Global Entry Renewal Time Value
Renewals are easier to justify when you know how much time Global Entry saves you. Pair your international trip count with the value of your time to see total hours saved over a membership period, the dollar value of that time, and how many trips it takes to earn back the renewal fee.
Travel experience varies by airport. Use your own wait-time observations when valuing the benefit of expedited entry programs.
Examples
- 6 trips/year, $60 per hour, 25 minutes saved, $100 fee, 5-year validity ⇒ Total hours saved over 5 years: 12.50 • Time value: $750.00 USD • Net benefit after $100.00 fee: $650.00 USD • Trips to cover fee at your rate: 4.
- 10 trips/year, $45 per hour, default minutes and cost, 5-year validity ⇒ Total hours saved over 5 years: 20.83 • Time value: $937.50 USD • Net benefit after $100.00 fee: $837.50 USD • Trips to cover fee at your rate: 6.
FAQ
Does this include TSA PreCheck?
Global Entry includes TSA PreCheck benefits. If you value domestic time savings too, increase the trips input accordingly to capture that upside.
What if my airport has short lines?
Lower the minutes-saved input to match your experience. The calculator scales benefits down automatically.
Can I model reimbursement credits?
Yes. If a credit card reimburses the fee, set the renewal cost to $0 to see the full time-value upside without the expense.
Does it factor interview time?
No. It values only time saved at the airport. Add your own one-time onboarding time to the fee input if you want a stricter payback test.
Additional Information
- Result unit: U.S. dollars for the time value and net benefit, plus total hours saved and trips to break even.
- Defaults assume 25 minutes saved per arrival, $100 renewal fee, and 5-year validity.
- Net benefit simply subtracts the fee from the monetized time savings; travel credits from credit cards would further improve the net.