The cost of a popular travel feature will increase this fall.
The non-refundable $100 application fee for Global Entry, a Trusted Traveler Program part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, will increase to $120. The price hike goes into effect October 1, 2024.
The CBP notes this is the first Global Entry application fee jump in over 15 years.
Global Entry expedites the clearance of pre-screened travelers deemed low-risk to reenter the United States upon returning from an international trip.
Membership is valid for five (5) years. It’s been great for my wife and me returning from trips overseas. Aside from one minor hiccup, it’s taken me just a couple of minutes each time to clear customs upon reentering the United States.
The application fee for NEXUS, which is co-managed by CSP and the Canada Border Services Agency, will also increase. It will climb from $50 to $120, which is a pretty steep jump.
Worth noting: Global Entry and NEXUS both give members TSA PreCheck membership.
What About Credit Card Benefits?
Several travel rewards credit cards offer statement credits up to $100 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or NEXUS application fees at least every 4.5 years. That gives card members “free” Global Entry, PreCheck, or NEXUS for five years.
It remains to be seen which — if any — will adjust their $100 benefits to $120 or keep them as-is.
Sure, it’d be nice if those cards raised the reimbursement bar to $120. But I foresee this being an excuse for card issuers to jack up annual fees to “cover their costs”—probably above and beyond $20.
Frankly, I’m fine paying $20 out-of-pocket every four-ish years for Global Entry on one of my cards.
Final Approach
The application fees for Global Entry and NEXUS, two Trusted Traveler Programs part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, increase to $120 on October 1, 2024.
A bunch of credit cards offer statement credit up to $100 for Global Entry, NEXUS, and TSA PreCheck application fees. Whether they’ll increase those reimbursements without hiking annual fees remains to be seen. But I think we’ve seen similar versions of this movie before.
H/T: TPG
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