could not cope at a pace, to make the line efficient.

    Doesn’t anyone who RUNS these programs, actually fly anywhere, or go to different airports ?

  19. I find that the TSA shoots itself in the foot by giving a lot of folks access without having to enroll. Until I got global entry last year, I was batting .800 (even after they announced you needed to register). My wife, who I don’t consider a true frequent flier but has DL status, has gotten pre-check on both trips she has taken this year. If the TSA is going to encourage the airlines to push through all their mid-tier and higher elite members, then what is the incentive? That is the crowd for which TSA has value. I seem to remember Doug Parker at American saying the average (or majority, can’t remember) AAdvantage member travels with AA once per year (i.e. one round trip). If true (which I believe) then Pre-Check probably doesn’t make sense for 75% of travelers. Its more than the $85, its the finger prints, the background check, etc. Just show up 2+ hrs and go through security. But my wife with 4 or 5 trips per year (which translates into 10+ security trips) is an ideal target. Would she spent 1 hr and $1.70 per security screening to save hours of hassle? Hell yes she would! Why hasn’t she? Because Delta keeps giving her info to TSA and she keeps getting pre-check.

    That all said, I actually recommend the U.S. Customs Global Entry program over pre-check unless you don’t have a passport. Even if you take just one international trip in the next 5 years, Global Entry is so much worth it. It has saved me (at least) an hour at JFK (and I can only imagine what that line would have been like if two or three A380s also arrived at the same time) and is well worth the extra $15.

  20. All too often, I’ve found the Pre-Check lines closed. If I’m paying to use Pre-Check, I’d like some assurance that the lanes will be open.

  21. I don´t think there should be a charge at all! This should be included in the flight ticket. The TSA should get their act together and try to get themselves out from their bad reputation. Whenever I read about the TSA recently it is linked with lazy and rude staff, massive delays in airport security screening and on top at that it comes with a hefty price for passengers (despite their are public funded!!!). At least Business & First passengers should get their rapid service at no extra cost!

  22. But that’s the problem– people that don’t know what they’re doing get in the preCheck line and gum things up. Next time they don’t get preCheck and can’t understand why they have to take off their shoes.

  23. Amen. That is my single biggest objection to preCheck. So instead we get preCheck lite, where (usually, there’s no consistency) we get to keep our shoes on but that’s it. We still get at the end of the long line. 85/100 dollars for this?

  24. Frankly if you fly at least once a year away from the United States the best deal is Global entry, which means that with TSA pre-check included it’s a great deal at $100 for the five years.

  25. Are you joking, I want it high enough so that people think it’s not worth it. I have been a TSA member for two years, have used it for 30 flights and it’s been perfect. A dream to get through lines in just ten minutes, don’t have to take shoes, belt and jackets off, leave computer in bags and most of all treated like a human being. Don’t have to go through that scanner which takes forever as it scans around you and have to wait for someone to screen the picture.

    I can only hope that the airlines and TSA don’t screw this up, it’s the only nice thing with all of the really bad things about flying these days.

  26. But the entire business model of flying is to make it miserable and than charge more for making it bearable.

  27. Having no idea how/why the price is what it is, I’m reluctant to commit to it. Particularly since I’m leaving from a smaller airport where lines are the exception. I’ve thought about doing Global Entry, but I’m 4 1/2 hours from the interview site. And – the cost is an issue as it’s not clear to me how much time I’d actually save as I’m not sure how much international travel I’ll be doing.

  28. Chris, interesting data and interesting question. I’ve debated this with my (non-PreCheck) friends ad nauseum. There’s two ways to answer this question which give contradictory answers.

    Q1. What’s the net cost of initial screening, interview and approval, plus/minus any increased/decreased cost of providing the service for each screening? That is, what’s cost of service?

    A1. Very hard to imagine that $85 is not in vast excess of the screening cost. NEXUS costs $50 and that involves interviews with BOTH Canadian and US border officials. You can also do a time-based calculation at (say) $60 / hour and (fully loaded) and conclude that $85 far exceeds the initial cost.

    Cost at the airport: Less work is involved for PreCheck passengers, for everything including slower per-passenger throughput (due to people removing deeply packed toiletries; forgotten laptops in carryon; etc etc). Of course some of this is due to sample bias, but the time (and therefore cost) per passenger is certainly much less for PreCheck lanes, even when they were randomly sending unapproved passengers, versus standard lanes.

    Bottom line: Priced way, way too high – based on cost of providing the service.

    Q2. What’s the value received for PreCheck?

    A2. I tell friends without PreCheck that even if you fly once a year, $6 / leg is certainly worth the average(ish) 15 minute time savings (and climbing) for each flight. And having the confidence that you can show up 45 minutes before departure and make your flight, versus 2 hours, is invaluable. So this answer agrees with other posters that the value received is hundreds of dollars per five year period.

    Of course, this answer implicitly accepts the ridiculous security theater all frequent travelers endure. Which is painful to accept.

  29. Also note that, although I haven’t signed up, I’ve been directed to the “special” security lane anyway. I suspect the clerks there have considerable discretion to balance loads at the different lines.

    Probably helps to be older and white, I suspect

  30. But by that argument TSA should just auction off instant passage through security. There would be unseemly scenes as people wave cash at TSA to buy priority.

    We should not be encouraging crappy service and then offering to pay to get around it.

  31. The problem is it SHOULD BE “Pay to Play” PERIOD!!! I see elderly (which I will be one day), children and morons who have no business in the line holding it up because they don’t or can’t find their boarding pass/ID, try to remove shoes, take out toletries you name it. This program is too easy to be good to fornicate it up!!

  32. Given that this benefits the government at least as much as it benefits passengers, I’m not sure there should be any charge at all.

  34. The natural answer for those of us already in is “heck no”, since the more people in PRE the less valuable it gets. But as a government program, you want the fees to be related to the costs involved. I guess if the TSA saves money by signing people up the fee should be near zero, although I find that hard to believe.

    Regardless, the cost seems sufficiently low that if you travel more than a couple of times a year it’s less than the cost of buying bottled water when you get past security…

  35. Hate to say it but…

    the volume of true “business travel” is falling.

    This has to do with the number of mergers and consolidations in each industry (and low interest rates). Also, rising income inequality and less federal spending is concentrating more economic activity in a few regions like the Bay Area…

  36. It’s $17 per year for the five years. How can anyone who flies even once per year not see the value?

    And the registration isn’t cumbersome. Fill out a form. Go to an office or airport for an interview.

  37. I totally agree. I head out a lot on Sunday evenings around 8 or 9 and find that Precheck lines at ATL are sometimes closed, forcing me to rummage around to find all the things that I’m not supposed to have to pull out of my bag because I paid the extra $100 to use the dedicated lines.
    Also, the inconsistency of the process drives me crazy. At some airports, all that Precheck gets you is to not have to take your shoes off since you’re still blended into the normal lines. There’s no warning or signage to help you prepare for the experience. When my membership expires I’m going to re-think spending the money to re-enroll since I’m not getting much benefit for the money I’ve spent.

  38. If paying for Pre, should be open at all times. SAN closes theirs all too often.

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