Technologies

TSA Precheck, Global Entry and Clear: Which One Is Right for You?

If you travel often or want to avoid the hassle of waiting in long lines at security, these programs are worth a look.

You may be planning one or more trips this year, after spending more time at home over the past two years. But who wants to start a vacation — particularly a well-earned trip after all of the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic — by standing in a long line at the airport?

If you’re fully vaccinated and ready to start traveling again, there are three programs — TSA PreCheck, Global Entry and Clear — that can help you get through airport security faster.

Before you book your next vacation, keep reading to learn about TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus Clear, the costs, application process and benefits of each, plus how you can get them for free.

The choices and opinions below are based on independent testing by our editors, based on their travel experiences before the pandemic, who hope to once again attend product announcements, trade shows and conventions in person — in addition to traveling for pleasure. It’s a big world out there!

Our recommendations

Detailed examinations of the services follow, but here’s the express version of TSA PreCheck versus Global Entry versus Clear.

Global Entry is the best overall option. One CNET writer once called it «the best $100 I ever spent» — and the first time you use it, you’ll agree. Global Entry folds in all of the advantages of TSA Pre — much faster and less invasive TSA security checks — and adds an express line through customs and immigration on your way back to the US from international airports and destinations. If you have a passport, this is the one to get.

TSA Pre is the best option if you don’t have a passport. If you only travel domestically, TSA Pre will make flying a far less onerous process. But if you take even one international trip or head to one international airport in the next five years, you’ll kick yourself if you don’t pay the extra $15 for Global Entry.

We don’t recommend Clear at its current price. The base price of Clear feels prohibitive unless you are a frequent flyer, particularly a Delta or United frequent flyer. It’s almost $200 a year, versus just $20 per year for Global Entry. And that application fee doesn’t buy you the quicker TSA PreCheck security check, so you’re probably still going to want to invest in Global Entry or TSA Pre as well anyway. Delta and United Airlines frequent flyers can get a discount, but Clear just doesn’t seem to be worth it for most travelers planning to take only a trip or two a year. However…

Clear Sports is worthwhile for sports fans and concertgoers in select cities. No, this doesn’t really have anything to do with airports or traveling. But Clear Sports, the free tier of Clear, will give you expedited entry into 14 stadiums around the country, which could be a huge time-saver for season ticket holders who attend many games each year. If you live in one of the cities in which it’s offered — and you’re OK with the company Clear having your biometric data — this free service is worth checking out. Clear has another free service called Health Pass that works as a vaccine passport, letting you gain entry into venues that require proof of vaccination.

And, as you might suspect: If you’re a real stickler for privacy, you might want to skip all of these services.

Want a deeper dive into each of these? Read on.

TSA PreCheck

With more than 7 million members, TSA PreCheck is the most popular of the expedited airport security screening programs. It’s run by the Transportation Security Administration and lets you use special TSA PreCheck security lines at the airport instead of fighting your way through the main security lines with everyone else. In addition to the shorter security lines, the screening itself is expedited because you don’t need to remove your shoes or laptop, among other items, when going through a TSA PreCheck checkpoint. According to the TSA, 92% of TSA PreCheck members waited less than 5 minutes for screening this past May.

Who’s it for?

Any frequent flyer within the US. To be eligible, you need to be a US citizen or a lawful permanent resident. Also, TSA PreCheck members’ kids 12 and under can go through the TSA PreCheck line with their parents.

What does it do?

Not only will the line at the TSA PreCheck likely be shorter than what you’ll encounter at the regular airport security checkpoint, but you’ll go through more quickly because you won’t need to remove your shoes, belt or light jacket, or take out your laptop or liquids.

Where can I use it?

At more than 200 participating US airports and 80 participating airlines across the US.

What’s the cost?

TSA PreCheck costs $85 for five years. You can pay for your PreCheck application with a credit card, debit card, money order, company check or certified/cashier’s check. Renewing your TSA PreCheck after your first five years costs only $70 for another five years if you renew online.

How do I apply?

It’s a two-step process:

1. Fill out an online TSA PreCheck application and schedule an in-person appointment for a background check. There are more than 380 enrollment centers for the in-person interview. Unlike the early years of the program, they’re not all located in airports anymore, either.

