
CLEAR
Founded Year
2010Stage
IPO | IPOTotal Raised
$135MDate of IPO
6/30/2021Market Cap
3.31BStock Price
18.54Expert Collections containing CLEAR
Expert Collections are analyst-curated lists that highlight the companies you need to know in the most important technology spaces.
CLEAR is included in 3 Expert Collections, including Smart Cities.
Smart Cities
2,129 items
Travel Technology (Travel Tech)
2,247 items
The travel tech collection includes companies offering tech-enabled services and products for tourists and travel players (hotels, airlines, airports, cruises, etc.). It excludes financial services and micro-mobility solutions.
Conference Exhibitors
5,302 items
Latest CLEAR News
Sep 12, 2023
Jesse Collier tried Clear after learning about the free trial at the airport. It allowed her to skip to the front of the TSA security line. However, she says Clear was not the best option for her and she prefers Global Entry. Have you ever made awkward eye contact with someone in a blue vest in front of the Clear line? Maybe you mistakenly entered the line and even signed up. That's what happened to me and my husband. When we found ourselves in the wrong line years ago, a Clear employee (or ambassador, as they're called) offered us the chance to sign up for a free trial of Clear Plus, and we decided it was worth a try. At that time, neither of us had ever heard about Clear or how it differed from TSA PreCheck . The ambassador was upbeat and friendly, walking us through the speedy process of signing up, scanning our irises, and collecting our fingerprints. I inquired about the airports that offer Clear services, and he rattled off what seemed like every major city in the United States. Clear Plus costs roughly $15 a month Clear Plus is an expedited security check available at 51 airports across the United States. Additionally, this service is at several stadiums in the US, allowing Clear members to bypass the identification lines and proceed straight to the front of the line. Members can also bring one adult guest through the stadium line or children under 18 years old for free. For $189 per year, roughly $15 per month, you can breeze through lines in just a few minutes. Clear Plus vs. TSA PreCheck While some think Clear is similar to TSA PreCheck, it's not exactly the same. TSA PreCheck operates as a security checkpoint that confirms your identity and conducts a background check beforehand. If you have TSA PreCheck, you will speed through security in a shortened line and don't need to take shoes off or take electronics out of your bag. But Clear functions as an identification service, and, unlike TSA PreCheck, there is no background check required for a Clear Plus membership. Rather than using physical identification like a passport or ID, Clear uses biometric data — your eyes or fingerprints — to confirm your identity. Travelers with Clear must still pass through the TSA security checkpoint. After arriving at an airport or stadium, you use the Clear kiosks to scan your boarding pass and eyes or fingerprints. An ambassador will then escort you to the front of the security line once the check finishes. If you have Clear but don't have TSA PreCheck, you'll only move to the front of the regular TSA line. This detail holds significance because, while many think PreCheck comes with Clear, if you don't have both, you'll find yourself taking off your shoes and pulling out your liquids before going through security. Still, many people find the privilege to jump to the front of the line to be valuable at busy times. How to sign up for Clear To apply for a Clear Plus membership, you can either sign up online or enroll at a kiosk. If you sign up online, you'll need to visit one of their kiosks anyway to complete the membership process. You must provide a valid driver's license or passport for identity verification. The kiosk then scans your eyes and fingerprints to capture biometric data. If you're looking to save a little money, Clear offers the option to include up to three family members or friends on your account for $70 per person. So, if you wanted to round up three people and bundle your memberships, you each would be paying a much lower price of $99.75 per person. How to find discounts for Clear Plus The good news for thrifty travelers is that certain credit cards provide discounts or even full comps of Clear memberships. For example, the American Express Green Card issues an annual credit of $189 to cover the cost of a Clear membership. And the American Express Platinum Card not only covers the membership but will also provide you a $100 credit for Global Entry, which includes TSA PreCheck. If you end up really hating Clear Plus, you have the option to terminate your membership as long as it's more than 30 days out from your term, and you will get a prorated refund of the time remaining. But Clear wasn't for me Once my trial of Clear Plus ended, I didn't find myself eager to sign up for an annual membership. While it cuts down waiting in long lines, it comes with a hefty cost. At that time, I wasn't traveling frequently enough to justify paying $189 per year when my travel nerves always had me sitting at my gate two hours before my flight. Some people may also feel apprehensive about providing their biometric information, especially their fingerprints, to a private company. According to Clear's Privacy Policy , they do not sell personal information and only will disclose a member's info if subpoenaed, requested by authorities, or to prevent physical harm or financial loss. Personally, this is not something I worried about. My TSA PreCheck and Global Entry applications required fingerprints, so the government already has my information stored. The main reason I didn't sign up for an annual membership was because my biggest gripe about airport security wasn't alleviated: taking off your shoes and pulling your belongings out of your bag. I don't like how these things slow down the process, and then I have to swiftly find a bench to put my shoes back on. Somehow, I always end up anxious and breaking a sweat. So if I can avoid that discomfort by paying $78 every five years for TSA PreCheck, I don't see the point in tacking on an additional $189 per year — having both memberships would come out to $1,023 for five years. Global Entry, which includes TSA PreCheck at only a fraction of the price of Clear, ended up the right choice for me. Jesse Collier is the creator of The Road Jess Traveled and helps people save, plan, and book their dream vacations. Read the original article on Insider
CLEAR Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When was CLEAR founded?
CLEAR was founded in 2010.
Where is CLEAR's headquarters?
CLEAR's headquarters is located at 65 East 55th Street, New York.
What is CLEAR's latest funding round?
CLEAR's latest funding round is IPO.
How much did CLEAR raise?
CLEAR raised a total of $135M.
Who are the investors of CLEAR?
Investors of CLEAR include IPD Capital, LionTree Partners, Liberty Media Corporation, Partnership Fund for New York City, Michael Jordan and 20 more.
Who are CLEAR's competitors?
Competitors of CLEAR include Nametag and 1 more.
Compare CLEAR to Competitors

Jumio is an identification credentials authentication company that helps businesses reduce fraud, meet regulations, and increase revenue. Jumio utilizes proprietary, computer vision technology and document experts to verify credentials, including passports and driver's licenses issued by over 130 countries.

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ID.me provides digital identity solutions. It offers an identity verification platform that helps businesses verify the identities of their customers. It uses a variety of methods to verify identities, including facial recognition, document verification, knowledge-based authentication, and more. It was formerly known as TroopSwap. The company was founded in 2010 and is based in McLean, Virginia.

Yoti is a digital identity platform to find a secure way of proving identities online and face-to-face. The company uses artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms for secure age-checking services by sending verified details for secure registration and authentication into websites and offers data encryption to ensure customers' personal details are stored securely. It was founded in 2014 and is based in London, United Kingdom.
CoVerified provides a professional suite of user-friendly tools for schools and employers including a symptom & screening app, track & trace for co-worker contacts, test result verification, and dynamic return-to-activity monitoring.

Nametag is a social profile that allows users to showcase their digital collections and accomplishments on the platforms they use the most. This is powered by the Nametag web extension which enables users to preview verified credentials (Nokens) and badges collected by other users. Nokens represent a person’s actions online. This includes in-game rankings and assets, notable followers, and community involvement across the internet. Users can install a Chrome or Brave browser extension to have their web3 username and digital collectibles displayed on sites like Twitter, Discord, and YouTube. The company was founded in 2021 and is based in Seattle, Washington.