Should You Sign Up For Clear at the Airport?

This is the queue that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend…

Making your way through airport security is a multistage process. The first part is that long, snaking queue reminiscent of theme parks -- or the DMV. You wind your way through the ropes for what seems like (or may literally be) hours. It's not until you make it through that line that you get to the second line leading to the actual screening.

As you wend your way through the queue, you may notice a stream of folks being escorted to the front of the line. Those folks likely have CLEAR, a program designed to quickly and easily verify your identity.

What you may not realize is that some of those CLEAR users may have just signed up minutes ago. And if you have a credit card, you can sign up right at the airport, too. But should you?

The pros of signing up on the spot

There are a few good reasons to sign up for CLEAR while you're at the airport. For one thing, even with the time it takes to sign up, you could get through the line much faster than simply waiting it out.

The other main pro? A free trial.

In my experience, at least, signing up at the airport may score you a two-week free trial of the program. This is enough time to give CLEAR a try not just on your departing flight, but also coming back, so long as your trip is less than a couple weeks. If you decide to keep CLEAR, great. If not, you can cancel in a few clicks in the mobile app or online.

The actual process of signing up for CLEAR is surprisingly simple. A helpful CLEAR worker can assist you with answering a few questions and providing basic information, such as your name and address.

Then, you provide biometrics. You'll need to input your fingerprints and complete an eye scan. This is how you'll verify your identity each time you use a CLEAR kiosk going forward.

Finally, it's time to pay. Even with a free trial, of course, you'll need to provide payment details. You can use just about any credit card, though a rewards card is certainly ideal. Even better, if you have certain travel rewards credit cards, you could get a statement credit to cover all or part of the cost.

The downsides to CLEAR

Signing up for CLEAR at the airport has a few downsides to mention. First off, while the sign-up process is quick, it isn't instantaneous. So you'll need to make sure you have at least five minutes or so to get through the process.

Secondly, the time crunch means you probably won't be taking the time to read all the fine print. This can be especially important to folks who like to read through privacy notices completely before agreeing. If you'd rather have the time to read through everything at your leisure, then signing up right before your flight may not be ideal.

There are also a few things to consider whether you're signing up at the airport or at home. For example, CLEAR isn't everywhere yet. While you can make use of the service at a lot of major international airports in the U.S., smaller airports won't have the kiosks yet. This may mean you can use CLEAR on some parts of your trip, but not all of them.

And, of course, there's the biometrics. If you're not comfortable giving a third-party company access to your fingerprints and retinal scans, CLEAR is definitely not for you.

If you don't have a credit card that reimburses the cost, CLEAR can be fairly expensive. With a frequent flyer program discount, you're looking at $179 a year for just one person. Without the discount, it's $189. If you get a family account, you can add family members for $60 each.

Is Clear worth it?

For those who fly frequently -- and for credit cardholders with credits -- CLEAR can be well worth the cost thanks to the time you can save. Even if you have TSA PreCheck, CLEAR can potentially save you quite a bit of time in busy airports and during peak travel times.

For sporadic travelers or those with multiple family members who fly together, however, it may not be worth the cost. That said, if you can score the free trial by signing up before your flight, it could be worth giving it a shot. If nothing else, you may shave some time off the wait for this trip. Just don't forget to cancel if it's not for you.