2. Go to the appointment to answer questions for the background check and get fingerprinted.

The TSA estimates the online application will take 5 minutes to fill out, and the in-person appointment will take 10 minutes.

How does it work?

Once you’ve been approved and paid your $85, you’ll get a Known Traveler Number. When you book a flight, you must add your KTN to your reservation, which will allow you to use the TSA PreCheck lane at the airport.

Global Entry

Global Entry is a no-brainer if you like the idea of TSA PreCheck and travel internationally. Run by the US Customs and Border Protection, this program includes free TSA PreCheck and in addition lets you get through customs more quickly when entering the US from travel abroad.

Who’s it for?

International travelers going by air, land or sea. To be eligible, you need to be a US citizen, a lawful permanent resident or a citizen of the following countries: Argentina, Colombia, Germany, India, Panama, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan or the UK. Kids will need their own Global Entry membership at the same cost as adults.

What does it do?

It lets you skip the long line at customs as well as the paperwork and awkward interviews with a customs agent when returning to the US. In place of that unpleasant process, Global Entry members can skip through customs by using a self-serve kiosk. And on exit from the US, Global Entry also includes TSA PreCheck to get you through airport security faster.

Where can I use it?

You can use Global Entry at dozens of airports in the US, including Guam, Saipan and Puerto Rico. It’s also available in some major Canadian airports (Calgary, Edmonton, Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg) as well as a handful of other international airports (Abu Dhabi, Aruba, Bermuda, Dublin, Grand Bahamas, Nassau). Again, that’s in addition to the advantages of a full TSA Pre membership, which you can use at over 200 domestic US airports.

What’s the cost?

Global Entry costs $100 for five years — only $3 more per year than TSA PreCheck. You can pay by credit card or through an electronic bank transfer.

How do I apply?

Similar to TSA PreCheck, you need to fill out an online application. Start by creating a Trusted Traveler Program account. Then, complete the application for Global Entry (which includes the nonrefundable $100 fee). Once you’re conditionally accepted, schedule an in-person appointment at an enrollment center and pass a background check. For your in-person interview, you will need a valid passport and one other form of identification such as a driver’s license or ID card. Lawful permanent residents must present their machine readable permanent resident card.

How does it work?

There is no additional paperwork needed beyond your US passport. Once you’re accepted, just look for the dedicated Global Entry kiosks at customs when entering the US at participating airports. The ATM-style kiosk snaps a photo and asks you about five of the same sort of questions you’d get on hand-written immigration forms (are you bringing in fruit, are you carrying $10,000 in cash) that you answer on the touchscreen. If the answers to those questions is no, you can hand off the printed receipt to an immigration officer as he or she checks your passport. You can be on your way to the luggage carousels in as little as 2 minutes.

You will also get a Global Entry ID card, but that’s only needed for land and sea port entry from Mexico or Canada. (If you’re not familiar with the SENTRI and NEXUS programs related to crossing to and from those respective countries, you probably don’t need to worry about this.)

Clear

Unlike TSA PreCheck and Global Entry, Clear is run by a private company and not the government. It lets you jump right to the front of the main security line or the TSA PreCheck line at the airport. Instead of waiting in line to show your ID and boarding pass to the TSA agent, you can scan your eye and fingerprint at a Clear kiosk and then be escorted directly to the front of the security line.

You still may want to use it along with TSA PreCheck or Global Entry because it only lets you skip the line — you’ll still need to remove your shoes, belt, laptops and liquids when you go through security, unless you also enjoy TSA PreCheck benefits.

Who’s it for?

Air travelers who hate long lines and are willing and able to scan their eyes and fingers. To be eligible, you must be at least 18 years old and have one of these types of photo ID: US driver’s license, US passport, US passport card, US-issued Permanent Resident Card, state-issued ID or US military ID.

What does it do?

Clear lets you skip the airport security line, but you’ll still need to go through the regular security screening. It saves you from needing to present your ID and boarding pass to a TSA agent after standing in the security line to do so. Instead, you can use a Clear kiosk to scan your iris and fingerprints, and then a Clear employee escorts you directly to the front of the line for security screening. You’ll need to take off your shoes and belt and remove your laptop and liquids from your carry-on for screening, unless you also have TSA PreCheck to expedite the screening and boarding process.

