TSA cuts PreCheck price for under‑31s

Airport security is doing a little marketing. TSA has rolled out a temporary PreCheck discount for younger travelers — and the offer is more specific than some headlines made it sound. This is not a broad price cut, and it is not for everyone. It is a May 2026 promo for first-time applicants who are 30 or younger when they enroll. ### What exactly changed? TSA launched a promotion called “$20 Take Off” that knocks $20 off a new five-year TSA PreCheck membership for eligible applicants. The window is tight — you have to complete enrollment between May 1 and May 31, 2026. TSA framed it around summer travel and graduation season, which is basically when a lot of younger travelers suddenly have flights booked. (tsa.gov) ### Who gets the cheaper price? The age cutoff is 30 and under — not under 31 in the loose, fuzzy sense some social posts use. You must be 30 years old or younger at the time of enrollment, meet normal TSA PreCheck eligibility rules, and be a first-time customer. Renewals are explicitly excluded. ### What do you actually pay? (tsa.gov) TSA’s main PreCheck page says a five-year membership costs $85 or less, depending on the enrollment provider. With the promo, eligible younger applicants save $20 off that first enrollment. In other words, the exact final price can vary a bit by provider, but the discount itself is fixed. ### Is there a catch at checkout? (tsa.gov) A small one. IDEMIA — one of TSA’s enrollment providers — says some enrollment centers may still charge the full price upfront. If that happens, eligible customers paying by credit card should get the $20 reimbursed within 10 business days. So the deal is real, but the discount may not always show up instantly at the counter. (tsa.gov) ### What does PreCheck actually get you? PreCheck is the faster security lane program where approved travelers usually keep shoes, belts, and light jackets on, and can leave laptops and compliant liquids in their bags. TSA pitches it as a smoother checkpoint experience for low-risk travelers. That does not mean no lines — just less checkpoint hassle once you are in the dedicated lane. (tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov) ### Do younger travelers even need their own membership? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Children 17 and under can join an adult with PreCheck when the child has the TSA PreCheck indicator on the boarding pass. But once you are 18 or older, that free ride rule no longer works the same way, which is why this promo is clearly aimed at college-age and early-career travelers buying their own flights. (tsa.gov) ### Is this the same thing as CLEAR? No — and this is where people get mixed up. TSA PreCheck changes how you go through the security screening process. CLEAR is a separate private service that speeds up the identity-check part. CLEAR also sells TSA PreCheck enrollment and has its own bundles, but this May discount is a TSA promotion tied to new PreCheck enrollments for eligible younger travelers. (tsaenrollmentbyidemia.tsa.dhs.gov) ### Bottom line If you are 30 or younger and were already thinking about getting TSA PreCheck, May is the moment to do it. But the offer is narrow — first-time applicants only, enrollment must be completed by May 31, 2026, and the age rule is 30-and-under, not a vague “young travelers” bucket. (tsa.gov) (clearme.com)