Four Cards Change Their CLEAR Plus Statement Credits (Can You Split the Membership Payment Across Multiple Cards?)

Four travel rewards cards offer CLEAR Plus users statement credits to offset some (or all) of their annual membership fees — and they just increased how much you can earn back.

That’s the good part.

But for people with legacy CLEAR Plus Family plans, the news isn’t great.

What is CLEAR Plus?

CLEAR Plus is a paid service that allows members to access exclusive security lines at select United States airports and stadiums.

At airports, CLEAR Plus members can simply use retina or fingerprint scans to verify their identities. A CLEAR ambassador will then escort them to the front of whichever security line for which they’re qualified (standard TSA or TSA PreCheck).

CLEAR members can stroll through designated entrances at various stadiums. (I haven’t used this part of the service yet but plan to in a few weeks.)

American Express CLEAR Plus Statement Credits

Four American Express cards offer members to earn up to $199 each year in statement credits for CLEAR Plus membership fees charged to their eligible card (terms apply, enrollment is required):

• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card 
• American Express® Green Card

(All information about the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card  and American Express® Green Card was gathered independently by Eye of the Flyer. It was neither provided by nor reviewed by the card issuer.)

The cards recently offered up to $189 each year in statement credits.

How Much Does It Cost?

A standard CLEAR Plus membership increased to $199 per year. That’s up from $189; it’s great the Amex cards adjusted their CLEAR Plus benefits accordingly.

A family membership is $199 for the first person and then $119 for each additional adult (up to three people. Children under 18 are free.) There are military and veteran discounts available.

Certain airline loyalty programs offer discounts (or even free memberships):

• Delta
  • Delta Diamond Medallion and Delta 360 members: complimentary
  • Platinum, Gold, Silver Medallion members: $159/year
  • Delta SkyMiles American Express Card holders: $159/year
  • General SkyMiles members: $189

• United
  • United Premier 1K or Global Services members: complimentary
  • Premier Silver, Premier Gold, or Premier Platinum: $159
  •  United U.S. Credit Cardmember: $159
  • General MileagePlus members: $189

As someone who joined CLEAR gosh-knows-how-many-years ago, I enjoyed a great family plan that cost me something like $179 or $189 a year for up to two additional members. I hold both the Amex Platinum Card and Business Platinum Amex Card. The consumer Platinum Card is the one on file with CLEAR, so I enjoyed fantastic pricing for essentially free. I didn’t even need to use my Business Platinum.

Well, that’s changing.

My new price is $317 a year (me plus two additional members) Ouch! I figured the legacy pricing would end someday but the sticker shock was a bit high on this one. 🙂

So, I’ll be out of pocket $118 a year for my Family plan.

Or will I?

Can You Split a CLEAR Membership Plan Across Multiple Amex Cards?

Here was my grand plan: I’d pay $199 of my CLEAR plan on my Amex Platinum Card. Then, I’d pay the $118 balance on my Business Platinum Amex Card.

That would be the easiest for everyone. No mussin’, no fussin’, no cussin’! Right?

Sorry. I don’t have good news.

I got in touch with an excellent CLEAR rep named Diane. She explained that CLEAR’s system is not set up to accept multiple forms of payment.

That’s probably intentional to discourage people like, you know, me.

So, I’ll stay on my current membership and pay the $159 with my Amex Platinum Card. My wife will have to open a new CLEAR account for $159 and charge that to our company’s Business Platinum Amex Card. (A friend of ours to whom we “gifted” the additional slot is our third member. We’ll figure that part out.)

Is CLEAR Worth It?

I’d say I use CLEAR maybe 30% of the time I travel. We were in Las Vegas recently the TSA PreCheck lines moved faster than the CLEAR line, so we skipped it. I’ve used Delta’s Digital ID at several airports — and that blows CLEAR out of the water. Plus, I fly out of Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) several times a year and CLEAR isn’t available there. (The PreCheck line is usually very fast, anyway.) It’s also not available at some other airports I frequent.

A Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport (MSP) rep once warned some of us to not use the CLEAR line because we’d “regret it.”

But when you need it, you need it. It’s saved us plenty of time when PreCheck lines were very long.

Final Approach

CLEAR increased its prices. But four Amex cards offering CLEAR Plus benefits increased their statement credit figures accordingly.

Do the CLEAR price increases affect you?

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, please visit this link.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card, please visit this link.