Where can I use it?

Clear isn’t as widespread as TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It’s available in a select number of airports as well as a handful of stadiums to get you through security and to the game or concert faster.

What’s the cost?

Clear is pricier than TSA PreCheck or Global Entry. It has an annual fee of $179 per year, and you can add up to three family members for $50 each per year. Kids under 18 can use the Clear kiosk when traveling with a Clear family member.

Clear is the priciest of the three programs, but it’s the only one that offers a free trial. You can try the service free for two months.

Delta and United frequent flyers can get a deal on Clear. For Delta, it’s free for Diamond Medallion members, $109 a year for Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members, and $119 a year for General SkyMiles members. For United, it’s free for Premier 1K members, $109 a year for United credit cardmembers in the US and Platinum, Gold and Silver Premier members. And it’s $119 a year for MileagePlus members.

What is Clear Sports?

For stadium entry only, a Clear Sports membership is free and lets you bring one guest with you through the Clear security lane.

How do I apply?

Clear is the most expensive but easiest to join. You fill out an application online and then finish the process at an airport or stadium that offers Clear. No need for a separate trip to an enrollment center — you can start using Clear on the same day you enroll.

How does it work?

Your iris and fingerprints are scanned when you enroll and linked to your account. You can then use those biometrics to zip through the Clear lane at an airport or stadium instead of the regular security line. With the Health Pass, you can add a digital vaccine card to prove your vaccination credentials.

Security and privacy concerns

Global Entry and TSA Pre are US government programs, while Clear is a private corporation. But if you use any of the services, you’ll be surrendering quite a lot of personal information, including fingerprints — and your face.

In the case of Clear, the company’s website says: «We never sell or rent personal information. Personal information is only used to deliver a frictionless and secure experience with Clear.»

For Global Entry and TSA Pre, you’re surrendering that information to the federal government. That gives many people pause, especially since the government has shown it’s no better than corporations at keeping data safe. From the SolarWinds breach to the US Treasury and Commerce departments getting hacked, the feds already have a pretty dismal reputation. And US Customs and Border Protection — the very agency that administers Global Entry — has admitted that traveler photos were compromised in a cyberattack.

So, yes: None of these systems will be comfortable for folks who value privacy. And if any of that makes you uncomfortable, none of these services are for you. But while arguing for a higher level of travelers’ rights is a worthy debate, it’s not going to get you through the security line or boarding any faster for your next flight. For better or worse, increased convenience will mean sacrificing some degree of privacy, at least to the airlines, the governments of the nations you’re traveling through and their various subcontractors.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

Technologies

Zelle App Is Gone. Use These Alternatives to Send Money Digitally

You still have lots of free ways to send money to friends and family electronically.

If Zelle has been your go-to app for sending money digitally, it’s time to find a new method. The digital payment app shut down on April 1.

That doesn’t mean you can’t use Zelle altogether, however. Zelle has only discontinued its standalone app. You can still send money using Zelle if your bank belongs to the Zelle network. You’ll just need to do it through your bank’s app or website. You also have other services to choose from. Here’s what you need to know about this change and your options moving forward.

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Why the Zelle app is shutting down

When Zelle launched in 2017, only about 60 US financial institutions offered the service by the end of that year. Today, that number exceeds 2,200. As a result, less than 2% of Zelle transactions occur through the standalone app. Zelle has been phasing out the ability to make transactions on its mobile app since October 2024.

«Today, the vast majority of people using Zelle to send money use it through their financial institution’s mobile app or online banking experience, and we believe this is the best place for Zelle transactions to occur,» Zelle said in an October 2024 press release.

In December, Zelle was in the spotlight when the Consumer Financial Protected Bureau sued the company and three of the largest US banks for failing to protect consumers from widespread fraud on the peer-to-peer payment network. The lawsuit has since been dropped.

