Does my credit card pay for Global Entry?

Many premium travel cards offer a statement credit that reimburses the application fee for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck, typically once every four to four-and-a-half years. You pay the government fee with your card, and a matching credit appears on your statement. Whether your specific card offers it, and for how much, is set by the card issuer, so always confirm on your card's official benefits page.

How often can I use the Global Entry credit?

These credits are usually tied to a multi-year cycle, often once per roughly four years, matching how long a membership lasts. It is not an annual credit. If you already used it this cycle, you generally cannot use it again until the cycle resets, even if you switch which card you pay with.

What is the difference between Global Entry and TSA PreCheck?

TSA PreCheck speeds you through domestic airport security in the United States. Global Entry speeds you through customs when arriving back in the U.S. from abroad, and it includes TSA PreCheck. If you travel internationally at all, Global Entry usually gives more for a similar fee, and many card credits cover either one.

Cards That Hand You Free Money

Learn · By O.B., Founder · Last reviewed June 3, 2026

Here is a secret the credit card world does not advertise loudly: a lot of cards quietly give you free money. Not a scam, not a catch — just perks built into the card that most people never bother to claim. Cash back, free monthly credits, free subscriptions, free travel coverage. If you are not using them, you are leaving real money on the table.

This is a plain-English tour of the kinds of free stuff cards hand out, so you know what to look for and what to actually claim.

Free money #1: cash back

The simplest free money there is. You buy groceries, gas, or dinner, and the card gives you a percentage back. Spend on things you would buy anyway and pay the balance in full, and that cash back is pure profit. Here is how card rewards work.

Free money #2: monthly statement credits

Lots of cards include credits that show up like free money each month or year — for things like rideshares, food delivery, or streaming. The card simply knocks that amount off your bill. Statement credits explained. A classic example is Uber Cash on certain Amex cards.

Free money #3: the sign-up bonus

The biggest single pile of free money a card ever gives you. Spend a set amount in the first few months and the card drops a bonus in your lap — often worth more than a year of regular rewards. How sign-up bonuses work.

Free stuff #4: perks you forgot you had

Beyond cash, many cards include free travel insurance, free rental car coverage, purchase protection, and even fee credits for things like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck. These are free benefits sitting unused on millions of cards right now.

The one rule that keeps it free

All of this free money disappears the moment you carry a balance and start paying interest. Pay in full every month, and the perks stay free. That is the entire trick — the cards are betting most people will not. Be the person who does.

See the free money already on your cards

You might already have free perks waiting on a card in your wallet. Our free tool checks the benefits tied to your cards and shows you exactly what you can claim — in about a minute, no account numbers, no credit check.

Find My Benefits — Free →

Credit cards that basically hand you free money