Clear introduces faster verification technology ahead of busy Thanksgiving travel period

In recent years, Clear Plus has proven invaluable for saving time at the airport. The expedited security program can help you breeze through the Transportation Security Administration screening process at 58 U.S. airports, especially when paired with TSA PreCheck.

Clear members can utilize a separate, typically shorter, security lane and verify their identity using a fingerprint or iris scan. It definitely beats digging around in your luggage for your ID (though Clear users are subject to random TSA-mandated ID checks) and then waiting in a long line for a TSA agent to verify your identity.

Related: Clear launches new paid option for curb-to-gate service

But, as Clear's popularity has grown, the once super-short lines have as well. With more than 20 million members nationwide, the company consistently strives to enhance the efficiency of its identity verification procedures.

Beginning Nov. 25, Clear is bringing its latest — and fastest — technology to 12 airports. The company's new EnVe Pods will enable Clear users to verify their identity using face-first biometric technology (rather than an eye or fingerprint scan) for up to five times faster verification.

Related: Clear launches new app-based lane

Dubbed Clear's "Lane of the Future," EnVe Pods (short for "enrollment and verification") pair high-resolution, wide-angle cameras with Clear's NextGen Identity+ to reduce the number of steps for Clear members and staffers. This will lead to faster verification and, thereby, less time waiting in line.

Clear released a video demonstrating how the technology works. In the video, a woman walks past the verification screen, barely missing a step as she makes her way through the checkpoint.

Clear has been paving the way for this technology since August 2023, when the company announced it would begin upgrading Clear users in preparation for NextGen Identity+, a TSA-mandated update to lessen security vulnerabilities.

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"At Clear, we're passionate about helping members win the day of travel from home to gate and back again," Clear CEO Caryn Seidman Becker said. "Clear's Lane of the Future is here with our new EnVe Pods delivering a 5 times faster verification. Clear Plus Members will now enjoy a faster and more predictable experience nationwide," she added.

Clear lanes at these 12 airports are currently utilizing the new EnVe Pods:

• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS)
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF)
• Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG)
• Denver International Airport (DEN)
• John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City
• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• Orlando International Airport (MCO)
• Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT)
• Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) in Washington, D.C.
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
• San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC)

Clear will continue to roll out EnVe Pods across its network through 2025. Once the rollout is complete, the original Clear Pods will be phased out, and members will no longer be able to verify their identity using their eyes or fingers.

Clear members need not do anything else to use the EnVe Pods as they roll out. If you have already upgraded to NextGen Identity+, you are ready to go.

The TSA is expecting to screen 18.3 million passengers between Tuesday, Nov. 26, and Monday, Dec. 2, making it the busiest Thanksgiving travel period on record. On Sunday, Dec. 1, alone, the TSA expects more than 3 million passengers will pass through its checkpoints. If its predictions are correct, Dec. 1 will win the title for busiest air travel day ever in the U.S.

There's no better time to ensure you are using every tool at your disposal to speed up the airport security process. Luckily, if you pass through a participating airport, you can sign up for and start using Clear on the same day.

An annual Clear membership costs $209, but there are a handful of credit cards that will reimburse you for up to $209 as a statement credit. These include:

• American Express® Green Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express
• The Centurion Card from American Express

The information for the American Express Green and Centurion cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

There are a few other ways to save, including with cards that will partially reduce your membership cost, through discounts for members of select frequent flyer programs and with discounts for students and families. TPG readers can also apply for a free two-month Clear trial.

Click here to read our full guide on how to save on a Clear membership.

Related reading:

• Why you should get TSA PreCheck and Clear — and how you can save on both
• Clear launches new paid option for curb-to-gate service
• Guide to using the American Express Clear Plus benefit