Other ways to send money digitally

You can still use Zelle through your bank’s app or website if it belongs to the Zelle network. You can also switch to another digital payment app, such as:

Apple Wallet
Cash App
PayPal
Venmo

Take some basic precautions when using Zelle or any other digital payment service. These apps are a frequent target for scammers, and Chase Bank has started blocking some Zelle payments it believes could be fraudulent. Only send money to people you know and trust, and watch for red flags like an urgent message claiming to be from your bank or an online ad for concert tickets that seem impossibly cheap.

Technologies

Marvel Rivals Season 2 Starts Next Week, Devs Drop Big News

Emma Frost and Ultron are joining the Rivals roster in season 2, and developers are upping the pace to one new hero per month starting with season 3.

After surviving the endless night in New York City with the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals players are getting invited to the shores of Krakoa for the start of season 2 on April 11. The game dropped the first trailer for the new season, giving us our first official look at the new heroes, and a developer vision video dropped major news about the future of hero releases.

The trailer features the former foe and sometimes-leader of the X-Men, Emma Frost, inviting people from across Rivals’ various timelines to the mutant nation of Krakoa, where everyone gets dressed up for a fancy gala — even Wolverine puts on a white tux. The event, however, is unceremoniously interrupted when Ultron shows up preaching extermination.

We also got a look at some of the cosmetics in season 2, though it’s unclear which are from the shop and which might be in the battle pass. In addition to the dressed-up Wolverine, we also got looks at Magik and Psylocke in the traditional X-Men blue and yellow. Nonmutant guests are also getting in on the fun, with fancy attire for heroes like Cap, Widow and Luna Snow.

New Heroes and balance changes in Marvel Rivals Season 2

Emma Frost joins the roster as a Vanguard. We don’t have detailed information about her abilities yet but expect that information to drop ahead of next week’s season launch. Ultron is coming in the season 2.5 update, which should be in late May.

Some team-ups are changing in season 2, including three new team-up abilities that were previewed in the newest developer vision video.

Emma Frost allows Magneto and Psylocke to create illusions of themselves.
Doctor Strange teams up with Scarlet Witch allowing her to use small portals to seemingly increase her damage output via a rapid-shooting alternate fire.
Cap finally teams up with Bucky, allowing the Winter Soldier to leap to allies.

A few existing team-ups are getting adjustments, with Psylocke, Winter Soldier and Doctor Strange being removed from older team-ups in favor of new ones, and Namor moving from working with Luna’s anchor to Hulk’s to empower his ultimate with gamma energy. Two team-ups are being removed entirely: Magneto can no longer team up with Scarlet Witch, and Thor is no longer anchoring Cap and Storm.

The developers vaguely teased other balance changes, including buffs to Peni, Mister Fantastic and Moon Knight, with Strange trading offensive pressure for more survivability and Rocket getting more utility while Loki and Adam Warlock receive nerfs to their Regeneration Domain and Soul Bond abilities.

Future seasons will be shorter, which means more new heroes

One of the most surprising moments in the developer video was the announcement that, beginning with season 3, seasons will be two months long instead of roughly three. There has been a lot of discussion online about whether Rivals’ pace of new heroes (about eight per year based on three-month seasons) was sustainable. Well, apparently the Rivals devs took that personally and are cranking up that pace to a new hero every month, meaning 12 new heroes per year.

This feels borderline ludicrous compared with other hero shooters that average about three new heroes per year, or even MOBAs like League of Legends, which has averaged about four new champions per year over the past five years. Rivals benefits from having an overflowing stable of Marvel characters to pull from rather than inventing their own hero concepts, and compared with Overwatch, the developers seem less worried about mechanical overlap in their heroes, as seen with many support ultimates. Still, a new hero every month feels unheard of for a hero shooter.

New Krakoa map and competitive changes

A new Krakoa-themed domination map is being added in season 2, and Yggsgard: Royal Palace (domination) and Tokyo 2099: Shin-Shibuya (convergence) will rotate out of the map pool for ranked modes, though they’ll still be available in quick play and custom games.

The threshold for competitive picks and bans, which currently only happen in diamond-ranked lobbies, will be lowered to gold 3. Players in Eternity or One Above All ranks will only be able to duo queue, instead of queuing with larger groups — a measure that’s likely intended to keep high-level teams from stomping lobbies.

