Status: checked against official sources; automated independent review
FREQUENT FLYER GLOSSARY
What is a trusted traveller fee credit?
Trusted Traveller Fee Credit is a credit-card benefit that returns the application fee for a government trusted traveller programme, usually TSA PreCheck or U.S. Global Entry, as a statement credit on the card used to pay it. On The Platinum Card® from American Express in the United States, the benefit is a $120 statement credit every four years after applying for Global Entry, or up to $85 after applying for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider. [1]
Facts checked: 18 October 2026
Key takeaways
- A trusted traveller fee credit is a card statement credit that offsets the application fee for a government trusted traveller programme such as Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, not a change to the application itself. [1]
- On The Platinum Card® from American Express (United States), the credit is $120 every four years for a Global Entry application, or up to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership bought through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider. [1]
- The fee has to be charged to the card, and CLEAR+ is covered by a separate annual credit rather than by the trusted traveller benefit. [1]
How does a trusted traveller fee credit work?
A trusted traveller programme charges the traveller a fee when the application is submitted. A fee credit works on the other side of that transaction: the traveller applies, pays the fee with an eligible card, and the card issuer then posts a matching statement credit to the account. The traveller ends up out of pocket for neither the fee nor a separate reimbursement request, because the refund arrives as a credit line on the card statement rather than as a payment from the programme.
Because the money moves through the card account, the credit is a card benefit rather than a programme benefit. The trusted traveller programme sets the fee, checks the application and decides the outcome; the card issuer sets the maximum amount it will refund, the condition that the fee be charged to that card, and how often the credit can be used.
For a traveller comparing cards, the practical questions are therefore narrow: is the credit large enough to cover the fee of the programme actually wanted, does the card have to be the payment method for that fee, and how long is the gap before the credit can be used again? The answers sit in each card's own benefit terms, so they differ from card to card and from issuer to issuer.
What does the Amex Platinum trusted traveller credit cover?
American Express lists the benefit on its United States Platinum Card® page as "Fee Credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®". [1] The credit is triggered by the application, and by paying the application fee with the Platinum Card®. [1]
| Programme | What triggers the credit | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Global Entry | A statement credit every four years after you apply for Global Entry | $120 |
| TSA PreCheck® | A statement credit after you apply for a five-year membership through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider | Up to $85 |
The amounts above are those shown on the card's benefits page as of 18 October 2026. [1] American Express points cardholders to its expedited travel terms page for the full conditions attached to the benefit. [1]
The two programmes overlap in practice. American Express says that a traveller who is approved for Global Entry receives access to TSA PreCheck at no additional charge, so a Global Entry approval already brings PreCheck access with it. [1] The two lines in the table therefore describe alternative applications rather than two memberships that a traveller needs to buy together. [1] The TSA PreCheck and Global Entry guide covers how the two programmes differ in day-to-day use.
Exceptions and limits
- It is an application-fee credit, not a general membership credit. The Platinum benefit is written around applying for Global Entry once every four years, or applying for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership. [1] It sits alongside each programme's own membership terms rather than replacing them. [1]
- The TSA PreCheck amount is capped and channel-specific. The credit is up to $85, and applies where the five-year membership is bought through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider. [1]
- The fee must go on the card. The statement credit follows paying the application fee with the Platinum Card® itself. [1]
- CLEAR+ runs on a separate, annual credit. The same card offers up to $219 in statement credits per calendar year after signing up and paying for a CLEAR+ Membership, which is subject to auto-renewal, with taxes and fees excluded. [1] That is an annual credit against a membership, whereas the Global Entry credit is described as a credit every four years after an application. [1] The annual credit entry explains the calendar-year pattern that such benefits usually follow.
- Airline fee credit is a different benefit again. The card also offers up to $200 per calendar year in statement credits for incidental fees, such as checked bags and in-flight refreshments, charged by one selected qualifying airline. [1]
Frequently asked questions
How often can I use the trusted traveller credit?
On The Platinum Card® from American Express in the United States, the Global Entry credit is a statement credit every four years after you apply. [1] The TSA PreCheck line is described against a five-year membership bought through a TSA PreCheck official enrollment provider, for up to $85. [1]
Does the Amex Platinum credit cover both Global Entry and TSA PreCheck?
Yes. American Express lists the benefit as a fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®, with $120 for Global Entry applications every four years and up to $85 for a five-year TSA PreCheck membership. [1]
Do I need TSA PreCheck separately if I am approved for Global Entry?
No separate step is described. American Express says that if you are approved for Global Entry you receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional charge. [1]
Does the trusted traveller fee credit pay for a CLEAR+ membership?
Not through this benefit. CLEAR+ is covered by a separate credit of up to $219 per calendar year on the same card, for an auto-renewing CLEAR+ Membership and excluding taxes and fees. [1]
Which card has to pay the application fee?
The eligible card itself: American Express says the statement credit follows payment of the application fee with the Platinum Card®. [1]
Sources
Sources checked on 18 October 2026. Fee credits offered with other cards, and trusted traveller programmes other than Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, are not covered here.
- American Express Platinum Card benefits, including the fee credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, checked 18 October 2026