How TSA PreCheck Works with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card

For some travelers, airport security checkpoints can feel like an inevitable frantic scramble at the onset of a trip. The Chase Sapphire Reserve®‘sTSA PreCheck benefit eases this experience by letting enrolled cardholders maneuver through security with fewer restrictions and, sometimes, in less time.

Whether you’re a current or prospective Chase Sapphire Reserve® cardholder, here’s what to know.

Some travel rewards credit cards, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve®, offer a statement credit for TSA PreCheck enrollment fees.

Through the Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, you can receive up to $100 statement reimbursement when using your card to pay for TSA PreCheck, Global Entry or NEXUS programs.

The Transportation Security Administration, a division under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers the PreCheck program. As an enrollee in TSA PreCheck, you can access PreCheck lanes to go through security checks at more than 200 U.S. airports.

TSA PreCheck lets you bypass some of the standard requirements of the airport security process. Enrollees aren’t typically required to remove shoes, belts, laptops, lightweight jackets or 3-1-1 liquids from their bags.

The airline you’re flying on must participate in the program, but many domestic and major international airlines do.

In general, TSA PreCheck passengers can typically expect to wait under 10 minutes in security lanes. If you’re eligible for the Chase Sapphire Reserve® TSA PreCheck credit, the time saved and heightened convenience of getting air side faster are worth it.

If you’ve decided that you want to use this benefit toward the TSA PreCheck program, you’ll need to take a few steps to activate it. Here’s how to redeem the credit for TSA PreCheck via Chase Sapphire Reserve®:

1. Fill out the online form. Complete and submit the TSA PreCheck online form. This process takes about five minutes. 

2. Schedule an appointment. Making an appointment with a TSA-authorized enrollment partner can help make your in-person processing experience smoother. At the appointment, you’ll provide your identification documents. Also, be prepared to have your fingerprints and photo taken and to provide payment.

3. Pay for the enrollment fee. The enrollment fee varies between enrollment providers. Currently, the TSA PreCheck enrollment fee is up to $85 for new enrollees. Make sure you use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card as your TSA PreCheck enrollment payment method. The TSA won’t reimburse you for payments made to a fraudulent enrollment provider; make sure that the entity that’s processing your enrollment is on the tsa.gov site.

4. Verify that you got statement credit. Confirm whether Chase applied the TSA PreCheck benefit credit to the transaction on your billing statement. It might take one to two billing cycles to see the credit applied.

Once you’re fully enrolled, your TSA PreCheck status is valid for five years. The Chase Sapphire Reserve® TSA PreCheck renewal cycle occurs every four years so you can renew using your next Chase reimbursement credit well before your TSA PreCheck expires.

When traveling, keep the following in mind so you know what to expect from your Chase Sapphire Reserve® TSA PreCheck benefit.

• You must pay the enrollment fee with the right card. To receive your TSA PreCheck reimbursement, you must use your Chase Sapphire Reserve® credit card to pay for the fee. 

• The benefit amount doesn’t increase with more authorized users. Chase offers one TSA PreCheck fee credit up to $100 per Chase Sapphire Reserve® card account. If you have authorized users on the account, they won’t receive their own TSA PreCheck enrollment credit. Instead, the benefit can be used for one application, either by the primary cardholder or another authorized user on the account. 

• You won’t get a TSA PreCheck card. Enrolled TSA PreCheck participants will receive a unique Known Traveler Number (KTN). Your KTN will stay the same, even upon renewal. Add this number to your flight reservation so the TSA PreCheck logo appears on your boarding pass. 

• TSA PreCheck doesn’t offer guarantees. Although TSA PreCheck lanes can help you get through airport security checkpoints faster, having TSA PreCheck doesn’t guarantee that your screening experience will be expedited. 

The credit from Chase Sapphire Reserve® fully covers the cost of TSA PreCheck enrollment or renewal fees once every four years. It’s just another of the many ways to offset the card’s steep annual fee of $550 ($75 for each authorized user).

Besides, if you even travel just once a year, it’s a handy benefit that makes your travel experience smoother, if you’re willing to undergo the application process.