Speaking of ranks, season 2 will drop everyone by 9 divisions, which is equal to 3 ranks. That means players in Eternity will drop to diamond, and any players at platinum 3 or below will start their climb from bronze 3 again. (AGAIN… AGAIN.)

Rivals developers also announced that individual player performance will be weighted higher when determining competitive progress after a match, meaning if your stats outperform your team’s, you’ll earn more for winning and drop less for losing. This change can help elevate smurfs and other high-skill players in lower-ranked lobbies by getting them into their appropriate ranks faster. However, it can also lead to players stat-farming, instead of playing in a way that is most effective for winning games. Overall, given that Rivals doesn’t use any sort of competitive placement matches, this should be a net positive for the game.

Other announcements

Rivals is adding new skin recolors to certain hero skins and (finally) giving players the option to gift costumes to their friends so they can surprise someone for their birthday, which you definitely did not forget about.

Missions are changing a bit, with the addition of weekly missions and a redistribution of where battle-pass-progressing chrono tokens are earned. The devs framed this as creating a «smoother expectation» of how to earn chrono tokens, but the surface-level description sounds like they’re just making it harder to earn battle pass progress over the season by tucking away more progress under missions with shorter time limits.

The developer vision update also gave us our first look at the competitive distribution, showing how many Rivals players are in each tier as of season 1.5.

The Hellfire Gala trailer says season 2 will start on April 11. While it doesn’t give a specific start time, expect the between-seasons maintenance to finish sometime in the middle of the night in the US.

For more on Marvel Rivals, check out which heroes and roles you should play and how to get free skins.

Technologies

Nintendo Switch 2 vs. Switch 1: Every Detail Compared

The Nintendo Switch 2’s official specs aren’t too different, but the new console has a lot of upgrades on the original Switch.

The Nintendo Switch 2 may look like its predecessor, but there’s been a lot of changes to its features and under the hood. The new console has «10x the graphics performance» compared to the original Switch, says Nvidia, which built the custom processor powering the Switch 2.

The Switch 2, with a release date on June 5, is priced at $450 alone or $500 in a bundle with Mario Kart World, the headliner of the console’s launch games. Here’s all the info on how to preorder the Switch 2.

Note that we’re mostly comparing the Switch 2 to the original Switch 1 released in March 2017, because looping in the Switch Lite and Switch OLED gets complicated.

Design

Broadly, the Switch 2 is a larger version of its predecessor, with everything looking slightly inflated: bigger footprint, bigger screen, bigger Joy-Cons.

Original Switch: The original Switch, with Joy-Cons slotted into the side rails, is a little over 9.4 inches wide, 4 inches tall, a little over half an inch thick and weighs about 10.5 ounces (297 grams). The Joy-Cons slide into place from the top of the device’s sides, while a thin wedge of plastic pops out of the back of the console to serve as a kickstand.

The Switch also came with a dock, which the console could slot into to for recharging and outputting to a TV or large display via HDMI port.

Switch 2: The new Switch 2 is bigger in every way, but it has the same overall shape and layout as the original. The new Joy-Cons will indeed be held in place on the console magnetically, and connect to the console via pins. The new console also sports a wide U-shaped kickstand that spans almost its entire rear width, which can be moved around to prop up the Switch 2 at a variety of angles. Nintendo says the console has more powerful speakers, which we’re looking forward to testing.

The Switch 2’s dock is largely similar in function though it has rounded edges and an internal fan to cool down the console during long game sessions. More importantly, it can output games in 4K to TVs, but only for select games.

Joy-Cons

The Joy-Cons were a marvel when they arrived on the first Switch, and while they’re functionally similar in its successor, there have been upgrades in the Switch 2’s controllers.

Original Switch: The Switch Joy-Cons are simple but powerful controllers that slid on and off the console via plastic rails, connecting and recharging via pins on the side. Detach and they become their own micro-controllers, with little shoulder buttons to boot.

Switch 2: The new console’s Joy-Cons are larger to fit the Switch 2, and lock into the side of the console via powerful magnets — there are small inward-facing buttons to the side of ZR and ZL to detach the controllers from the console. The larger-size Joy-Cons have longer L and R outside shoulder buttons, as well as much wider SL and SR internal shoulder buttons, which are accessible when detached from the console.

