--- title: Is TSA PreCheck Worth the Money? Travelers Are Divided description: TSA PreCheck may not save time but eases stress at security. See survey results to decide if it's worth the cost for frequent travelers. authors: - name: Liliana Hall role: Reporter url: https://money.com/author/liliana-hall/ bio: Liliana Hall joined Money in 2025. She is an Austin-based reporter for Money, where she covers a range of topics, including financial news, policy, banking, investing, passive income, financial planning and student loan debt. education: University of Texas at Austin at_money_since: 2025 articles: 133 covers: - Lifestyle - Banking - Business - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Health and Wellness - Housing - Insurance - Investing - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Pets - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes social: - https://x.com/lilihallllllll - https://www.linkedin.com/in/liliana-hall/ editors: - name: Katherine Peach role: Associate Editor url: https://money.com/author/katherine-peach/ bio: Katherine Peach is an associate editor with a focus on news and email at Money. She didn’t always intend to write about money. She’s a classically trained pianist who dreamed of becoming an archaeologist. However, in 2007 Katherine began working in financial publishing as an editor for Agora Inc. (Apparently, unearthing ideas about improving your personal finances isn’t such a bad career alternative!) Katherine’s writing and editing work has been featured in Investing Daily, Clever, Investor Junkie, The Palm Beach Letter, Truth & Plenty, Independence Monthly, NICHE, AmericanStyle, AntiqueWeek, Millennial Money, Money Done Right, TheStreet, Sure Dividend and many others. Katherine holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ancient Studies with concentrations in Archaeology and Ancient Languages and a minor in Literature from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. education: University of Maryland, Baltimore County at_money_since: 2025 articles: 14 covers: - Lifestyle - Banking - Career Advice - Credit - Credit Cards - Debt - Economy and Politics - Education - Federal Reserve Rate Cuts - Health and Wellness - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes published: '2025-03-26T14:33:58.000Z' modified: '2025-03-26T14:33:58.000Z' section: Lifestyle tags: - News word_count: 449 canonical: https://money.com/is-tsa-precheck-worth-it/ type: NewsArticle source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Newark airport security line](https://img.money.com/2025/03/News-TSA-Pre-Check.jpg) A new survey from Upgraded Points suggests that TSA PreCheck doesn’t necessarily save members time at the airport — although the service was designed to speed up the universally dreaded airport security process. In the [survey](https://upgradedpoints.com/news/tsa-precheck-survey-data/), Upgraded Points asked 1,500 travelers — both with and without TSA PreCheck membership — if the service actually saves time at the airport. Travelers with TSA PreCheck reported that they spend 36 minutes, on average, going through security. Non-members said they spend about 43 minutes. Not only is that just a seven-minute difference, but reported TSA PreCheck times were longer than the TSA estimates. According to the administration, 99% of PreCheck lanes should take 10 only minutes to go through. Respondents with TSA PreCheck also said they arrive at the airport only six minutes later than those without TSA PreCheck. Although shorter lines at TSA PreCheck are among the main selling points for many members, three in 10 travelers reported that the line is shorter only 50% of the time. ## Already packing bags for your next trip? ### Grab your toothbrush and don't forget the travel insurance! Should anything unexpected happen, travel insurance has you covered. Get all the details by clicking on your state now. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/u9c8edf3b466?ap_referrer=%2Fis-tsa-precheck-worth-it%2F) ## TSA PreCheck members report less stress What travelers are banking on, however, is a less stressful experience. According to the survey, 93% of respondents reported feeling more at ease going through airport security with the help of that green checkmark on their boarding passes. Respondents enrolled in TSA PreCheck rated their stress levels going through airport security at 3.3 out of 10, while non-TSA PreCheck members rated theirs at 7.3. When TSA PreCheck launched in 2013, dedicated airport security lines and expedited screening procedures became available at more than 200 airports. But with more than 20 million members, even TSA PreCheck lines get crowded. There are other perks to TSA PreCheck, including the benefit of not having to take off your shoes or remove your laptop or liquids, among other items, from your carry-on at security. Survey respondents who travel frequently noted that this can make a significant difference when justifying the $78 enrollment fee — which the TSA lowered from $85 to $78 in 2022. A membership is active for five years, and renewal for another five years costs $70. So is TSA PreCheck actually worth it? For frequent travelers, navigating airport security with the level of ease that TSA PreCheck provides is often essential, especially if membership is one of your [travel credit card’s benefits](https://money.com/best-travel-credit-cards/). But for families or individuals who travel only occasionally, it’s a convenience that's worth paying for if it means feeling a little less stressed at the airport. ## All packed and ready to go? Don't forget the Travel Insurance. ### There are so many things that can happen while we're away from home. With Travel Insurance, you'll have less to worry about. Find out more by clicking below. [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/iea5824ef750?ap_referrer=%2Fis-tsa-precheck-worth-it%2F) ![](https://s3.consumersadvocate.org/prd/image/image/28840/medium_dca16b05-03f8-4766-b735-a167b0e7c79d.png) Enjoy your trip worry-free with the help of Travel Insurance [View Rates](https://money.com/pr/v76af457ef6b?ap_referrer=%2Fis-tsa-precheck-worth-it%2F) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "@id": "https://money.com/is-tsa-precheck-worth-it/#breadcrumb", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://money.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Lifestyle", "item": "https://money.com/lifestyle/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Travel", "item": "https://money.com/travel/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Is TSA PreCheck Worth the Money? 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