Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a CLEAR membership credit?
A CLEAR membership credit is a recurring statement credit that a payment card issuer applies to a card account to offset part or all of the cost of a paid membership in an expedited-traveller service. Such credits are usually capped at a set amount for a set period and tied to one named card product, so the same membership can be fully covered on one card, partly covered on another and not covered at all on a third. On The Platinum Card® from American Express the benefit is published as up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR+® Membership, excluding taxes and fees. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- On The Platinum Card® from American Express, the CLEAR+ credit is up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR+® Membership, excluding taxes and fees. [1]
- The issuer describes the credits as arriving after you sign up and pay for a CLEAR+ Membership, subject to auto-renewal, with your eligible American Express Card. [1]
- It is listed separately from the card's fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, which carries its own amounts and its own four-year cycle for Global Entry. [1]
How much is the CLEAR membership credit worth?
For The Platinum Card® from American Express, the published figure is up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year, covering an auto-renewing CLEAR+® Membership but not taxes and fees. [1] The wording sets a ceiling rather than a flat payment: the cardholder receives statement credits of up to that amount within a calendar year. [1]
| Amount | Up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year [1] |
|---|---|
| Membership covered | A CLEAR+ Membership, subject to auto-renewal [1] |
| Excluded | Taxes and fees [1] |
| How the credit arises | Statement credits after you sign up and pay for the membership with your eligible American Express Card [1] |
| Card | The Platinum Card® from American Express [1] |
The figure above is the one set out on the issuer's US card page for The Platinum Card as of 18 October 2026. [1]
How do you get the CLEAR membership credit?
American Express frames the benefit as a reimbursement of a purchase made on the card: you sign up and pay for a CLEAR+ Membership, subject to auto-renewal, using your eligible American Express Card, and the issuer then provides up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year. [1] Because the value is issued as a statement credit rather than as a reduced price, the membership is paid for on the card and the credit comes back on the card account. [1] The membership described renews automatically, so the arrangement is ongoing rather than a single one-off payment. [1]
The CLEAR+ credit sits in the same group of premium travel benefits as the card's other recurring statement credits, alongside credits for hotel bookings, airline incidental fees, rides and dining. [1] The general mechanics of yearly statement credits are explained under annual credit.
Is the CLEAR credit the same as the TSA PreCheck or Global Entry credit?
No. The Platinum Card page lists a separate "Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®": a statement credit every 4 years after you apply for Global Entry ($120), or a statement credit after you apply for a five-year membership for TSA PreCheck® (up to $85 through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider), in each case with the application fee paid on the Platinum Card. [1] If the Global Entry application is approved, TSA PreCheck access comes at no additional charge. [1]
The benefits differ in what they reimburse and how often. The CLEAR+ credit offsets the cost of a CLEAR+ Membership and is stated per calendar year, while the other credit offsets the fees for applying to Global Entry or for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership and is stated as a credit every four years for Global Entry. [1] A cardholder therefore tracks them as two separate benefits on the same account. [1]
How the application-based programmes work is set out in the TSA PreCheck and Global Entry guide; the wider category is covered under trusted traveller programmes.
Exceptions and limits
- Annual cap. The benefit is up to $219 per calendar year, so the published amount is a maximum rather than a guaranteed payment. [1]
- Taxes and fees. The credit is described as excluding taxes and fees on the membership. [1]
- Auto-renewal. The membership described is a CLEAR+ Membership that is subject to auto-renewal. [1]
- Eligible card. The credit is tied to your eligible American Express Card, so which card pays for the membership is part of the condition. [1]
- Not the same as the government-programme credit. Global Entry and TSA PreCheck are covered by a different benefit on the same card, with different amounts and different cycles; the CLEAR+ credit is counted separately. [1]
- Product and market. The figures here are those published for The Platinum Card® from American Express on the issuer's US card page as of 18 October 2026. [1]
Frequently asked questions
How much is the CLEAR credit on the Amex Platinum Card?
Up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year for an auto-renewing CLEAR+ Membership, excluding taxes and fees. [1]
Does the credit cover the taxes and fees charged on a CLEAR+ membership?
No: the published benefit is a statement credit for an auto-renewing CLEAR+ Membership, excluding taxes and fees. [1]
Do I have to pay for CLEAR+ with the card?
Yes. The issuer describes the credits as being received after you sign up and pay for a CLEAR+ Membership, subject to auto-renewal, with your eligible American Express Card. [1]
Is the CLEAR credit part of the TSA PreCheck credit?
No. The page lists the CLEAR+ credit and the "Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck" as separate benefits, the latter worth $120 every four years for Global Entry or up to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership. [1]
Sources
Sources accessed on 18 October 2026. It covers only the CLEAR+ credit published for The Platinum Card® from American Express on the issuer's US card page; CLEAR membership pricing, other card issuers and other CLEAR membership types are not covered here.
- American Express Platinum Card benefits and $219 CLEAR+ Credit, checked 18 October 2026