And yes, you can use the Switch 2 Joy-Cons as mice by placing their inner edges flat on a surface. During the Nintendo Direct, we saw it being used to control active action games like the wheelchair basketball-simulating DragXDrive and strategy games like Civilization VII.

Display size

Original Switch: The original Switch has a 6.2-inch LCD screen with 1,280×720-pixel resolution, which was reasonably impressive at launch in 2017 but has been outclassed by newer handhelds with sharper displays. The Switch OLED upgraded this with a larger 7-inch display showing deeper blacks and colors, but no upgrade in resolution. The Switch Lite has a 5.5-inch LCD screen.

Switch 2: Unsurprisingly, the Switch 2’s larger size means a larger display. The new console has a 7.9-inch 1080p LCD screen that can get up to 120Hz refresh rate in handheld mode, or up to 4K when docked and outputting to a TV.

Why no OLED display? Possibly to save on costs… or possibly to give Nintendo room to release a Switch 2 OLED version down the line.

CPU/GPU

Original Switch: The original Switch runs on an Nvidia custom Tegra X1 processor split into four ARM Cortex A57 CPU cores, and according to Hackaday, there are four extra A53 cores that aren’t used.

Switch 2: Once again, Nintendo hasn’t released any official info on the Switch 2’s specs, even after the Nintendo Direct reveal stream — and they most the company reveals is that it has a «custom processor made by Nvidia» on the Switch 2’s official specs page. Nvidia confirmed it also has a custom GPU, claiming that the new console has «10x the graphics performance» of the Switch 1, and the custom processor’s AI-powered features include Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS), face tracking and background removal for video chat and real-time ray tracing.

We do still have more supposed details from previous leaks. Months ago on X (formerly Twitter), leaker Zuby_Tech posted that the Switch 2’s CPU will be an eight-core Arm Cortex A78C. They also suggested that the GPU will be an Nvidia T239 Ampere, aligning with years of similar rumors reported on by Eurogamer and others about the custom chip, which derives from Nvidia’s Tegra line of chips for smartphones and mobile devices.

RAM and storage

Original Switch. The Switch has 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of onboard storage, expandable up to 2TB via microSD cards in the slot beneath the kickstand.

Switch 2: Even after the reveal stream, Nintendo didn’t release official specs for RAM. Leaker Zuby_Tech posted on X back in September suggesting the Switch 2 will have 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. That leak also suggested the new console will have two internal fans, up from the single one in the original Switch.

Nintendo did confirm that the new console will have 256GB of onboard storage, which can be expanded with special microSD Express cards — sorry, your old Switch-compatible microSD cards won’t work on the Switch 2.

Battery life

Original Switch: The original Switch packs a 4,310-mAh battery, which gives between 4.5 and 9 hours of battery life depending on screen brightness and other factors.

Switch 2: Though Nintendo didn’t release details on the Switch 2’s capacity in the reveal stream, the company does list specs on its website, showing it packs a 5,220mAh battery. While that’s notably larger than the one in its predecessor, Nintendo estimates this will only get players between an estimated 2 and 6.5 hours, depending on games played.

Ports

Original Switch: The first Switch sports a single USB-C port out the bottom, a 3.5mm headphone jack on the top and Wi-Fi 5 plus Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity. On the top is a slot at the top for Switch game cartridges as well as the microSD slot beneath the kickstand on the rear of the console.

Switch 2: The Switch 2 retains the original’s USB-C port on the bottom and 3.5mm jack on the top while adding another USB-C port topside, and now we know what it’s for: to connect with accessories like the Nintendo Switch Camera, a webcam-like camera on a stand to let you do Nintendo’s version of FaceTiming while you play games with your friends.

Nintendo hasn’t clarified the console’s connectivity options, and rumors are scarce on the subject.

As for cartridges, Switch 2 will play some original Switch games in physical versions. The cartridge slot is to the right of the headphone jack in the above image, which is where the slot is on the original Switch. You can tell game cartridges from the two console generations apart by color: ones for the new Switch 2 are red, while older Switch 1 games are black.